RUTH IS STRANGER THAN RICHARD

Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard feels like a summation of Wyatt's career to this point - the free jazz of The End of An Ear and the sonic experiments of Rock Bottom are both present, though often they are simply lurking at the back of more conventional songs. Side Ruth consists of more song-oriented material whilst Side Richard consists of the bizarre Muddy Mouth suite, which feels a bit like a rejected (but still good) number from Rock Bottom. It doesn't stand up to its predecessor, but Rock Bottom is an incredibly difficult act to follow, and Soup Song is so silly it can't help but raise a smile. (Indeed, I'd say in Soup Song we see a first draft of the sort of sound which would come to characterise Shleep).