Shleep

Phrases like "pretentious artsy bullshit" should be saved for albums like this and not stuff like Throbbing Gristle, The Residents or Captain Beefheart, because those are just people having fun with stupid goofy sounds. This is an album that was specifically designed at a business meeting to be ART. Robert Wyatt rolled into the studio with the preconceived notion that he'd be making ART for NERDS. It doesn't feel genuine or real. It's like if you told an AI to "write a 10/10 album that music magazine reviewers can jerk themselves off to". "Oh you don't get it, the fact that he's singing off-key over the blandest instrumentals known to man is actually a profoundly intricate dadaistic subversion of rhythmical tropes crafted with meticulous attention"-SHUT UP NERD, GET IN THE LOCKER "The Wire named Shleep its record of the year in its annual critics' poll." Yeah, of course it did. Genuinely psychopath music. Listen to Kidz Bop instead like a real man. 0/10.

Brian Eno did it again. A very specific and experimental album, which is as dividing as possible. This time I have to tap out - if I would want to listen to an absolute lunatic, that has problem hitting any tune in every song, with a bunch of random noise in the background, I would just record myself taking a shower. Couldn't finish, won't try again.

The first Robert Wyatt album I ever heard was from this project - his 1974 release Rock Bottom. I loved it and was curious to hear what he was up to 23 years later. Shleep seemed to have a bit more polish. Perhaps it makes it an easier onramp to the weird world of Wyatt? There's a variety of songs and styles but all felt unmistakably Wyatt. The album opens with the jaunty Heaps of Sheeps and then heads straight into more experimental jazz territory on The Duchess. I think the exposure to jazz this project has given me has increased my appreciation of Robert Wyatt's incorporation of the form into his glorious mishmashes. And what's that in Alien? Latin rhythms? Blues in Bob Minor has Wyatt delivering some fast-paced lyrics rivalling Billy Joel's delivery in We Didn't Start The Fire. I'm so glad this project introduced me to this extraordinary talent in Rock Bottom and added Shleep to my repertoire! I clearly need to look more into the Robert Wyatt catalog.

I'm so glad we got another Robert Wyatt album --- I wondered if my strong positive reaction to Rock Bottom was a one-off due more to time and place than the actual album. With this, I'm a fan for sure. I'm in awe of this weird and mesmerizing album. (And some of it's not all that weird.) The instrumentation is glorious --- horns and piano, some great jazz drums, electric guitar layered over acoustic, vocal chanting. I will never be able to sing along with most of it and I'm totally ok with that. Very, very fine.

I hadn't really acquired a taste for Robert Wyatt until this project introduced me to "Rock Bottom", which I loved to pieces. This album has more of an upbeat atmosphere, which I initially found disappointing, but it's grown on me with a couple of listens. Still prefer the dreamy haze of "Rock Bottom" overall, though. Fave tracks - "Free Will and Testament" is great, and I am apparently a sucker for Dylan pastiche cuz I really liked "Blues in Bob Minor" too...

I like a couple tracks but others are like being in a primary school music class.

I've never heard an album devolve from a totally average opening track to a completely shit avant garde music so quickly. The second song was so bad that I was about to give this a 1 but the rest wasn't quite bad enough to go below a 2. Just weird, boring rock; I can't even be bothered to describe the sounds.

This album is a mix of English folk, ambient music, the Canterbury scene’s brand of progressive rock, and various jazz forms. Robert Wyatt is a veteran of the English progressive scene and this album is a triumph of all he has gathered throughout his life. The album is experimental, pastoral, jarring, and genre bending all at once. It’s certainly not for everyone, but it is brilliant.

Never listened to anything by Robert Wyatt before, but I loved this! Heaps of Sheeps pulled me in immediately - can really feel the Brian Eno production here. The rest of the album was pretty amazing too - I think this might be my favorite "previously unknown to me" discovery since starting this project.

