Rock Bottom

Eno style ambient synth textures combined with a psychadelic jazz musical approach encompassing sax and trumpet blasts, squidgy basslines, organ vamps, piano tinkling, and an experimental poetry approach to lyrics conveyed by Wyatt's fragile voice. It builds and builds through slow repetition and layering that brings more dissonance and disorder and polyrhythmic tension that all creates a sense of anxiety and anticipation. With a watery theme, it conveys the feeling of being overwhelmed and giving yourself over to the force of the sea, not thrashing against it, letting waves wash over and push you around, succumbing to a blissful dark sense of dread disorientation and powerlessness.

your average relaxing album

Clearly influential but not exactly a fun listen.

Rock your bottom.

actually kinda halfway up

Had a lighter David Bowie vibe to me

Overall, wildly creative (particularly for its time), with some pretty incredible synths and harmonies. But the vocals aren't great, and the music lacks anything catchy or memorable to balance out its experimental nature. Right from the first track, we hear heavy use of synths that had recently entered the rock/pop music sphere. Some cool keyboard layering, combining electric and acoustic sounds, and inspiration from jazz (including a nifty piano solo over augmented and diminished chords). The vocalist's British accent is pretty strong, possibly inspired by Bowie's early works, but more distractingly untrained than Bowie's vocal. (Take that weird and unnecessary vocal solo in Sea Song. Yeah. Not great.) Lots of complex melodies that lack an obvious melodic hook. I suspect more effort and musicianship was placed on the drums, bass, and keyboards, which are the star instruments in most tracks. Ignoring the vocal, the sound is reminiscent of Radiohead - specifically the Kid A record, as another reviewer pointed out. A proggy, dreamy sort of feel, with production that favours layering and surround-sound rather than something performed live. Little Red Riding Hood Hit The Road is particularly relevant here for its crazed overlapping horns (The National Anthem) and artificially-cut, psychedelic vocal snippets (Everything In Its Right Place), though the latter appears on many tracks on the Rock Bottom album. Radiohead pulled these ideas off better. 3/5 Key tracks: Sea Song, Little Red Robin Hood Hit The Road (reprise)

Nice. Interesting. Mostly. Not sure what was happening at the end of Sea Song, but it kind of ruined it. You'd get nice and relaxed and then all of the sudden he's going "forsqueak you, alifi my larder" with a drunk sax or something in the background.

Super mixed on this album. I’m thinking 3 purely on how weird and creative it is, but also how off-putting.

It starts off promising. Interesting Jazz-fusion sound that is sometimes beautiful and generally chill and quite charming. The first half was easy to listen to. The album slowly degrades into a journey of progressive experimentation strangeness, with endless noodling and just plain weird stuff going on. Difficult listen towards the end and was relieved when it was over.

Eh this was ok probably wouldn’t listen again.

First listen to this musician.

Difficult listening from an artist who maybe is less concerned with the audience's feelings than his expression, who was experiencing a real crisis in his life. Mad respect for this output, but it's not a "fun" record. It does take concentration and patience.

This is really a 3.5 stars. Some super-fun prog. Some less-fun meandering, though still interesting.

Hated his voice

Interesting? Lyrics didn’t mean much to me, but a unique vibe, constant tuning but attuned.

Áhugavert. Slatta progg með ýmsum tilþrifum. Mun hlusta aftur.

I had never heard of Robert Wyatt before. The proximity to art rock is unmistakable. And so much of the album reminds me of Genesis or Pink Floyd. Unfortunately, the album didn't convince me enough to be completely enthusiastic. But Robert Wyatt and his album will definitely get a second chance. 3/5

This dude british af. This is also spacey af. I honestly can't really tell you if I liked this or not. It was an interesting listen and seemed pretty loose psychedelic wise. Reminded me of some earlier Pink Floyd a bit at some parts. Overall weird low 3. Also read that \"Wyatting\" is a thing where people put on obscure songs on the jukebox at bars. This is awesome and reminds me of putting 20 min Gizz songs on at Stan's.

Kinda quirky, mostly chill

I can definitely hear that inspirations for Radiohead.

Interesting and experimental for it's time, but I prefer the other Robert's albums more

Gear: Fostex TH610 Artwork: Regal-taugliche Bleistift-Kritzelei Mix: kränkliche Vocals, blecherne Oberflächlichkeit, für einen gelernten Drummer sind die wirklich kläglich untergebracht - abgesehen von Percussion in "Alife" Musik: wirklich interessante Ideen - in der ersten Hälfte wirklich schwach rübergebracht. !gitraßorg dnu -giznie hcilkriw driw dnu ttelpmok lamhcon reba mublA sad hcis therd etfläH netiewz red nI Wertung: 🦀🦀🦀/5

Art rock. canterbury scene. Al final un poco rollo, un poco sinsentido. Pero bueno.

Far out. The second song reminded me a bit of The Shins and was my fave on the album but overall I don’t think I would listen again.

Genre: Art rock, Canterbury scene, progressive rock, psychedelic rock Very interesting sounds. Definitely worth listening to. Never heard of him before this list. 3.5

I get that people need to experiment and this wasn't terrible. But it really wasn't something I ever needed to listen to ever again.

