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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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...

Shleep is kinda shlitty.

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

Shlit

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.

maybe a bit of right-place-right-time, but loved this. what a brilliant surprise.

I like it, but I'm not sure why.

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).

If you’ve just thrown a house party and it’s late, but your guests are lingering, oblivious to well-established social niceties and your subtle hints, this is record you play for them.

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

It had some nice moments but was annoying overall

At first, I thought this was another album by John Martyn, which seemed surprising, but then realized that it wasn't. And it took me well into the 2nd song/track of the album to realize that this album was from 1997, not 1979, despite that it seems much better suited to the 70s than the 90s. Either way, I'm not sure it suits me all that well. I'm guessing that the often-atonal noises and instrument choices are intentional, as is the not-really-singing vocals, but the end-result for me is an unpleasant and sometimes cacophonous, sometimes sleep-inducing album that's far too long. It's a bit shocking that this is Robert Wyatt's 7th studio album; I'm guessing (hopeful?) that this album marked a new direction for him, as it's hard to imagine any studio seeing a wide enough audience for six previous albums like this. That said, I did enjoy "Blues in Bob Minor" and its "Subterranean Homesick Blues" cover/adaptation. I *will* say that this album wins the briefest-Wikipedia-entry award (at least so far in this collection), which is a shame as there might have been something redeeming about this album's background or production that would have made it more interesting. Also, Brian Eno truly *is* everywhere! (He's listed in the "Personnel" section of the Wikipedia entry, and you can definitely hear his playing in places on the album.) (And then I cheated and looked to Google for any reviews of this album, and came across this panegyric, where the reviewer claims "Shleep" is the best entrypoint for Wyatt and one of his two masterpieces (the other being "Rock Bottom"): <https://www.headheritage.co.uk/unsung/review/780/>. Other online reviews also revealed that he was a cofounder of Soft Machine, which makes total sense, now that I've heard both Soft Machine and Robert Wyatt in this collection. And this Pitchfork review of the Shleep reissue (among other Wyatt materials) has good context too: <https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/14895-shleep-eps-cuckooland-theatre-royal-drury-lane/>)

Nah.

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.

Pretentious, self-important, humorless. 1/5

It was a pleasant surprise. It's weird, dissonant, random, jazzy, etno. I love it.

This second album by Robert Wyatt made me a fan

Love it. Mad genius. Great cover art.

Kind of a niche album, but I enjoyed it. Most '90s albums on this list are either Alternative, Electronic, Rap, or just general pop, so a Prog/Jazz fusion record is not what I expected based on the year. "Shleep" is less a product of the era and more just the result of Wyatt's decades-long experience in this unique style of music. Anyway, the album is very chill; I like the puns in the song titles, and it's cool how the lyrics vary from philosophical arguments put into poetry to the more traditional for Prog impressionist style, where the atmosphere is more important than the specific phrasing.

Fantastic. It's so magical when monster musicians make "weird" stuff. Just absolutely love this. Keeps you guessing while remaining accessible. Like John Elmquist wrote a bunch of lullabies. Also, how cool is it that this was released on Thirsty Ear? <3

Absolutely beautiful to its core. I never knew what to expect from the next song, and there's so much reward to listening intently to this album. Intensely interesting instrumentals, lyrically obtuse but soft and pleasant, and so vividly imaginative with its soundscape.

Trippy af, amazing songtitles

Oh My Goodness THIS IS SO GOOD, THIS IS WHAT PUTS GAS IN MY ENGINE. Every second of this is divinely inspired. Gonna spin this on repeat for DAYZ. 5 STARS

"Shleep" by is the seventh solo album by English Canterbury scene and progressive rock veteran Robert Wyatt. The album was a return to featuring a diverse range of musicians like his 70's albums. On this album, other musicians included Philip Catherine (Belgian jazz guitarist), Brian Eno, Phil Manzanera, Paul Weller, Chucho Merchan (Colombian jazz and rock guitarist) and Evan Parker (sax). The album was produced by Wyatt, Eno and Alfreda Benge (Wyatt's wife who also co-wrote many of the songs with Wyatt). "Heaps of Sheep" opens the album with guitar and a galloping beat. Synth in the background. An uplifting song with a nice vocal chorus. It reminds me of early Brian Eno. Not a bad thing. Wyatt is counting sheep as he couldn't sleep. Wyatt wrote many of these songs while suffering from insomnia. Piano, sax and drums give "The Duchess" a jazzy vibe. Odd beats and dissonant horns make this song unique. It's a tribute to his wife. "September the Ninth" is probably the most straight-forward jazz song on the album. Layered horns with a trumpet added to the saxophones. There's a piano and drums and it's mostly an instrumental song. Lyrics come in halfway and describe a woman hoping to have wings and fly away. The insomnia must have progressively become more delirious as these lyrics progressively become more "out there." And, thus, we enter "A Sunday in Madrid." It's a slow start with the piano. Drums and a Eno-esque guitar lay a hypnotic melody. Wyatt is singing rapidly, a la "Subterranean Homesick Blues." Wyatt would would perfect that in the next song. Abstract lyrics and imagery...Pa, bears, rabbits and imprisoned rainbows. This album is jazzy, dreamy, atmospheric, experimental, abstract and mostly beautiful. The influence of the different musicians lends to its varied styles and instruments. Robert Wyatt has a great singing voice even if I couldn't completely understand everything; I don't think I'm supposed to. Of the two previous Wyatt albums I've had, I really liked the Soft Machine's "Third" but had trouble with his 1974 solo album "Rock Bottom." I might have to give that one another listen because "Shleep" was quite outstanding.