Instead of having two albums by Robert Wyatt in this list, I'd rather have *Rock Bottom* exclusively enhanced, and try to find a goddamn way to make most people open their minds (and ears) so that they can finally understand it. I still can't swallow that criminally low global score for that prog rock masterpiece on this app--maybe because it's not exactly "prog rock": it's a thing of its own kind, and that's where its beauty lies. In comparison, *Shleep* has nothing to be *absolutely* ashamed of. Yet it's only a late career highlight for Wyatt--which is good per se, but doesn't necessarily justify its he album opens with the wonderful "Heap Of Sheeps", and it's funny how that track sounds like a classic Brian Eno song from the seventies. Since Eno is co-producing this thing, it shouldn't come as a surprise, I imagine. As for the rest of the album, it goes from excellent compositons ("Maryan", "Sunday In Madrid") to very secondary dirges that are weighted by a free jazz horn section sounding a little too mundane, paradoxically ("The Duchess", "September The Ninth"). Fortunately, tracks such as "Was A Friend" and "Alien" manage to catch that *Rock Bottom* spark. And the last real song in the album, "Blues In Bob Minor" is extraordinary. Believe it or not, Wyatt *raps* on this one, and as you can imagine if you know who Robert is, this sounds very different from your run-of-the-mill rapping. And the music on this extraordinary closer is lively and enticing. That sole track is worth the price of admission here. What made *Rock Bottom* unique is the whole journey it had to offer and *Shleep* is different in the sense that it's only a collection of tracks going from one mood / idea to the next. I understand that its concept is the one of dreams, yet maybe there could have been ways to make the transitions between the songs remind you of the strange connctions dreams have. In a way, *Rock Bottom* did manage to do that better. But it managed to be so many things at once... *Shleep* is more like an afterthought compared to it, as good as some of its songs are. It does linger in your memory. But it doesn't *haunt* you the way *Rock Bottom* does. What can little ponds and brooks, as nice and beautiful as they are, do against an ocean? 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list, translating to a 8.5/10 grade for more general purposes (5 + 3.5). I'm rounding up to four stars to protest against the low global score of this record. Next, please. Number of albums left to review: less than 500 (I've temporarily lost count) Number of albums I'll include in my own list: half so far, approximately. Number of albums I *might*  include: a quarter, approximately (including this one) Number of albums I'll never include: another quarter (many others are more important to me).

It had some nice moments but was annoying overall

This mother fucker fell out of a window, broke his back, paralyzed, but kept on making music. PROPS. Not sure I knew what was going on for most of this album, but I generally enjoyed it! Heaps of Sheeps (great song title) and Free Will and Testament are enjoyable songs. This album intrigued me enough to want to check out his other stuff. Here’s to my fellow Broken Back Brother. 3/5

there was some stuff going on here that made me not totally hate it. But this album did not appeal to me. "Art rock" isn't my genre I guess.

Nah.

Shleep is kinda shlitty.

Pretentious, self-important, humorless. 1/5

Shlit

Excellent! Really enjoyed the jazz infusion to may of the songs. Want to listen some more!

Well, damn. This instantly hit me. So creative and funny; love Robert's voice so much. This is right up my alley, and absolutely deserves a spot in this list. Favourite tracks: The Duchess (bonkers percussion), Was A Friend, Alien.

Heaps of Sheeps. A I iv V with a Bo Diddley beat. But weird. I dig it. Maryan. I really love the lyrical bass and the whole vibe. Feels like Pink Floyd circa Atom Heart Mother. Was a Friend. A whole-ass false song to start? Damn. September the Ninth. Wasn't expecting a jazz track. Loving the brass section. Alien. Love the way the whole song treads water the entire time, and the meditative drone lingering on at the end is a perfect way to close the song. A Sunday in Madrid. Forcing the beat poetry into that meter is delightful. The hanging harmony on the final "sleeps" is a delight. Blues in Bob Minor. Before I looked up to see the name of the track, I *knew* this was a play on Bob Dylan. Wyatt immediately dials this in. So much fun! Anyone taking the piss on Bob Dylan is immediately my friend. The Whole Point of No Return. I just want to weave that trumpet solo into a blanket and curl up inside of it. I was afraid this was going to be an experiment in noise, but I'm utterly charmed by its playful exuberance and experimentation.