I don’t really know what this was supposed to be but I enjoyed it

3.5/5. Not my cup of tea but the circumstances to get this album made is wild, dude ended up in a wheelchair for the rest of his life after falling out of a window while shitfaced.

Helps to understand the context of this album on the first listen.

I liked it. You should give it a listen.

Not an easy one to take in during 24 hours. I had heard this before having tracked it down for the original version of "Sea Song" as covered by The Unthanks. I really like that as a starter on this album though it does drone on too long. The rest of the album is less melodic and between the atonal wheezy synths and Robert's nasal whine this can be quite grating if you aren't in the mood. I have to say though I like it anyway, it sounds like it has come from a very dark period in his life (which it did), and it's very original. Probably not essential but worth a listen again just to appreciate the variety of music in the 1970s. Also a great album for apparently annoying reviewers on here who think music is good or bad depending on which genre they decide it's in. A spooky wonky and slightly disturbing album of droning tunes that make you worry for the artist's and possibly your own mental health. Definitely an odd one, but not without merit. Also if you think this is too weird, for god's sake don't listen to any of his other stuff.

Interesting

What is it? Jazz? Folk? Singer-songwriter? I have decided that I can't really get with John Martyn, but Robert Wyatt just has something that means he is always listenable. If you like you like.

Okay. The Robin Hood songs are the best.

beatles

Really loved the last half of this album, but the first half was a bit too messy.

Very weird but somehow also quite nice

I understand that Robert Wyatt was really going through a difficult time in his life when he recorded this. He had just had a horrible accident that left him partially paralyzed. The album is titled “Rock Bottom” for a reason. It plays like an early Pink Floyd album (with Nick Mason producing, even) but with none of the humor or charm. This is a sad album. I can appreciate this as a piece of art that conveys one man’s personal and complex emotional state. But as an album? It’s a tough listen. Not just because of the sounds themselves, but the meaning behind them. It’s chaotic at times, repetitive at times, and always keeping you on edge. But not in the fun and exciting way. Did I enjoy my time with this album? I don’t know if someone can “enjoy” someone else’s pain in the way you “enjoy” a great album. I appreciate this for what it is but I’m not going to sit here and say I enjoyed it. 3 stars. Standout tracks (if there has to be one): A Last Straw

Another album I cannot really label or categorize easily. Very ambient and experimental. I found this recording a little more to my liking than other experimental styles probably because I heard elements of jazz in the music. The lyrics were very difficult to interpret.

This album was alright. The final song was especially good. Many of the tracks are a bit forgettable but I want to keep trying the listen to this one. 3.3/5 -> 3/5.

Not bad

Robert Wyatt is good but I don’t like his music very much. This one was very light and ethereal.

Börjar lite trevande men växer ju längre man kommer på albumet.

This was... weird

3 stars

Gentle nerd art rock that maybe I do want.

This one is hard for me to rate. While I appreciate the artistry, it's not something I would listen to again unless I was super high, or on shrooms. I'd probably enjoy it much more than.

70s radiohead Very interesting and super well written but i don't love it 3.5/5

Quite possibly the weirdest thing I ever listened to. Possibly some context required: I listened to this while walking to Old Trafford in a crowd of around 70,000 people, very aware that while other people were chatting, drinking, chanting and so on, I was listening to Robert Wyatt have a bit of a breakdown. I read the backstory to this album, and it's so interesting, but quite often it just sounds like the other Wyatt album I've had - a singer singing a different song to the backing. It's got some lovely bits and pieces on it, and some that are laugh out loud funny. I'd recommend it to someone. But not necessarily someone I liked very much.

Awright

Strange, and at times very beguiling. At other points the twee theatricality got the better of me and took me out of any potential atmosphere. But certainly enough to be interested in here. Fave track: Alife

This got so much better as it went on. I was ready to write this album off after the first track. The atonal singing and unusual melodies are an easy turnoff. But a few tracks in and this hypnotic and abstract blending of rhythms, sounds, and spoken word poetry creates an unsettling but alluring mood that really seems ahead of its time. It’s a challenging listen and maybe incomplete in its ambitious intentions as a whole, but there’s a lot to enjoy here. Three and a half. Fave track: Little Red Riding Hood Hit The Road (part 1)

