Shleep

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Saved from a 1 by Blues in Bob Minor.

2.75

Well this was a rambling mess.

Ok

3 1/2

I did not enjoy a single second of this album. Only got through it by sheer force of will

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.

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.

I had not heard of Robert Wyatt but I'd heard of the bands of which he had been a member, and I'm so glad this album appeared today in this project for my listening pleasure. It's rather eclectic and even when the particular track might not be one I'd want to hear again, I can appreciate the creativity and unusual choices.

Only listened to the first few songs. Interesting to say the least.

Hmm. Some interesting ideas but I feel like this would have made more sense in 1977 than 1997.

I am not sure this rose to 1001 level. It was a good enough listen but not sure what made it be on the list. Some of his earlier stuff that was on the list I can see being there. This one not so much.

Didn’t care for this.

Not the kind of prog I like

This was dreadful. Took every fiber of my being to listen to the end.

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.

Sanfte klare Stimme eines englischen Urgesteins. Experimentelle Rocksongs mit Piano- und Trompetenführung geben dem Album eher Blues/Jazz Noten. Teilweise wirken die Songs wie Rohdiamanten, die mit jedem Schliff glänzender werden. Gut gefallen wusste „Free Will And Tesrament“.

There were a couple of songs in here that I was legitimately enjoying but then it evolved into some Buddy the Elf type sh* with a little hallucinogenic trip music thrown in for good measure. Odd.

Quirky, odd, eccentric album, from the Soft Machine alumnus. Worthy of a listen.

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

A groovy little album at times with some oddball moments. Pretty average as far as enjoyment went, but nothing bad about it. Solidly fine.

Started of good, but got weird

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

Did not enjoy thank you very much

The first track was a banger, and then this thing went off the proverbial rails. As expected. You don't create that photo for the album cover and not expect listeners to proceed with trepidation.

Requires several listens, some good understated tunes but nothing that really stands out. Not sure this is Robert Wyatt's best

Not my style. Too chaotic and not cohesive. Could only listen to part of the first three songs on the album before I got fed up.

First album I couldn't make it through. I'm assuming the off key singing is on purpose, but it doesn't do anything for me.

2/5. I like soft machine sometimes but it's definitely not the best choice all of the time. Wyatt's foray into solo music comes out with some nice songs and airy, ambience that gives a sense of floating on a cloud, like the cover art suggests. However, sometimes, I would like to come down but it kind of just gets boring up there, and the atmosphere loses its serenity. There are some standouts so not terrible but seem to be missing the enjoyment of this.

This had a couple neat moments, but overall was very boring. And I believe this would be like a full star better if it had no vocals. So yeah... Can't really justify anything but a 2. Not for me.

This has got to be one of the weirdest albums I’ve ever heard. The lyrics are nonsensical, the singing is weird, and the instrumentation is downright odd. That’s not to say the whole thing is rubbish; I enjoyed a couple of songs, but the vast majority I struggled to get through. 1.5/5.0 for me; narrowly avoids a straight 1.0 because of the two songs I do like.

Ça alterne de bonnes séquences et d'autres où Robert Wyatt veut absolument faire son intéressant. Toujours est-il que le seul Wyatt que j'estime est le fils de Piper la sorcière et Léo l'être de lumière (puis avatar).

Meme constat que pour Primal Scream, les quêtes de succès d'Astrub m'empêchent d'accorder la moindre attention à cet album qui n'en méritait de toute façon pas la moindre.

Got that sort of Sufjan Stevens vibe. Not my thing. Boring. Would listen to it in a garden or something

I really didn't get it

It was ok.

I don't get it.

Interesting! Need to do another listen

Average stuff

Experimental, not pleasant-sounding. This isn't for me.

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

Never heard of this artist. First song I was into, then the second one began and it was all downhill. 2.5/5

Different. It took a couple times hearing to start really getting into it. It really will take a few more though I think.... 3.5/5

A hard listen? Idk, some I liked, some irritating 😒? Listened 2x, still feel the same, 3 I guess.

Idk, feel like I need to listen again?

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 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.

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.

1997 Progressive rock, art rock, Canterbury scene, experimental rock First time hearing this. Never heard of him... Best known songs from the album: Heaps of Sheeps and Blues in Bob Minor. 3/5

schlep.

Shlit

Got tired of it by that free will song and it was only the 5th track. Couldn’t endure it in full and had to skip when the cringe got high

Not my cup of tea.