Fuck this was so good - love his full accent thing going on

Not unpleasant although I don't see what this 1997 album is doing here. Totally out of context with it's surroundings. Low key, off kilter and bizarre but weirdly compelling. Gotta give it 5 because it's so damned odd.

A quirky British classic in the same realm as XTC and Robyn Hitchcock with some jazz, prog and Beefheart influences included.

This is music to make you feel like you're stuck in some time loop dream sequence and everyone has a hold on the situation, except you. Fiery Furnaces meets Another Green World. I am both uncomfortable and curious.

Interesting!

Such an eclectic, mesmerising album! With a huge scala of sounds and genre directions. Will definitely need to listen more to keep unraveling more of this interesting album! And what a beautiful ending with the short instrumental The Whole Point Of No Return! Standout tracks: Heaps Of Sheeps, Maryan, Free Will And Testament, Alien, A Sunday In Madrid, Blues In Bob Minor, The Whole Point Of No Return. 9 out of 10

10/10 I’ve only heard two of Wyatt’s albums, but I already feel like a die-hard fan he’s so fucking good at making art rock

Jazz. Actually like

Really enjoyable, dug it more than I thought I would. 4 stars.

Such an entrancing album, something about is voice is just😍 Heaps of Sheep is my fav track for sure

This is where the format of the generator does a bit of a disservice to the music. I needed more than a day with this. It's layered and nuanced, and although not everything clicked for me, there's enough meat there to grab onto that on balance, I really enjoyed the experience. Best track: Blues in Bob Minor

Pretty cool sleepy post-prog stuff, I quite liked it! I think it just slides into 4 stars for me, could be higher if it was more consistent and had stronger vocals.

I'm glad that this project gives me the chance to discover these kinds of albums. I would have avoided this like the plague based on the description, but this one mostly works for me. Yes it's experimental, and it's a bit of a concept album, and it is weird and non-conforming... but he achieves a cohesive mood throughout the whole thing that I'm on-board with. There's some nice floaty songs in here... a little bit melancholic at times... and sure, there's quite a lot of meandering bits in there too, and some odd moments, but it holds true to the vision of the album and works overall for me. 3.5 rounded up.

The first track was catchy, so I bought in. The rest of the album maintained an interesting sound with a variety of weirdness that I mostly really liked. Maybe I should give the other album on the list another try???

Apparently I was not a fan of our last Robert Wyatt album, Rock Bottom, from 1974. This one, being from 23 years later, (and me being quite a bit further in this project), made me very interested in what I would hear. On listening to the second track I was walking though an area filled with grasshoppers who were flying randomly around as I walked though the grass, and it fit the music perfectly. So, beyond that I was quite surprised at how much I liked this. Definitely a bit strange and different, but in a good way that I quite liked.

This is great. Just overall interesting. Fave tracks The Duchess, Free Will And Testament.

This may be the biggest rollercoaster of a star rating journey I have gone through. First listen I was doing other things and now paying attention and thought first song was ok, but rest sucked so maybe 2-3. But I knew there were a lot of things going on so I should actually dedicate the time to listen. First track is awesome. A beautiful joyous romp that can only be described as “outsider Flaming Lips”, which is not a phrase I thought could exist. 2nd-4th tracks were a bit more weirdly and stilted in vocals but instrumentally I love what was going on. “Maryan” is better than “The Duchess” for sure. Finally with “Free Will And Testament” we are back with off-kilter depressive optimism. I want the entire this. “September 9th” is a wild jazz number??? “Alien” turns into ambient. Same as “Out of Season”. Idk the rest sorta blend. Last track is a little redemption. Back to Jazz. If all the songs hit as hard as the first I could rate it higher, but just on the general gestalt it’s a 4. Really unique offering that’s further supported by the author’s history.