"Rock Bottom" is the sevond solo album by former Soft Machine drummer and English musician Robert Wyatt. Art rock, Canterbury scene, prog and pyschedelic rock are the assigned genres. I'd also say experimental...very experimental. The album was recorded following a 1973 accident which left Wyatt a paraplegic. It was produced by Pink Floyd's Nick Mason. Wyatt was the lead vocalist and played keyboards, percussion, slide guitar and, yes, wine glasses. Wyatt employed other musicians including Mike Oldfield (guitar), Gary Windo (bass clarinet, tenor sax), Ivor Cutler (voice, baritone concertina and harmonium), Richard Sinclair (bass), Hugh Hopper (bass), Laurie Allen (drums) and Fred Frith (viola). The album received much critical acclaim. "Sea Song" opens the album with a piano and a lingering drone sound. This is slow with instruments appearing randomly in an improvisational sort of way. The vocals are meandering and mostly sounds. "Last Straw" also starts with a piano although with an ominous tone. We also get the clicking wine glasses. Side one ends with "Little Red Riding Hood Hit the Road." Horns making random noises. This song really reminded me of Radiohead's "National Anthem." "Alifib" is the name of his lover, I believe. Hey I was able to understand something. This song has a synth note holding long creating an ambient vibe. There's random guitar noises. There's a guy panting. And, the song goes right into the next song "Alifie." Rapid percussion. Piano and horns makes this more jazzy. "Little Red Robin Hood Hit the Road" closes the album. A marching band drum beat. The keyboards creating a droning noise. Meandering guitars. And it ends with strings and distorted guitars. Woah! I do recognize the achievement of Wyatt being able to record this album six months after becoming a paraplegic. Honestly though, I had trouble completely connecting with this. Random noises, the droning sounds, unintelligible vocals. Yeah, this falls mostly in the experimental music genre. And, typically I'm all about that. The best parts of this album sound like Radiohead's "Kid A." If your a big fan of "Kid A," there is a chance you might like this. And, maybe someday I will too.

Really liked this on first listen. But I need to downgrade because very little has stuck with me. Maybe I'll come back and relisten again. 3 = enjoyed but won't listen again 4 = listened again at least once because I wanted to hear it again So this is a 3.5, which breaks my scale. I haven't given many 1's though, so I guess I'll round down and recalibrate future ratings lower.

3- Stars (7/15)

This is another album that listening to it once (for a day) just isn't enough. I barely feel like I got to know it at all yet. There are no catchy tunes, nothing you'll find yourself hummming later on in the day. It's a nice album though. Solid 3/5

very mellow. 3 stars.

If you're willing to engage with Wyatt's wa- wa- wa- wa- wa- wa- wa- wa- wa- wa- wa- wa- wa- wa- wa- wa- wa- wa- wa- wa- wild songwriting structures, this one might be worth hanging around for. It's certainly not easy to warm up to, nor a particularly comfortable ride, but does share a lot of dream-like instrumentation with early Pink Floyd, which I really enjoyed. There's definitely a lot going on here that was far ahead of its time, but as a listener, you kind of have to keep reminding yourself of that to get the enjoyment.

Oooff. I wasn't really feeling this. Didn't hate it but didn't really like it either.

Surprisingly interesting. Not something I’m going to get back to but definitely better than most Pink Floyd records.

Only listened once didn't hate it but didn't love it. Probably need another listen to know how I feel.

I have never heard of this artist, so this was completely new to me. Although this is not music I usually seek out, Robert Wyatt's voice is compelling.

Interesting listen. Smooth folk decorated with psychedelic noise. Will revisit.

Didn't know Robert Wyatt before this year and recently heard a really lovely song. I have a bit more patience for this as a result, would probably lump it in with prog meandering if I hadn't heard that other one. Interesting but doesn't grab me. It's got to be a personal triumph to complete an album a year after a life-changing accident, but I'm only giving out stars for music (and perhaps activism? unclear.) I bet there's a different Robert Wyatt album that's more essential listening than this one, though I suppose I could see this as essential if you like post-rock more than I do.

Likably strange and quietly eccentric, but a bit underpowered. Certainly, it achieves its goal of being so different that it tends toward irrelevant or at least unrelatable, if not unlistenable. Rather sweet discordance in the end, innit.

Not my music.

Liked it in the start, but became too much of a heavy metal by 5 songs. However the mastering is commendable

like the other one better. might be because of my mood. weird dude 5/10

Weird

Started and restarted this 3 times this morning, fell asleep 3 times. After another listen, I kinda liked it. Not sure it belongs on this list, but I'll keep it in mind the next time I can't fall asleep.

Weird, I like 3.5/5

This was a really difficult album to listen to. I found myself becoming transfixed and really having to focus on the music. I’d get lost in interesting chords and soundscapes. The instrumentation is brilliant through almost all of the album. I think so much of the album is really impressive and creative. But I do think in some areas it goes a little too far. I think Wyatt’s vocals and English-ness subtracted from the album in parts. The lyrics were hard to understand and even when I read them I didn’t think they were the most impressive. Overall, it’s an interesting album, but I wouldn’t put it on for fun.

очень психоделика)

Weird, not sure if i like it, but glad it exists.

Sentiment mitigé. J'ai beaucoup aimé certaines chansons (Little Red Riding Hood Hit the Road et Little Red Robin Hood...), et pas du tout d'autres. Pas fan de la voix et des textes notamment, mais j'aime bien les instrus.

Rock anglais expérimental comme il y en a un peu trop sur cette liste. Pas nul, pas fou non plus.

Sounds like an insane Syd Barret album, which is saying something. Not sure I’ll listen to this again but glad i have one time.

Strange vibes. Intriguing. Beguiling. Genre defying? +//+ Of course, "very British Art-Rock from the 1970s" is its own micro-genre but to point that out is to be crankypantsman.

This was definitely an interesting one, I don't think I liked it enough to listen to it again but it was weird and psychedelic enough that it was fun to listen to it the first time. Alifib was really cool. I think if I was tripping this would absolutely destroy me but being sober during a workday it just doesn't hit the same.

