MID-EIGHTIES

"Mid-Eighties" is a special issue on Rough Trade - now deleted - wich adds to the complete and underesteemated "Old Rottenhat" album the "Work in Progress" EP and some other B sides and side projects that are today available on the "EP" 5 cd box set published by Rykodisc. The only true exclusive track in this collection is the short "Alfie and Robert Sail off into the Sunset" wich closes the set. Not worthy for two minutes you will say ? Right. But for any true Wyatt hardcore fan, this two tiny minutes of pure melancholic dementia represents more than any words can say. I, for instance, deeply regret to have sold this cd at the release of the box. It haunts me. And will again. Always.

A mixed bag, which is true of all compilations, I suppose. The more material Wyatt puts out, the less essential a lot of his mid-period stuff becomes. I guess it's just the under- produced feeling that comes from this period, when you feel fortunate to have a percussion track tacked on to the usual vocal-and-drony-organ schtick. It takes a really special song to keep me interested when every song has this same arrangement. I guess a lot of people think his lyrics are enough to carry some of these musically simple tracks, but I long for the old days. Likewise, the newer stuff (Shleep & Cuckooland) is much more listenable, and contains more of his loopy sense of humor.

Let me start by saying that I am a SOFT MACHINE fan. Yes,you could even call me a SOFT MACHINE lover!I love all of SOFT MACHINE's music from all of the different band line ups.And even though I like much of Robert Wyatt's solo output,I was greatly disappointed in this release.I picked this up from a cd cut out bin recently and wished that I hadn't. Since the 1980's were lean years for prog music of any type,I knew from the start that this wasn't going to be masterpiece quality; but at less than 2 bucks I figured that it would be worth at least that. After two complete listenings I have really nothing good to say about this one. So if you are a completeist,then by all means seek this one out,but for everyone else,please learn from my mistake and avoid this release.

WOW! Reviewers here are tough on this one, but I believe this is the best Wyatt purchase of his middle period. The entire Old Rottenhat LP is here accompanied by seven outstanding EP cuts at a very reasonable price - hell, I picked it up from a cut-out bin for three US dollars! I agree that some tracks sound like little more than a tape loop with scattered vocals, but upon a second and third spin these songs really stick in your head. Wyatt's quirky take on the world political scene circa 1985 set to his brand of airy jazz-pop is alone worth picking this disc up....the two Spanish language tracks that start the album are classic Wyatt and "Pigs" is a gas. True Wyatt fans already have this in their collection, but if you don't I highly recommend it. "Pigs? In there?"