Robert Wyatt is polarizing but I tend to find his sound oddly comforting.

Really fascinating reading about this guy, and what a backstory - drunkenly falling 4 stories out a window, becoming paraplegic, and THEN going on to a decades long successful solo career. This album is so quirky, but also sophisticated and charming. I plan to come back to this, and check out his other work too.

Tyylikäs kikkailulevy! 4/5

Heard before. At first I thought ugh, sounds hard to listen to. But I liked a lot of songs in hindsight. + Maryan + Was A Friend + September The Ninth + Alien + Out Of Season + The Whole Point Of No Return

4.0

I like the meandering free-form jazz-folk feel of this album, especially once we get the more conformist first song out of the way. The trombone, (uncredited) trumpet and piano create a the perfect backdrop for Wyatt's frail voice. "Blues in Bob Major" is hilarious.

very unique, distracting in a good way

I've heard a bit of his stuff but not really explored too much. This is really great though. It's pleasant and relaxing but without being too laconic or boring. Super comforting somehow. I absolutely adore the cover as well.

Kinda nondescript yet lovely

Odd in a good way. Very trippy and so many instrumenyts

I’m a little familiar with Robert Wyatt, mostly from his cover of Shipbuilding and work in Soft Machine, but I definitely haven’t heard this! It’s fun, quirky, very nice textures. Especially Maryan. Jazzy stuff happening in Was a Friend! I really like this!

It was hard to rate the other Wyatt album, and this one is tough as well. I don’t know how often I’ll play this, but I think it’s really good. As I said on another review: this is the kind of stuff that makes this project worth doing, not incredibly “normal” artists like Dexy’s Midnight Runners.

Truly remarkable. Wanted to hate this after the debacle that is the aptly named "Rock Bottom"@1974. However there is just too much here to love. For the record, I've always accepted poor vocalist and nonsensical lyrics, and this album has both. But the depth of production is what draws your attention with this record. These arrangements are nothing short of genius. I will be returning to the afore mentioned 2star album with a slightly less jaded perspective.

Didn't love all the tracks equally, but the ones I did I really loved.

I spent most of this album feeling mostly puzzled about whether I was enjoying it or not. Ultimately, I think I liked it, though I struggled with some of the lyrics.

A late career for release for Robert Wyatt of the 60s jazzy prog band Soft Cell. This release just screams Brian Eno in terms of the bubblegum pop vocals (purposely out of key) on top of alien-sounding electronic instrumentation, often alternating or a combination of jazz, ambient, classical, pop, and rock. It seems like a release straight from the 70s in terms of instruments and song structures, except with cleaner production. I'm sure it would've sounded a bit messy if released the same time as Rock Bottom. I have little complaints. Each track stands leaves its mark, and it accomplishes its goal without coming too forceful. "Blues in Bob Major" is the only sore thumb. Not a bad track, but a weird one that ruins the mood a bit, especially near the end of the record, and doesn't really sound like anything else. Wyatt's very mature at this point in his life and knows not to get too crazy for its own sake. I do think the record could be cut quite to around 40 minutes. Some tracks do drag on, with "Alien" being the biggest victim. But it doesn't assault much with the ambient vibe going on.

Fun psychedelic, prog rock with some pop elements. I think Beatles plus early Pink Floyd with a dash of ELP.

First this record screams out: „Look at me!!! I am ART !!!“ The the deeper you get sucked into this somnambule state the more you recognize the beauty and hypnotic powers each song offers. 4.4

Gimme that weird jazzy shit! I have never heard of this one before and I'm hella into it. Blues in Bob minor was a particular highlight. I definitely wanna time up to this album some day, just feels that kind of experience.

It’s like a dream where everything isn’t quite arranged right and you only have a suggestion of things that you can remember. But despite everything feeling out of place, it doesn’t feel disorganized. It feels like a new way to accept reality.