There were moments on here I enjoyed. Moments where it felt like a jazz album with some whimsical singer, but beyond those moments it kind of felt bland. Not sure, but I'd say that album cover is a pretty apt one in terms of its impact on me.

It seemed like he was trying to take the hippie experience and translate it into something else. The problem is the translation was muddled. The songs themselves had some nice atmosphere to them, but it just didn't have anything under them. I'm surprised that the guy who was the drummer couldn't get someone else to lay down a solid beat. Because maybe it's me, but I didn't find it there. There just didn't seem to be a GROOVE. I guess that's what I'm looking for, and granted the British are not the GROOVIEST of people, but they have their moments. It's just not on this one.

Pretty fascinating but pretty dark. It's kind of an intense listen and a commitment to go from front to back. It's not my favorite, and I can't really imagine going back for another listen, but it was still captivating and was overall impessive.

Interesting that it was produced by Nick Mason, as it reminds me a bit of early Pink Floyd. Strangely, this is the second Robert Wyatt album I've had in the last three weeks, someone I had never heard of before. Like the last one (Shleep) I'm not quite sure what to make of it. There are aspects of it that I like but overall it's just a bit too random and meandering, and I don't love his voice. 3 stars.

What a curious little album. I don’t know if I’d say I ‘enjoyed’ it loads, but I definitely admire it. The almost childlike vocals and lyrics contrast with the complex and experimental arrangements, and the result is a kind of twisted fairytale world that’s quite alluring. I can understand why this made the list.

This guys insane

There were some elements in this that I enjoyed a lot more than others.

‘Drones and songs’ from the mind of a parapalegic. The first track is objectively a challenge to get through. Disjointed and erratic. However, as the album flows, and most interestingly, as each track develops, I found myself enjoying the intricate details and complexities that make the album incredible. It’s not a crowd pleaser with any sort of pop sensibility. But for what it lacks in sugar, it makes up for in spice. 3.6

I’m not sure what this was but it went by fast

Weird and proggy

3.75

Some clever sounds, and is definitely experimental. I can tell why it didn't catch on in the US.

3.5 husker ikke så mye av den, en uke senere tho

Interesting but a little too sad even for me

I don’t love it, but there’s a lot to unpack here. I’ll give it another few listens but I can see why people wouldn’t be into this.

Well this was unusual I guess! Looked him up and this guy was quite influential it seems. Big in the Canterbury music scene but then had to stop owing to becoming paraplegic when he fell out a window. This has lots of themes and motifs I loved, like the brass bits. But then some inheritantly irritating parts which spoilt it for me. Some of the singing styles. So a mix for me

This was fine, kind of interesting and fun but nothing special for me.

C'est un peu flou dans ma tête après Lightning Bold - Wonderful Rainbow... mais j'ai bien aimé celui-ci, c'est spécial, mais mélodique et certaine chanson sorte du lot. 3.5

An oddity. Bit proggy, bit like late Radiohead Very English. Almost whispered soft vocals. Its very dense and requires repeated listens. Unfortunately it doesn't win me over but I can see its attraction.

Rock psicodélico progresivo. Ni fu ni fa.

weird but cool

Very odd, but a clear influence on loads of bands I love - Radiohead, Ultrasound, Pink Floyd, and lots of prog rock. Not one of the 1001 "best" albums, but probably one of the most interesting. A tricky one to score, as I didn't like it lots, but appreciated it and am glad to have listened to it (if that makes any sense!). Also, make sure to read the wiki page for this one, and for the artist.

Innovative and interesting most of the time. Nothing seems to happen at times, but it’s not pretentious enough to keep you waiting for long. Overall, a positive experience. Thank you!

listened to again very strange and exploratory

Weird, peculiar - never heard of him before. but happy to explore for a couple of spins

Its very experimental, somewhere between pink Floyd and experimental jazz. For now i rate it between 3 and 4, but its an album that probably gets better with every listening turn.

3.4

A bit too experimental for me but I can definitely appreciate this. He released this after falling out of a window at a party and paralyzing himself from the waist down…puts the darkness into perspective. 3.4

Kind of strange but not bad

Что изначально показалось странной поделкой с непонятными творческими решениями просто потому что так можно, на втором прослушивании стало довольно красивым и интригующим альбомом. Для этого альбома определённо понадобится более одного прослушивания (и четырёхзначное айкью в придачу), чтобы полностью его осознать и может даже полюбить, но у меня, к сожалению, не хватает терпения и времени, чтобы приспособиться к этому творению. Очень на любителя. (6)

this isn't even that bad, why is this so lowly rated? got a little bored towards the end but still dont understand the rating

I had no idea what this was going to be about and I enjoyed it. It was sufficiently weird and prog rocky that I really liked it. Vocals weren't the best but they were competent enough that I didn't feel like ripping my ears out. Sad to read about the artist though. 3.5/5

Rock psicodélico progresivo. Ni fu ni fa.

Art rock. canterbury scene. Al final un poco rollo, un poco sinsentido. Pero bueno.

Really enjoyed the musical style on this. Lots of cool melodies flying around on different instruments. It's a little out there, and the vocals got a little rough at spots, but I appreciated the creativity and mood changes.

