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Zac M 
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 Topic: the genius of wyatt
Posted: August 09 2005 at 23:02 |
I know that this thread will probably not get past a page (that has been happenning a lot lately), but I was wondering what all of you thought of Robert Wyatt. What was his best work IYO? Do you like his solo career better? After all, this man was the creative force behind the great Soft Machine and Matching Mole.
Your thoughts......
Edited by meurglysIII
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"Art is not imitation, nor is it something manufactured according to the wishes of instinct or good taste. It is a process of expression."
-Merleau-Ponty
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beterdedthnred4
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Posted: August 09 2005 at 23:09 |
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I think he's a great artist, but perhaps a bit overrated. I find
some of his work a bit aimless melodically, but at his best (Moon in
June, Sea Song, O Caroline), he is one of the greatest canterbury
composers. His drumming is phenomonal too!
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Zac M
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Posted: August 09 2005 at 23:32 |
my thread is moving further down....i could have never predicted that. either no one likes or knows of wyatt's work that is on now 
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"Art is not imitation, nor is it something manufactured according to the wishes of instinct or good taste. It is a process of expression."
-Merleau-Ponty
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NetsNJFan
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Posted: August 09 2005 at 23:47 |
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I think he is excellent on the first 4 Soft M albums. Especially the first 2. Great albums. I don;t much care for his solo albums, and Matching Mole bores me. The first 2 SM albums are fun though, his voice is just so English I love it.
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Zac M
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Posted: August 09 2005 at 23:49 |
No one sings quite like he does...that is for sure
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"Art is not imitation, nor is it something manufactured according to the wishes of instinct or good taste. It is a process of expression."
-Merleau-Ponty
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NetsNJFan
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Posted: August 09 2005 at 23:51 |
 meurglysIII wrote:
No one sings quite like he does...that is for sure
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he's really ethereal and hippieish I like him quite a bit.
his commie leanings can be distracting, but usually it doesnt get in the way of his voice.
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Trotsky
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Posted: August 09 2005 at 23:55 |
I haven't yet heard a full Matching Mole album (love the O Caroline mp3 though)  , but almost everything else is damn good ... Soft Machine's Third and his solo albums Rock Bottom and Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard are my favourites ... 
I'll admit I'm not the biggest fan of Soft Machine's Fourth, but perhaps one reason is that Wyatt's influence was clearly waning?
I now remember that I hated his voice a long time ago, it definitely takes some getting used to, but I think his lyrics helped me get over the voice ...
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Zac M
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Posted: August 09 2005 at 23:57 |
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the first matching mole album is excellent, highly recommended
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"Art is not imitation, nor is it something manufactured according to the wishes of instinct or good taste. It is a process of expression."
-Merleau-Ponty
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Zac M
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Posted: August 10 2005 at 00:01 |
I'm actually getting ready to listen to it now 
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"Art is not imitation, nor is it something manufactured according to the wishes of instinct or good taste. It is a process of expression."
-Merleau-Ponty
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NutterAlert
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Posted: August 10 2005 at 03:51 |
loved early Soft Machine, mainly because of Wyatt's distinctive vocals and drumming. SM albums after him hold no real attraction for me.
Haven't religiously followed his subsequent career but have a few MM and solo albums and each of them contains real gems.
Re-read the Robert Wyatt book occasionally. Both funny & poinient.
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The Hemulen
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Posted: August 10 2005 at 07:07 |
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I dooooo wish people would stop talking about Matching Mole as if it
was a Wyatt solo project! Much of Wyatt's post-MM solo career is very
different and a lot more accessible than MM. For someone who fancies
some solo Wyatt that's a little more melodic look no further than the
album in my signature - Shleep. It's brilliant, as is the man who
created it.
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NutterAlert
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Posted: August 10 2005 at 07:24 |
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Good point, but you got me thinking who was in MM. Dave Sinclair, RW, forgot the rest?
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The Hemulen
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Posted: August 10 2005 at 07:28 |
Ahem...
Line-up
- Robert Wyatt / drums, vocals, piano, mellotron
- Dave Sinclair / keyboards
- Bill MacCormick / bass
- Phil Miller / guitar
This IS Prog Archives, remember? 
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NutterAlert
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Posted: August 10 2005 at 07:30 |
Sorry, being lazy, and meant to be working at same time (go away damn customers  ).
Won't happen again. 
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Dick Heath
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Posted: August 10 2005 at 08:26 |
meurglysIII wrote:
No one sings quite like he does...that is for sure |
Two others I would argue.
In the early 70's John Peel called Wyatt and Kevin Ayers' vocal style
"the school of anti-song". More recently and perhaps more precisely,
Richard Sinclair* and Robert Wyatt have been called "English school of
jazz singers" - as opposed to British singers who affect an American
accent when they sing jazz songs , e.g Jamie Cullum, (Chet Baker did it
so much better).[ Read recently about an English rock vocalist wondering
if to American ears, British vocalists singing American had the same
effect as we had to suffer with Dick Van Dyke speaking and singing mockney cockney in Mary Poppins?]
For a comparision of English and American styles, check out Canterbury's most prolific and covered musician, Hugh Hopper's Dedicated To You But You Weren't Listening on Soft Machine Volume 2 (Wyatt's original) and Caveman Hughscore's (Elaine Difalco's version).
* for an excellent example of Sinclair away from Caravan and vocalising this way: Theo Travis's Earth To Ether (33 Records)
Edited by Dick Heath
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Intruder
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Posted: August 10 2005 at 08:32 |
I really like the Mole's Little Red Record....the sound could use a little cleaning up, but I think it's an excellent spacy jazzy album. Also dig the Old Rottenhat album, but that's a given!
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I like to feel the suspense when you're certain you know I am there.....
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Heptade
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Posted: August 10 2005 at 08:56 |
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Wyatt is an f-ing genius. Even his odd little 80s albums are wonders to
listen to. And his singing and drumming with early Softs are incredible.
Best song- Sea Song or O Caroline from Matching Mole's first album.
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omri
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Posted: August 10 2005 at 16:47 |
I got Soft machine's Volume 1 & 2 recently and also Matching mole'sLittle red record. Still working on them.
From his solo career I have The end of an ear, Rock bottom, Ruth is stranger than Richard and Old rottenhat. These are all good albums but for me Rock bottom is his best and one of my absolute desert island albums. Old rottenhat is another masterpiece IMO. I think Wyatt stands in the first line of prog artists and is very important, beautifull & emotional.
Alifib is my favorite track of his and one of my favs of all music exists.
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omri
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Zac M
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Posted: August 10 2005 at 16:51 |
he really never gets the attention he deserves, especially in these forums 
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"Art is not imitation, nor is it something manufactured according to the wishes of instinct or good taste. It is a process of expression."
-Merleau-Ponty
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NutterAlert
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Posted: August 10 2005 at 17:01 |
meurglysIII wrote:
he really never gets the attention he deserves, especially in these forums |
BTW, did you know he was recently the recipient of the Mojo lifetime achievement award. He's quoted as saying:
"I thought i'd better go back and listen to my records, to see if they were any good".
"And do you know what?" he says with a grin "they are really good".
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the genius of wyatt