Very good album. Didn't know Robert Wyatt before this, but he's 2/2 for bangers. 4.49/5

This album is fantastic! The way that the key of some songs just seems to perpetually modulate and Robert's whimsical vocals really sell the concept of the album being a dream. High points for me are Duchess, Alien and Blues in Bob Minor.

I tend to be lukewarm if respectful toward Robert Wyatt, but I was excited to listen to this one today. Whimsically weird and adventurous, with alternating moments of dissonance and loveliness. Gorgeously arranged, with a brilliant group of musicians on board, including Brian Eno, Phil Manzanera and Paul Weller. A bit challenging, but in the best ways. Fave Songs: Heaps of Sheeps, Blues in Bob Minor, The Whole Point of No Return, Alien, Free Will and Testament, A Sunday in Madrid

Surprise fun, never heard of it. Strange voice and beats.

Early Pink Floyd’ish meets Mike Gordon/Leo Kottke

Very good RW album, which I did not know in advance. Not in the same league as Rock Bottom, but still very good.

An intriguing album by an idiosyncratic artist, Wyatt shimmers sometimes, misses other times, but is an engaging, memorable musician.

Interesting different album

interesting stuff

Weird in a really enjoyable way for the most part. There are some songs in the middle that lose me but the highs are so fun I can listen to this album repetitively. 3.75/5

Okay I liked this but can understand the criticism. A lot feels like it’s divisive for the sake of contrarianism but it’s a well crafted album. Looking forward to diving more into his catalog. 3.5/5, giving 4.

Got into this one more as it went on - 4 stars

Actually quite cute and feelgood music. Never heard it before, but I like it

A pretty weird album. It has all of the weirdness of pure psychedelia but mostly without that style's typical, jarring dissonance. Instead, Wyatt adds some of the compositional quality and instrumental detail of prog rock into the mix. The result is mostly pretty cool, occasionally quite fun, also occasionally a head-scratcher though. What was he thinking? Was he thinking? Or just fully embracing his inner dadaist whimsy, slapping on layers of musical paint, following some intuitiv patterns, seen only by Robert Wyatt? Who knows - I don't.

His voice is always a comfort. There's a lovely blend, as always, of silliness and heartbreak, pop and jazz that makes the whole thing a pleasure. Not his peak, but amazing to do this well this far into a career.

Robert Wyatt could be one of the best discoveries of this process for me. I loved his 1974 second album 'Rock Bottom' and really like this, his sixth LP, from 23 years later. Eclectic, quirky and charming with a dreamlike quality, I find this really appealing. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: Heaps of Sheeps Date listened: 13/04/24

Robert Wyatt’s Shleep is such a weird listen. On one hand, I have no clue what im hearing, and its mostly making me uninterested. However, in a select few moments, the album really does feel abstractly attracting, the seemingly stupid collection of sounds and vocals is listenable and quite enjoying. This experience is evident on Heaps of Sheeps, September the Ninth, and Blues in Bob Minor. I saw a comment somewhere, likening this album to a industry rushed ‘perfect album’. That is the perfect description. All in all, Shleep is a good album. Best Song: Heaps of Sheeps Worst Song: The Duchess

Doesn’t have that exquisite unnerving enchantment of “Rock Bottom”, but there were songs during which I got into the weird magic of the sound. A few songs were too poppy but overall I like it

A pretty strange album, but seems to have had an impact on British rock for a number of years.

An interesting LP from a new (to me) artist. Not exactly sure the theme is on I jive with, but the tracks are executed well and have some interesting ideas to build on. Things do tend to stay a bit dreary in lower gear (which is perhaps the point), but I can't complain about an overall pleasant listen

Moitié/moitié. Je comprends sa démarche. Original et diversifié. Vrmt not bad surtout blues in bob minor. Blues is nice, mais je sais pas encore je ferais quoi comme top 3 blues, folk, soul. Certaines sont meilleures la 2ème écoute. Vibe soft

3.5/5. Different, but it was pretty good. I would listen to this again.