This was a strange and enjoyable listen. Went back and forth between 3 and 4 stars. I'd rate betweem 3.5 amd 4.

I like this just enough. It's odd prog rock & I'm ok with that.

This is pretty good. Not great, but pretty good. 3/5

I can't figure out what this album was trying to do, musically or otherwise. Not bad on the ears, though (mostly). Best track: Sea Song

i guess this is kinda interesting but it also irritates me immensely. makes me anxious

Definitely ahead of its time. Parts of it reminded me of Peter Gabriel era Genesis, or Marillion in the Fish days (though that's pretty much the same thing, isn't it?). It was an interesting and enjoyable listen.

I am having a tough time rating this one. It's interesting, but not one I really want to revisit ...experimental, wild, weird...and hypnotic... let's say straight down the middle, 2.5, a worthwhile listen.

that was weird but kinda neat

6/10. Not bad, but felt like it was just being weird for the hell of it.

Quirky, fascinating. Some great layered, tonal experimentation that I really liked. Definitely not for everyone. Fave Songs: Little Red Riding Hood Hit the Road (2), Sea Song, Alifib, Little Red Riding Hood Hit the Road (1)

This didn't make much of an impression on the first listen but glad I listened again. Oddly satisfying.

I think he told Nick Mason that he wanted a weird sound, not like that commercial pop that Pink Floyd does.

Best listened to in an altered state.

I'm familiar with Soft Machine, so I had some idea of what to expect here. I'm glad this was included as it's not the kind of thing you hear very often. And once I got used to the vocals, I came to rather like this. Fans of Kid A should find much to enjoy here, though, I think I might like it even more than Kid A. I dig the pastoral vibe. And yeah, it's not the kind of thing I'll listen to every day, but some of the jams were spacey and cool. I definitely get some Meddle-era Pink Floyd vibes, which makes sense, given Nick Mason's involvement. Anyway, thumbs up.

Knowing the context of this record-that Robert Wyatt was paralyzed by a fall from a high window just before recording, and music was basically all he had to live for-certainly helps increase one’s admiration for it. Its highly experimental and atonal nature, though, isn’t for everyone, despite the number of talented musicians on hand.

Tracks 1&2 Is he crushing on a mermaid? Track 3 Seems backwards looping tracks were all the rage in the 70s. Oh blimey, mercy me, woe are we. Dig the jazzy horns and bass though. Tracks 4&5 When he said "Nit nit folley baloley", I felt that. Dig the jazzy piano and drums though. Track 6 Is this what the English call 'taking the piss'? Dig the strings, etc. I like the jazzy soundscapes. Lyrically, I can see the influence on modern wordsmiths like Daft Punk and Lil' Pump. Still can't see the dead moles, but I'll try again in a few months.

Derrière le pseudonyme de Robert Wyatt se cache en fait notre Robert national, qui s'essaye ici à la musique avec plus ou moins de succès. Les rythmiques sont extrêmement approximatives, mais ce gloubi-boulga musical n'est finallement pas si désagréable.

Such a wonderfully strange journey. Not sure I'm in the right headspace for this album today so maybe it would rank higher on another day.

kind of spacey, experimental, jazzy. It's alright I guess.

I've always thought Robert Wyatt was a bit of an odd duck, with his high-pitch, off-key delivery and his gloomy songs. But, learning that he was a paraplegic when he recorded this adds another perspective. The first song is lovely. The rest is listenable but I'm not a fan when the songs develop into more Avant Gard pieces. Still, you have to tip your hat to those who created and financed something this uncommercial. I read a quote by a Soft Machine guy saying that they voted out guitars early on, and RW seems to have followed that directive for the most part, but the solo by Mike Oldfield is instantly recognizable.

well this was a wild ride. Kudos for him getting his freak on here.

I liked it a lot and will definitely revisit. Reminded me of Mike Oldfield.

Первая песня напомнила Боуи. Да и остальные - довольно занятный эксперимент. Достойно ознакомления.

Listening to this is like getting stuck in a fever dream - which makes sense knowing that it was created in the wake of an injury that left him paraplegic. The experience of listening to it was not enjoyable for me.

Instrumentally it's interesting but vocally, oof not my thing. Initially this is a 2 for the grating high pitched vocals but then I read up on the album and now I feel kinda bad since he became paraplegic during this album. However it seems this was still the same vocal style regardless of the accident from his previous works, maybe it became a bit more strained. The vocals unfortunately do not make me want to listen to it though. A 3 since it is trying something different.

This is very weird music! not quite right for the morning commuite, maybe better suited to being slumped in a chair with a dram. I enjoyed lostening to this, found it quite trippy and very original.

Doot doot

Great production and mixing, sounds really smooth and perfect. But the actual style of music, a mix of ambience and psychedelia simply did not wow me in any way. The songs are too similar and lack direction.

Psychedelic sounds! I like it!!!

S'alright

Not my taste. Appreciate it as a unique piece of art.

Comfortably the best attempt at music I've heard this hour. It felt like how giving an Eskimo kiss to a baboon's anus after a curry feels.

