Search - Robert Wyatt :: Mid Eighties

Robert in the Eighties

Carl Johnson | Detroit, MI United States | 05/08/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Robert Wyatt is not a performer one usually associates with the bubble-gum leaning 1980's, but he still had much to write and say in that decade! Granted, musically- much of the songs were not as intricate as earlier his material, but it is satisfying in a different way. It is also inventive, musically intellegent and politically charged! If you ever check out the history musically & personally of this man and his music, this record might be a good place to start. It is NOT like Soft Machine. Robert has moved on. If you are just starting your journey into prog rock (and it is a journey to say the least), this record is not hard or harsh. It is thoughtful musical works by a talented introspective, legendary man. Check it out! Wonderful spin!"

Hypnotic, haunting ... and hard to forget

M. Bromberg | Atlanta, GA United States | 05/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Once you've heard Robert Wyatt's sweet and unassuming tenor, either one album is too much or a hundred albums aren't enough. This collection, which combines his 1985 album "Old Rottenhat" with a group of EPs and singles from that era, is full of mysterioso lyrics, minimalist production, and mesmerizing drum loops that have made the former Soft Machine recluse into an English art-rock cult hero. The album's variety is pretty dizzying, almost to the point of being overwhelming on first listen -- songs in Spanish ("Te Recuerdo Amanda"), covers of Thelonious Monk and Peter Gabriel, as well as his more oblique originals like "The United States of Amnesia" and "The Age of Self." (It's a long way from Soft Machine to Wyatt's heartfelt contribution to "The Liberator" animal-benefit effort, an ode entitled "Pigs"). Still, it all pulls together: beautifully self-produced, understated, these are pop songs with melodies that you'll hum the following day. A wonderful introduction to a unique musician."