Pretentious comes to mind when listening to Robert Wyatt sing(?) out of tune. I'm not sure if he is even capable of finding the tune, let alone be in it. The first track gave me some hope of a good album, but that hope quickly faded. 2/5 only because I enjoyed the sheep song.

Very strange, not really my style, makes me feel weird (maybe it was the intended result ?)

Je n'ai pas aimé ce style expérimental.

Liked the jazzier influences towards the end of the album.

Bullsh*t, bullsh*t, derivative!

What a strange 90s art jazz album

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.

This was such a weird and interesting listen.. I won't say that I necessarily LOVED it, or that this thing is going to show up on my spotify wrapped playlist but.. a one time listen, throughout the whole thing was INTERESTING to say the least, and took me to a few places in my imagination/mind. My favorite songs on this thing were 'Maryan', 'A Sunday In Madrid' and 'The Whole Point Of No Return' all very interesting and somewhat catchy tracks for art rock. I thought I would hate this album, and once again in no way am I in LOVE with it.. but it was like watching a weird film, or reading an abstract book.. I found myself mulling over this album much longer after I listened to it, while I was cleaning I got lost in a meditative state thinking about the sounds I heard on this thing. I enjoyed listening to it. Overall: 2.3/5

If you gave acid, a bunch of instruments, and recording equipment to an extra on the set of Monty Python & The Holy Grail, they probably could come up with a better album

Pretty interesting musically, his voice seems like an acquired taste that I have not yet acquired and I was not a big fan of the nursey rhyme style on some songs.

Shite

Ugh

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.

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

This is weird and at times hard to listen to. I like the experimental approach, and I can genuinely say there are sounds on this that I’ve never heard before. Probably because they’re odd and rarely pretty. It keeps you guessing. Probably won’t go for it again, though.

If the word "pretentious" were an anagram for "a bunch of crap", then we'd have a winner. "Heaps of Sheeps" was at least interesting to listen to, and also was an attempt at an actual song. The rest of it was a pointless cacophony. What a waste of a spot on this list.

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.

Albumi ei ole millään tavalla merkittävä ja se tekee miehen surulliseksi. Miksei tässä voisi olla löytänyt robert jotain kaunista? Miksei robert mennyt studiolle ja laittanut albumiin maailman kauneimmat biisit jotka soivat herttaisesti radiossa? Miksi nämä kappaleet ovat julmia ja vain rahallistettua taidesoitantaa. Kumpa en olisi taiteen uhri. Kuin tämä olisikin taitavaa ja linnut taivaalla hetkellisestä kognitiosta poikkeava suurtyö. Monimutkainen luomus, ei, summanmutikan avulla luotu pöllähdys joka ei sattunutkaan sattumilla satusedäksi. Suru valuu kasvoilla.

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.

who told this man he should make music

Echt geen idee wat ik hiermee moet of waarom ik dit gehoord moet hebben. Meneer Wyatt is duidelijk in de late jaren 60 blijven hangen.

More corny British bullshit. I simply do not care to listen to a man mumble his way through jazzy nursery rhymes in a twee falsetto.

This was fine, but kinda boring.

This sucks I stopped listening

It had some nice moments but was annoying overall

I'm glad to live in a world where wierdness like this can get published... I liked some of it very well and didn't particularly dislike any of it. It got too much into meandering, stream-of-consciousness rambling for me though.

id not like this but he's undeniably talented

Weird artsy stuff, not my kinda thing

Some pop is too quirky for me, and this is that kind of pop.

this seems to be one of those albums that music critics like just so they can act like they know more about music than you. it’s just weird. however, about 90% of this album is unlistenable and the other 10% really isn’t very good. oof.

This was just weird.

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

'Different' to say the least. Not offensive to listen to but probably requires a Jamaican woodbine or two to get into the groove.

I imagine this is what a Monty Python take on an avante garde album would sound like.

what in the heck? the second song is pretty atonal, and the vocalist is not about able to sing very well. What in the hell is this? This guy's vocal tone makes me want to puke. Blues In Bob Minor is solid surprisingly. I hated this.

Not for me, only really enjoyed one song on the album.

Absolute crap. Seriously. The further you go into the album, the deeper the crap.

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.