Yes.

Very nice.

For once I enjoyed and understood the amateurish songs. It helped they were few. The rest were thoughtful and often beautiful

what a discovery! this is a fantastic album that mixes the prog sound with the wonderful voice of Wyatt

I had no idea what I was getting I to with this album, I looked at the wiki and read some of the reviews and by what it looks like, this album is one of the most divided I've gotten so far, review wise, it's all 1's and 5's. I'm only halfway through this album and I can say right now this album is getting a 5

Love the eccentricity and it will surely annoy a lot people. But great work.

This is interesting. I don’t hate it. Even though it’s a bit proggy, it’s actually listenable. It’s like if Peter Gabriel and Radiohead did a collaboration, and let Brian Eno produce it. Not bad at all, but very interesting. If anything, it sounds kind of contemporary. Certainly not 30 years old. It’s experimental without getting lost up its own ass. Jazzy, free flowing, expressive, cinematic, but really very listenable. I liked this quite a bit. Such a clear influence on Radiohead. Seven songs deep and I’ve already saved six of them. That’s pretty fucking outrageous. This is exactly the kind of record that should be on this list. Excellent stuff.

lovely

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

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

Interesting!

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

Este disco tiene algunos arreglos espectaculares y momentos increíbles, pero sí creo que de pronto puede ser muy raro y difícil de conectar. Al final me gustó.

His voice is certainly an acquired taste, but musically, this was a surprisingly diverse, interesting and enjoyable experience and I can absolutely see myself going back to this a few times.

Pretty good. Very unique

You know i love the artsy-fartsy stuff, and while I was on the fence for a while I think this won me over in the end. Interesting mix of influences and was a unique listen, more than you can say for a lot of the ones on this list. So that's a plus for me.

It's like a bizarre lullaby

Hey hey, I was just hoping we’d get some Robert Wyatt on the list! This is full of good tunes and even some great ones, though it isn’t Rock Bottom, which is one of my all time faves.

This is the type of album that makes me happy about doing this project. I had never heard of this musician, want excited about it, and was pleasantly surprised.

Really an interesting record starting out strong with 'Heaps of Sheeps' which matches the album art perfectly. Then 'The Duchess' is complete nonsense, 'Maryan' is boring drivel, 'Was A Friend' is psychedelic boring drivel, and 'September the Ninth' is jazzy not so boring drivel. The two final tracks really make everything come together: 'A Sunday In Madrid' is some super interesting Lou Reed inspired drivel, and 'Blues In Bob Minor' is pulsating blues drivel inspired by Dylan. Possibly the best track on the album.

I have a hard time understanding that this was released in the late 90’s. Robert Wyatt always takes you places you wouldn’t have foreseen - and Shleep is no exception. It’s a journey.

The fact there is even one Robert Wyatt album on this list is amazing on its own. The fact there is a second one is even more amazing. Wyatt remains one of the great musical hidden gems, a musician's musician if you will. While I understand the general music listening public isn't really atuned to this type of left-field stuff, I'd say this album in particular is actually quite catchy and accessible. Sure it has its weirder moments, but it's just so fun and quirky and lyrically insightful and sounds totally unique. Love it. Key tracks: Heaps of Sheeps The Duchess Free Will and Testament Alien A Sunday in Madrid

Something about this album just stuck with me. Surprising because I usually don't go for low energy music like this. Experimental, interesting, and relaxing. I had never heard of Robert Wyatt before and this album definitely makes me want to check out more of his works.

Sounds good even though I’m not sure if Brian ENO is a good choice as a producer

A very interesting experience. It really surprises me that an experimental and progressive album like this was released in the 90s with such a 1970s atmosphere! Very good!

Really enjoyed this. Had never heard of Robert Wyatt until this project and turns out he's wonderfully awesome and weird

I really vibed this. Don’t know why, it just did it for me.

I liked this album! I wouldn't ever listen to any one song but as a end it has a great vibe.

I shouldn't like this at all but in fact I enjoyed the whole thing quite a bit.

hey: we don't have to like all the same things. Taste is subjective, some music is just plain challenging. but this album's low rating is a testament to closed-mindedness, a key indicator that many of the people who engaged with this project expected to be fed their favorite albums with a dollop of esteemed critical approval. And I'm not saying this as a fan. Shleep isn't all that challenging or offputting, yet here you all are, dunking on it as hard as possible. Are you here to explore the breadth of the musical world, or to be cute?

nice surprises should be more frequent on this project. i’m this far though. must. keep. going.

interesante

Cool

Kom skemmtilega á óvart.