Had some nice bits but too strange overall

real cognitive dissonance from this ‘97 album occasionally sounding like Atom Heart Mother-era Floyd. One of the biggest headscratchers for me as to how this record got made & included on this list but at the same time, I was fascinated by its twists and turns (from freaky folk to plaintive jazz), and I enjoyed the majority of the tracks. “The Duchess” sounds like it inspired some of the more demented musical pieces in Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared, and was the closest I came to turning off the album. HL: “Heaps of Sheeps”, “Maryan”, “September the Ninth” July 27, 2023

Like all Wyatt's albums, this is mix of highs and lows; but Wyatt's highs are stunning and his lows are higher than many artists' highs, so...

It's.... interesting? Not quite sure what to make of this. I liked some aspects of this - the subtlety, the mellow nature of most of the songs - but I didn't care for the vocal style. An interesting listening experience. 3 stars.

It had a mood - I didn't mind it

Good, but not great. It felt like there were pieces missing that I could not find.

Shleepy music

It's not quite that simple, but mostly feels like Wyatt going pop. Each song, beautiful, is gauzy as layered thing, not simply along the production lines typical to Wyatt's work. Structurally, the death and rebirth in the middle of Shleep feels clear, hazes hanging to the right and left. This is music which feels totally incompatible with laser focus, and it lacks some of the scale of other albums in Wyatt's discography.

At first glance this looks like some 80's new age hippie sleep meditation album used in daycares to make children take their naps. This will do me no favours on the first workday back after a long weekend if that's the case. I need motivation, not shleep right now. But you know, it actually brings a lot more uptempo groovy vibes that I expected. This Robert Wyatt character is a special kind of weirdo. Good for him.

too much

Was not quite as weird as his previous album, the more frequent singing parts made the differen e here. Still though nothing to write home about

Soft and chill for listening.

Es un disco rarísimo, por partes aburrido pero rescaté unos remitas muy buenos.

Average!

bit of a schlep, but not too schlocky

It was bollocks and I did enjoy it.

For a decade from the mid-70’s to the mid-80’s I loved Robert Wyatt’s recorded output, although I have to say that, on reflection, a lot of the highlights for me were cover versions - I’m A Believer (Neil Diamond); Yesterday Man (Chris Andrews); Shipbuilding (Elvis Costello); Strange Fruit (Billie Holiday); At Last I Am Free (Chic). So, unsurprisingly, the highlight for me on this album is the Dylan-inspired Blues In Bob Minor - totally a nod to Subterranean Homesick Blues, itself inspired by Chuck Berry’s Too Much Monkey Business & inspiring Costello’s classic, Pump It Up, among others. Other than that, the sound of this album is so dense that I think it will take quite a few listens before I totally get what’s going on. I enjoyed it .

From the guy who wrote an album while in a hospital; something nice and floaty. Wyatt has roots in the eclectic Canterbury scene, which is known for it's proggy blend of jazz fusion and psychadelic rock. While Shleep is a good few decades removed from the height of the scene, Wyatt tentatively writes what he knows. While it is spectacularly well-written and composed, it occasionally feels like it meanders (as is the case with prog rock) and is more successful at striking an overall feeling rather than having any individual standout songs. While Rock Bottom is often considered his best, I'll propose that Shleep is a more refined and overall better piece of work. It also has Brian Eno, so, there's that.

Cantautor cercano al pop en el que, con una voz un tanto peculiar y profunda, las canciones se pueden escuchar fácilmente y transmiten un aire de tranquilidad. Le ha faltado algo más de chispa

This bloke has done it all and played on every other album out there. Not only is his solo discography long and impressive, so is his work with different bands, as well as collaborations. When I was listening to this album, my wife mentioned how it wasn’t doing much for her. I immediately disagreed, pointing out that although the album isn’t robust (that is, it doesn’t work when people are lightly chatting while listening), Wyatt knows exactly what he’s doing. The man is a master. Brian Eno producing, by the way.

Slightly less bad than the previous Robert Wyatt we've had? Still pretty meh. 5/10