Disc complexe i difícil, que es una mica dur de sentir. Es pot percebre la seva qualitat i els temes són d'una densitat que no embruta la intensitat en la composició i execució de Wyatt. Un d'aquells famosos "clàssics per descobrir" que jo acceptaria (en la seva suposada magnitud) només en part

Interesting I suppose. Had it on in the background...probably deserves a closer listen.

I didn't know what to expect from this at all. Oddly hypnotic and captivating.

Some interesting sounds, like a proto-Radiohead at their most experimental or even a bit of a Pink Floyd or Bowie vibe some jazz elements in that the structure is just not there especially in the piano playing. Seems less polished though, it's a rawer sound than those other bands. Not sure that I like it but it's definitely unique and I think worth a listen. Alife is straight up hard to listen to.

3/5

Nice, but despite my sensitivity to the genre it failed to rock my foundations.

Discordant and strangely melancholic.

Interesting

Wired and wonderful at times with some exquisite cameos. Studious returns for further listening may discover more.

Unique instrumentation, cool little album. Would have preferred a bit more change in singing style over the album

Weird experience. Not that I really care for it, but it has it's moments, such as the end of Little Red Robin Hood Hit The Road

Interesting album. Probably not something I will put on again, but it's good.

David Bowie con folk

Dreamy and psych, but requires the correct state/day/attitude

I liked this album's artsy, atmospheric instrumentation and maybe could have given it a 4 for that alone if it weren't for the vocals being so irritatingly distracting.

Pretty interesting. 6/10

On the fence with this. Fully original and a great deal of individual vision (some reminding me a of Chris Knox) but the execution a little scattershot.

Gott, was ist DAS denn jetzt schon wieder? Nach 4 Minuten habe ich mir die Frage gestellt, ob das absichtlich komisch sein soll. Wird besser. Little Red Riding Hood Hit the Road ist ein gutes Stück. Man muss allerdings was genommen haben, um auf Alifib und Alife zu kommen. Leider ist er nicht rechtzeitig davon runtergekommen, um die beiden Stücke wegzulassen.

Nice parts but got weird as hell at some parts

Psychedelic, really weird.

3

Too psychedelic for a 70's kid

A collection of ambiance with some proto New Wave vibes. Kind of reminded me of Brian Eno, but less synth and not as enjoyable. Didn't love it- some interesting instrumental moments but the singing wasn't great. Overall- fine

Def not my fav and kinda boring (not what I was in the mood for) BUT good music overall. Weird that the second and last song had the same name but seemingly different songs as a whole. Regardless, I enjoyed Little Red Riding Hood Hit The Road (fantastic horns in that one)

Was this nice to listen to? No. But was it interesting? Also no. I liked the wee man at the end, so it can get a very generous 2

Now that I have written and recorded a song (yes, still have a huuuugge head and riding the high over that one! ha ha), I have a new found respect for the effort that goes into music making and recording music - before I read the wiki I was going to write a snarky comment like 'no respect for this one!', then I dug a little deeper. I think this album is a bit of a mess, and I'm not into it musically, though it does have a few interesting and enjoyable passages amongst the auditory garbage - BUT - after learning Wyatt recorded this music before/during/after a terrible accident that left him wheelchair bound, I have to say I am impressed. What an awesome attitude to not only continue on with your craft, but have it inspire you to create even more! I just wish he'd had a more objective ear, or more feedback, or something - it could have been so much better with a clearer focus - but hey, I guess that's art!

It’s interesting, that’s for sure. The deconstruction of song structure and melody is a fun exercise. But at the end of the day, I like when such experimental music has a redeeming quality that makes it feel worth my time. If Rock Bottom did, it’s buried underneath the 20 layers of nonsense. That said, I did enjoy the last track.

It’s a no from me, which I think was the same reaction I had to his other album on here, which in itself is astonishing that he has two albums on the list.

Instrumentellt trevligt men annars konstigt, på det inte så bra sättet.

It's a very weird album and just not in my wheelhouse. I like some psychedelic rock, but bands that have more of the rock. This was just too slow and melodic for my taste.

I liked Schleep (also featured on the list) more than most but this one seems particularly vapid.

I am weird. But I am not this weird

I couldn't finish Sea Song; there's a high-pitched frequency that was physically uncomfortable. The other songs are very interesting, but so discordant that I wouldn't revisit it.

At first I thought I liked it. Went for a second listen and couldn't get through it at all.

New to me, exceptionally weird, and hard on the ears.

Including this album feels like your friend pushing something you’ve never heard of and promising you’ll love it. But you don’t

Fikk ikke helt til denne. Skjønner ikke.

Har veldig lyst å like det, men e vanskelig. Spotify har anbefalt en del Wyatt tidligere, men det va litt snillere enn det her.