Ken deze artiest niet, dus ben benieuwd! Het eerste nummer is prima, I guess, maar nummer 2 The Duchess is een heel apart nummer. Ik weet niet zo goed wat voor album dit gaat worden, maar we gaan het meemaken! Ok wtf is The Duchess voor nummer, dit klinkt gewoon slecht. Niet interessant muzikaal of wat dan ook. Ik ben nu bij September the Ninth en de titel van dit album is zeer goed gekozen. Ik ben al een paar keer bijna weggedommeld met dit album, man wat is dit saaie muziek. Blues in Bob Minor schrikt me een soort van wakker. Het is het enige nummer op dit album waar echt iets gebeurd zeg maar. Waarom kan de rest van het album niet zo zijn Robert, verdorie! 1 nummer dat ik ok vind, de rest is eigenlijk ondermaats. Robbie, je hebt een primeur ouwe pikkebaas! FAVO: Blues in Bob Minor

Vanaf het begin is al duidelijk dat dit een zeer experimenteel album is. Waarschijnlijk moet het het enorm gaan hebben van de muzikale composities. Ik vind onze beste heer Wyatt namelijk geen begaafd zanger. Hoewel ik de sfeer van het eerste nummer nog prima vind, wordt ik heel nerveus van het tweede nummer, maar misschien is dat de bedoeling? Het is allemaal zeer rustig tempo, grenzend aan jazz, maar met allerlei zenuwachtige lijntjes van blazers en strijkers. Ik vind het allemaal maar ongemakkelijk klinken. Het is wel echt bijzonder hoe zoveel genres bij elkaar komen. Het eerder genoemde jazz, maar wel duidelijk rock elementen. En nu op Alien wat meer percussie, wat redelijk in de latijn-amerikaanse stijl past. Het is allemaal net iets te experimenteel, iets te pretensieus. Ik ben daar absoluut niet vies van, maar dit gaat net wat te ver. Dit is duidelijk een luisterervaring voor gevorderden, en zo te merken, ben ik dat niet. Maar de zang, die is voor mij echt ondermaats en dat, samen met het moeilijke luisterpalet, bederft het simpele luisterplezier. Favo's: Alien

Weird but I didn't hate it

I knew nothing about this artist and the album. Largely a very weird album. Maryan was the only song I liked or could stand, most songs skipped for being whack. 0.5

This is another obscure English album which has no business being on a list of important, influential, or best albums in popular music. "Shleep" wildly misses all five of those descriptors: important, influential, best, popular, music. Contrived and overly pretentious, this allegedly legendary musician is purposefully singing nursery rhymes off-key. It is asinine. Anyone who mistakes this for music should be ashamed of themselves.

Rock progresivo. Experimental.

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

This kind of cool kind of kooky oh Brian Eno was there got it

Someone once told Robert Wyatt he was quirky as a compliment and he just ran with it! Shleep is much more fun to say than it is to listen to.

so I feel like this album was just very average I don’t really think it was influential in anyway honestly and I don’t mean to sound harsh I just think I’m disappointed with a couple of the albums that are on this list because I don’t comprehend how this album is that influential because I didn’t hear any unique instruments or sounds unless I’m missing something.

Hard to believe this is a 1997 release as it sounds right out of 1974. Even if I hadn't read it, track one "Heaps of Sheeps" just oozes Brian Eno who has become a bit of a fave here after ~650 albums. As for the negative, it's a little ... passive? Very English-passive. By contrast, take Gong for instance - much more actively-weird, actively moving. This is more a pastoral counterpoint to space-rock weirdness. In case anyone needed me pointing this out, during "A Sunday In Madrid" he sings one note the entire song. The. Entire. Song. (no wait, he went up one whole note twice there... not sure that even counts.) I can only imagine how many people hated this one....but I don't :P. It's just weird enough that it could be a sneaky good weird jazzy chill listen. I hate giving 3s but this is almost my perfect 3 - at different times you could put this on and I'd get almost physically angry yet another time it might be the perfect salve with a cup of tea (or scotch) sitting on the back porch. 5/10 3 stars.

Not really my style

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.

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!

Shipbuilding aside, I haven’t particularly enjoyed Robert Wyatt’s music, but there is always something warm and peculiarly pleasant. A visionary artist who works hard and is very accepting of most music, he’s a likeable chap. I enjoyed reading what both he and his wife said about “wyatting” (people playing “Dondestan” on pub jukeboxes to deliberately annoy others). A low three because some is fine and I like the man both as a true artist and a genial chap.