I dig Robert Wyatt, even though he's a little weird. I think they would have been fine only including Rock Bottom in the 1001, but I definitely enjoyed this album. A lot of it has a haunting ethereal sound, with occasional bops. Excellent musicianship throughout. I'll call it a 4 - a little too weird to be a 5. Favorite tracks: Heaps of Sheeps (a surprisingly good bop with amusing lyrics), Maryan, Free Will and Testament, Alien, A Sunday in Madrid, Blues in Bob Minor.

Another unique voice and approach to music as an art.

This album was cool. Not familiar with Robert Wyatt's solo work. Oscillates between the mundane, meditative and absurd. Went on a little too long but it was a cool experience. One of those I really had to stop what I was doing and focus on. SAVED SONGS: - heaps of Sheep's - maryan - September ninth - a Sunday in Madrid

Shleep is the seventh album by Robert Wyatt, released in 1997. This one was interesting. It's one of Wyatt's later career works, and was widely considered a "return to form" for him. It really does sound a lot like his debut, but with a more refined production style. Everything is more slick sounding but in a good way. His voice sounds really good. I actually had to double check to see if this was recorded in the 70s just released later. Nope, he just sounds great. I love the brand of psychedelia that Wyatt makes. Super dreamy stuff. Some people may call it pretentious, and maybe it is, but I'm loving the psychedelic sounds this album is laying down. I really have to check out more of his discography.

Had no idea what to expect with this, but this was a lot weirder and more interesting than most of the stuff on this list. Very cool album to check out. This is the type of thing I was hoping to see more of when I entered in to this venture.

Somewhere between Pink Floyd and Radiohead. I liked this! Gentle, proggy little album that feels like it's reaching beyond what other acts in the 90s were doing.

listened to again a wonderful artistic jazzy journey

3.5

Very interesting album by Robert Wyatt, not a surprise given he made similarly interesting, strange (in a positive way) albums in the 70s as a solo artist and before with Soft Machine (a band I love very much). 'Shleep' has a great bland of folk, jazz-rock, experimental and Canterbury scene psychedelia. I've always liked his slightly off key, jazzy but comforting voice as well. Overall a really great album.

woozy, wobbly and wonderful

This was a lot of fun to listen to. Playful and adventurous. Since it progressive rock, it's not for everyone, but I liked it.

After some time spent away, Robert Wyatt reappeared at the end of the 90s with Shleep. Whereas his earliest solo recordings saw him coming to grips with his newfound circumstance and sonic adaptations, Shleep is Robert at his most collaborative and structured. His songs could wander and become dizzying at times yet they are infused with his affable spirit that is hard-won and aligned with a certain philosophy. A most logical step for Robert Wyatt to take and it is one of his best efforts. Favorites: Heaps of Sheep, The Duchess, Maryan, Was a Friend, Free Will and Testament, September the Ninth, Blues in Bob Minor.

I like this guys music. It’s as simple as that.

Dreamy and aptly titled. Seems a very ecccentric choice for inclusion in this list but one's definitely glad it's here because of sweetness of temperament and the oddness of originality.

I think a lot of people won’t like this album. But I love unpredictability in music. I don’t want to be able to predict what a track will do next. Wyatt is really totally unpredictable. Here’s what I hear when I listen to this album: adventurousness and vision and an artist’s unique path and sound. I hear a completely original view of what music can be and I love it. Well, most of it. From the few tracks I’ve heard from Wyatt beforehand, and this album here, I really think he’s one of the most underappreciated artists in the history of music. Flirted with a 5/5 for a while but ultimately landed on 4/5.

mjög áhugavert gáfumannapopp. meirameirameira, 4,5.

What a weird, wonderful album. Perfect soundtrack for night driving. Wyatt does a great job of probing the dreamy and hypnotic haze of life.

>Ctrl+F "gyatt" >0/0 😔 Interesting music, could hate it in the wrong mindset. Second song was funny. Blues In Bob Minor was really good Liked the mellowness, even if some songs sounded like shleep paralyshish OSTs.

My only previous experience of Wyatt was his cover of Elvis Costello's Shipbuilding. I didn't like his voice on that. I found it childish, weak and immature. Which is perhaps fitting if you want to do an avante-garde jazz version of The Grand Old Duke of York as he does on this album. An album that has hints of King Crimson but, more startling, is the overall influence Wyatt must have had on Damon Albarn from Blur. This record is very interesting, dark and complex. It is better than I expected it to be an and is an absolute saurprise.

I don't know why I was mentally preparing myself for a disaster album. Other than a couple of oddballs, I thought this album was dreamy and electic.

Classic Wyatt strangeness. Hasn’t lost a thing with age!

Robert Wyatt e built different...

Takes a few tracks but loved this

Surprisingly diverse and fun. Some very catchy tunes.

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

So interesting. Not your typical album - very progressive and experimental. It does work though. 4/5

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

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

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

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.