ROCK BOTTOM

Soft Machine's co-founder Robert Wyatt recorded his first solo album still being its member. Than he left disappointed by band's musical direction, but didn't continued with solo releases. Instead he founded short-lived band Matching Mole.

This,his second solo album, was released when Matching Mole finished its existence as well. During recordings for this release Wyatt's life was changed radically: he felt from house window and loosed the use of his legs at all.As a result, he couldn't play drums anymore and concentrated more on vocals (as well as some keyboards and percussion).

Wyatt always was the source of psychedelic lyricism starting from his early musical works, but this album is his absolute peak of intimacy,openest and artistic sensitivity. Extremely unique mix of quite liquid,ambient sound,mostly all slow/mid tempo, with beautiful tunes and nervous and fragile atmosphere. It is not jazz,prog rock or even casual Canterbury sound - it's "Wyattness", his unique sound and atmosphere. With accent more on emotional field than on technical mastership, this album is one rare recording that you don't hear,but feel. Every time you listen to this album, you just feel it again and again, it looks that there are something deeper under quite accessible and even simple in moments music. And that "something" is happily not political message (which will become so usual for Wyatt on his later solo works),but great artist's naked soul with all his pain and hope.

Absolutely best Wyatt's album ever. My rating is 4,5 rounded to 5.