RUTH IS STRANGER THAN RICHARD

I must admit that sometimes I just don't "get" Robert Wyatt. At those times I find his falsetto vocals irritating, and his songs far too simplistic for my tastes. And sometimes his dry British humor (or is that "humour"?) doesn't strike me as very clever. But then again, if I'm in the right mood, those same songs can sound brilliant. This is one of those albums that has that affect on me.

Even at the best of times, Soup Song, a silly piece about food, doesn't grab me. But the simple songs, like Sonja can keep my interest if I'm feeling mellow enough. Where this album does keep my attention is in the jazzier songs. Team Spirit is one of those, with a fine Canterbury jazz rock style. 5 Black Notes and 1 White Note is also different enough to keep my attention.

It's a nice albun, but not great.