No

I very much enjoy writing what would be considered nonsense music as well as listening to Tom Waits, early Modest Mouse, Destroyer, Ween, They Might Be Giants, The Books, Devendra Banhart etc. amongst other avant garde artists but this was something entirely different... The first track was fine. Track 2 felt like listening to a bunch of young kids starting a garage band that exclusively played acid jazz...very poorly. There was enough hints of brilliance spread throughout the record that I would be interested in exploring his other albums and material, however, this album wasn't it for me. Stand out tracks: Maryan, September the Ninth

jazz, moment expérimental. assez intéressant 6.5/10

Couldn't find much going for it. Was surprised it was not from the 60s.

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

Started out ok but lost me.

Wikipedia classes this as art rock and that's pretty apt, it feels a bit like an exhibition piece. There are moments of genuine musical quality but then at other times it feels a bit performative. I did particularly enjoy Blues in Bob Minor

What a bizarre album

One of those cases when an album of utterly 54 minute nonsense becomes a must listen. 2

Kinda nondescript yet lovely

Not a huge fan of prog rock, so I tried to hate this but actually ended up liking most of it. Blues in Bob Major was the standout track (and the least proggy).

Wasn’t the best. Wasn’t terrible. Totally forgettable psychedelic rock.

This album gets three stars, but basically every song is either five stars or one star, with nothing in between. Sometimes his voice is the best part, and on some songs, it feels like he's singing a different song to the backing, in a different key. I'm sure that's very clever, but it's also quite irritating. Heaps of Sheep is a great song. Do more like that Bob!

To say this is weird is not saying a lot… quite the experience, I’ll put it that way

Prog rock? More like prog not very good :( This just doesn't make sense to me, it doesn't sound good at all. The horns are strange, singing isn't great imo and the instrumental arrangements just don't sound good half the time. 2.5/10

weird, didnt really enjoy it much. What was that second song though

I liked Heaps of Sheeps, the rest of the album did not impress for me, personally.

What a load of shite.

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.

It's an album that keeps balancing on the spaces between genius, madness, beauty and pretentious wank. I find it hard to pin down, even after 4 listens

Didn’t buy into it

I struggled to get Google to play this and I struggled to listen to it if I’m honest ! Not my cup of tea 2*

Thought it was OK at first but it got a bit tiresome.

very unique, distracting in a good way

It's like being transported back to the 1970s! I wasn't too keen on his style of jazz fusion, psychedelia and progressive rock back then, and I'm still not a fan.

This is fucked 2

Eh. Nah. Nah

Net iets te experimenteel en te 'atmosferisch'

3.0

3.8 - Impressive that this was released when he was 52 years old - it’s more adventurous than 99% of music out there. I still find his singing thin and nasally but aside from that gripe, I enjoyed this a lot and think it’s a perfect “zone-out” record though it’s layered enough to also warrant a close listen. Maybe skip the last couple of tracks, especially “Blues in Bob Minor”, which sounds like an even worse version of “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”

This album is fascinating and has some incredible moments and some very annoying almost unlistenable ones. Very distinctive and unlike anything else I’ve heard really, and ultimately a rewarding listen despite The Duchess

Pretentious, self-important, humorless. 1/5

I realize there isa good contingent of musicians pitching in but I had a hard time getting into it.

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.

Robert Wyatt is definitely one of those polarizing artists with his unusual falsetto voice and his music is hard to pin-point - unsettling indie/folk/jazz. Attentive and repeated listenings are required to fully appreciate. Most of this album was quite good albeit somewhat demanding.

Hmmm I love prog but this is bad prog

Es mereix un respecte per la perícia i creativitat que transpira en tots els seus temes. Però s'oblida de la complicitat amb l'oient. Massa impenetrable per poder disfrutar-lo

What an interesting and diverse jazzy album. The assortment of instruments, noises, sounds, and singing made this album pretty hard to wrap my head around. Overall it wasn’t that great as it was some pretty artsy fartsy stuff that doesn’t appeal to me. Some of the jazz was pretty good though but it was in spurts. Hard to really like this one. 4.7/10

Had never heard of Robert Wyatt before or any of his work so was quite excited to jump into something totally new and this was a really interesting listen. The experimentation and avant-Garde arrangements on this album are really cool and interesting but I find myself enjoying the tracks on this record that are more rock-orientated. I love a jazz influence on a rock record e.g. Steely Dan but I do feel like it overpowers a little on this record. More guitar focused tracks such as “Blues in Bob Minor” and the beautiful “Maryan” are my personal favourites where some of the more intricate jazz tainted songs lose me and I struggle to enjoy them as much. Still thought this was a decent record and I respect Robert Wyatt for the wide array of guests and instrumentation he uses on the album. RATING: 7.0/10

The first couple tracks had me going wtf and I was concerned that I was not going to make it through this whole album. As it kept going though, the sound evolved into much more of a jazz with spoken word vibe, and I found it to be relaxing, sometimes soothing, background music. I'm not a big fan of Robert Wyatt's voice and lyrics here, but I can see the appeal.