Me: Can we have Radiohead? Mom: We have Radiohead at home. I read that this album influenced Thom Yorke. I definitely see where the influence came in. There's some heavily layered music here that at times is really fascinating and entertaining, particularly in the first "Little Red Riding Hood Hit The Road" track (there are two tracks with this title...). But where Radiohead's arrangements feel very carefully assembled, Wyatt's often veer into the chaotic and discordant in a way that's displeasing. And Wyatt's vocals don't add to the experience either. Influential it may be, interesting maybe, but good it most certainly is not. 2/5

I don't think I recognize this artist, and none of the tracks on this album are ringing a bell either. So I'm going into this completely blind. Okay, so it's nearly impossible to rate this album. Musically, it doesn't make sense why this album would be included on this list. It's just not good. But as far as the backstory for this album goes, yeah, sure, it's interesting and kudos to Robert Wyatt for persevering through his circumstances to create this album. But the name of the list is "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die." Maybe knowing about the backstory of this album is more important than actually listening to the album.

This has moments where it sounds a bit like Kid A. But like, Kid A inside a weird, foggy, bizarro theme park dream. I don't really know what is going on. It is strange, it is compelling, but on the whole I don't think I liked it.

In einem anderen Leben find ich’s 5/5

lol, this album’s inclusion on this list feels like a major trolling effort from the creator of the project. I have a reasonably high tolerance for nonsense, but this record tests my limits. It’s not that it’s bad, it’s that it feels like it’s intentionally bad; it feels like a prank, honestly. Like Robert Wyatt got a bunch of decent musicians to get together, compose some sort of interesting music, but then he caterwauls Britishly over top of it in no definitive direction and with lyrics that are largely nonsensical. Then the music spins out underneath it. 5/10…but the weird thing is I think really like some of the music, but his vocals are so meandering that it strips some of the enjoyment of the music itself away. This is a super weird one. It sounds like one song is entirely backward masking. It feels like if David Lynch made a record. This record is slowly turning into a train wreck that I can’t turn away from…and I think if I keep going, I might actually start to like it?

It's a bit strange but it's not worthy of 1 star

I’ll make a note to revisit this to see if it grows on me. There’s something here. But at the moment I’m put off by Wyatt’s voice and how slow it all is. People have called this album weird and I feel like this is weird by the standards of people who are profoundly boring.

Weird. Nice to come across something from the Floyd universe I wasn't acquainted with. But weird.

fav song: alifib atmospherical, experimental , dreamy 40/100

Some of it is interesting musically, but the vocals are hard to listen to

I mean … it’s a bit bollocks, isn’t it?

The music is pretty cool but the singing doesn’t work for me. 2/5

I had no idea what was going on with this. Really strange and not in a good way.

I listened to this and yet can't tell you a single thing about it. In one esar and out the other, leaving absolutely no impression at all. That says enough.

Not sure what this is musically. A bit random

This was a real chore. Not fun.

can't even remember this one

This guy again! This album is better than Shleep for sure, but I still am really put off by his atonal vocals. The experimental nature of this album is much more up my alley than Shleep was. I'd be surprised if Robert Wyatt was not an influence on The Books, one of my favorite duos.

I love prog rock but this is a little too esoteric for my tastes. It probably improves with repeated listening. There are a couple of tracks I did enjoy and find interesting. Struggle to see the masterpiece other note on one listen.

Unique art fuze jazz psych not to everyones taste

Not good cooking music I can tell you that much!

I think listening to this whole sitting in traffic on the Eisenhower was not ideal. I got most engaged during a long jazz break, but when the rock part came back in, it felt like they were fighting.

I’d rather have a beer than whatever kind of cocktail that was.

...and I like some Robert wyatt!

2

Strange to me. Not really my thing.

Based on what I heard, anyone can make an album if they just have a keyboard

Critics: Wyatt's lyrics are so very personal... Wyatt's lyrics: Not nit not Nit no not Nit nit folly bololey Burlybunch, the water mole Hellyplop and fingerhole Not a wossit, bundy, see For jangle and bojangle Trip trip pip pippy pippy pip pip landerim

Bleh

Rough listen.

A hard listen. Not something I would return to, but well made for what it is.

Weird and experimental, didn’t love the spoken parts, didn’t mind long drones. Not something I expect to come back to, and for me is missing the 3 star mark of “great but not for me” - as far as I can hear, nothing particularly great. Interesting story around the album.

The story behind the album was more interesting than the music itself

1.5 stars. Really wasn't feeling this art rock/jazz fusion/prog rock genre. Props for trying something different, but I really didn't care for it.

Least favorite so far

Besides a very quotable last two minutes, this album would be much better if it were a purely ambient instrumental. I knew I had heard of Robert Wyatt but needed a refresher on who the man was...what an interesting artist.

Te caes de una ventana, te quedas parapléjíco y pasas seis meses de hospital acabando de componer un álbum que quedó a medias. Yo no sé si precisamente por esto le podemos perdonar al bueno de Robert semejante extravaganza. El disco no soporta una segunda escucha por mi parte. Su música, una especie de fusión de jazz-rock-folk psicodélico no consigue penetrarme y se queda en la piel, siquiera rozándola apenas. No me ha gustado, no le he pillado el truco, y ya lo siento.

Ihan ok. Tosi taiteellinen mutta kiinnostava silti.

Why does all the singing sound like Monty Python?

Maybe this needs more listens, but it was rough and I don’t really want to try harder to appreciate this album. 2/5

- Любка, твой ребенок опять балуется на музыкальных инструментах, уйми его! - Он не балуется, а записывает концептуальный джаз-фьюжн альбом! Очередной альбом, который нужен только критикам и составителям списков, чтобы выебнуться. Согласен с тем, что пока это худший альбом подборки.

