ROCK BOTTOM

Other reviewers have given their in depth analyses of this album and the context in which it was recorded, so I'll cut to the chase: this is a masterpiece, one of those rare albums that could not be improved in any way. Robert Wyatt has one of the most expressive voices of the last 50 years, and has a jazz musician's feel for harmony, melody and texture. In addition to this he is an unflinchingly open and honest songwriter whose work is sometimes shockingly direct, as on the Alifib/Alfie sequence where the listener feels more like an eavesdropper straining to hear what the couple next door are talking about. Wyatt's vocal and keyboards are complemented by the contributions of an impressive roster of guest musicians, all under the the sympathetic production of Nick Mason. Wyatt has denied that the songs were inspired by his accident, but it's hard to believe that there wasn't at least a subconscious link there. What is more impressive is the lack of self pity, despite the rather melancholy feel, and the flashes of absurdist humour that recall the early days of Soft Machine, especially Ivor Cutler's contributions. Robert Wyatt's 40 year career in music has been littered with high points, but he's never quite equalled this. Essential.