4.0

Gostei de umas duas faixas instrumentais. Esperava mais.

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

un bon album rock psychedelic avec Eno comme producteur, C'est dans mes cordes. 3.85

Tyylikäs kikkailulevy! 4/5

Ehkä mulla on alikehittyneet lapsen aivot, mutta siis eieieiei. Lauluäänikin väkinäinen ja nuhainen.

Musta listalla on ollut kiinnostavampaa relan ja herkistelyn välimaastoa. Blues in Bob Minor on ihan hauska biisi, mut muuten levy jää kyllä kakkoseen.

Nah, got on my tits after a few songs and turned it off

Holy shit why? Multiple people had to approve this album being recorded in the first place. Those people should find better jobs. I was over it by the second song. It did not get better.

6/10. Kind of a weird little album. I suppose I liked it, though.

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

At first I was like "God, no" then "ah OK maybe" but by the end I'm ready to cast this back into obscurity as pretentious crap.

One half decent song followed by one unlistenable piece of crap. Repeat. No thanks.

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.

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

Weird stuff.

Nimensä mukaista eli nukuttaa. Herää kysymys, kuinka viimeisteltyjä biisit on vai kuinka paljolti kokeilua. Ikävän naivistista. Joitain ilahduttavia hetkiä, joissa toivoisi, että tää olisi tehty 70-luvulla.

Kuin dystopisessa rinnakkaistodellisuudessa uudelleen rakennettu Neil Young. Onko valinta tälle listalle kunnioittavaa artistia itseäänkään kohtaan?

Nah.

Bad …

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.

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 .

When the first track started playing, I was like "oh, this is isn't what I expected". it was very much in that 70s Eno-period/Roxy Music art-pop mold, with a more chilled out vibe. And I really dug it. Probably not really a surprise given the Eno production and appearance by Phil Manzanera. But then the rest of the album is just awful. I quite like Wyatt's voice (although his tunes meander a bit), but jeez, please keep the man away from any other instrument. Much of the instrumental 'soloing' is tuneless caterwauling, and Wyatt himself seems to be the main culprit on fiddle and trumpet. It was pointless, directionless noise. Disliked. Heaps of Sheep is the only listenable track on the record. Maybe I'm having a bad day, but this record actually angered me. Which is quite an achievement, given how chill it is.

Just ok

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.

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.

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

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.

nope nope nope

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

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...

New to me...probably never again. 2/5

It was bollocks and I did enjoy it.

bit of a schlep, but not too schlocky

Average!

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.

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???

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.

Dat isset nich

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.

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

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.

Echt??!

Het eerste nummer was nog wel ok, maar daarna zakte Robert diep door zijn hoeven...

Interessantisch, maar te wisselvallig om mij te boeien

Robert zit een beetje de ouwe zemelaar uit te hangen. Kom op Robert, misschien moet je het muziek maken maar aan anderen over laten want hier schiet werkelijk niemand iets mee op.

Soft and chill for listening.

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

too much

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.

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.

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.

Shleepy music

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.

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

It had a mood - I didn't mind it

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.

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).

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...

Some classic prog with a lovely voice and totally un-listenable.

Never heard of this but obviously hipster shit. Title & album art suggest wussy indie rock. The name "Wyatt" hints at USA but most likely UK as always. ahaha yep it's English. Accented voice is hidden in the mix a bit, but it's there. Music sounds like the album art looks, so it's honest... but honest, complete shit. I'm not angry, or even disappointed at this point. I'm just giving out a 2/5.

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

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

This did not appeal to me at all. I don't understand why it was on this list.

Had some nice bits but too strange overall

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

No

I ALREADY RATED THIS YOU IDIOTS

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

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

Jazz. Actually like

I hated this from start to finish.

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.

Some of the songs have a chaotic and disharmonious feel (e.g. "The Duchess"). This is just not really my thing. I am more straight, simple, and basic in my taste. I don't think that the album is bad, but it just does not really align with my taste.

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

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

No.

This one only had three reviews before I wrote this one. Presumably because most people, uh, didn't care strongly. Some of the best parts of this sound like Nick Drake, but some of it also sucks. Weird one to rate. We're gonna go mid.

4/5