я не понял, музыка не для меня, даже 2 поставлю

Je ne comprend pas

No disrespect to my guy Robert Wyatt but this is simply too experimental for me. Some things throughout made me think otherwise for a second but then went back to the majority of what I heard which was interesting but not very enjoyable. Of course I can respect what’s going on here and it is cool at times, but I will not be listening to this again.

Aburrido

Not for me

587/1001 2026.04.07 😴🌗🌑🌑🌑

Meh. It's ok, I guess. More interesting than pleasant

Nope

Nonsense

Euhm ja, wie dacht Robert dat hij een plezier aan het doen was? Soms gaat een muzikant gewoon lekker spelen, zoals John Lee Hooker op de vorige plaat. En soms moet er geëxperimenteerd worden, nieuwe wegen ingeslagen, waarvan de muzikant zelf ook niet weet waar ze heen leiden. De jaren zeventig waren ook daar een vruchtbare periode voor. Niet alle experimenten waren even geslaagd, maar een jaar na dit album kwam Queen met het ook best experimentele nummer Bohemian Rhapsody, en we weten hoe het daar mee is afgelopen. Terug naar dit album. Ik vrees dat dit weer een van de doodlopende weggetjes is die de muziek is ingeslagen. Dissonanten, gemummel, piepjanknor-gedoe. Weer eentje voor het Internationaal Festival van de Lelijke Muziek, dit jaar een heel weekend lang in Zierikzee.

Psychedelisch en wazig. Dat zijn mijn eerste typeringen. En ik heb hier niet zo'n zin in vanmorgen, ik sta hier niet open voor. Ik zou het ergens nog een keer moeten proberen, maar het einde van de lijst wreekt zich en ik ben bang dat ik gewoon op 1 of 2 sterren ga drukken, zonder me er al te druk over te maken. En door! Ik lees nog even de wiki: blijkbaar is er een soort cultus om de man heen ontstaan van Wyatting, wat zoiets is als ongemakkelijke muziek opzetten. Later werd dat misschien vervangen door rickrollen. Dat vind ik dan weer geinige weetjes, maar het geeft ook aan dat dit dus ongemakkelijke muziek is om naar te luisteren. En ik hou niet van ongemakkelijke muziek over het algemeen.

I'd have to give this another listen but it was quite experimental and drone-y for my tastes. I don't particularly see the fuss but maybe a second listen in the right mood.

All good until Alife. One of the most annoying things I have ever heard. It basically went downhill from there. I'm giving it two stars because I like albums that are creative. This is definitely too creative for me.

Put it off for a while as he is a bit challenging. Didn't hate it but his voice is pretty annoying and couldn't latch on to anything.

Really strange, Lynchian at times, silly Beatlesesque other times 2.5

First 3 songs were decent. Lost me a bit with the gibberish. Was almost as if he was trying too hard to be “psychedelic”. On another day it could’ve got a 3.

Album #56: Rock Bottom - Robert Wyatt Genre (W): Art rock, Canterbury scene, progressive rock, psychedelic rock No singles. I have not listened to this album before. Thoughts: The music sounds nice but the lyrics make very little sense. I felt like sleeping listening to the album because it felt droning and boring. Favorite songs: A Last Straw

Songs were too long, and a just a lot of soft noise

I get that this is supposed to be a meditation on mortality and all -- but it's a hard listen. Not because of the emotional content, but rather because it's just so dissonant. Not my cup of tea.

Kicsit nehezen hallgatható

2/5. There are a lot of moments across this album that are almost super interesting/brilliant but then it just never fully delivers. As an example I love the idea of the more chaotic, jazzier passages of the album but in my opinion it doesn’t go far enough with them. And that’s really the whole album, a scattershot of interesting ideas that never get fully realized.

This was too out there for me. Did not enjoy.

I appreciate the different approach but did not enjoy this one

At first the music seemed quite jumbled and unorganised, it was hard for me to parse what was going on, but as it went on I understood it more and more. A lot of interesting sounds, sometimes mixed together in a way I wasn't a fan of. Highlight is Alifib.

I’m not sure a couple of listens are doing this one justice and i’m not sure I’m up for more. It’s very noodley. It is very poorly recorded. I don’t much like his voice. But the songs seem good.

This is #day571 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… time to cross out yet another name from the list, as this is my second and final Robert Wyatt record. Now, this kind of stuff is a little too much, even for my open-mindedness, especially when those vocals kick in. "Alife" was the one that caught my attention, though. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day572.

DNF

Left me feeling slightly annoyed

2.4 2x didn't love it, but nothing stands out as poor

i think i hated this

It was fine, but pretty unremarkable and unmemorable. I won't be returning to it.

Lots of weird sections, some parts that were really cool. My favorite parts were the instrumental sections - some of them brought to mind Radiohead and early post rock. Not really what I'd call enjoyable, but definitely interesting.

Very experimental and competently produced, which is respectable, but does it sound good? Not to me, honestly - aside from a few moments. Faves: Little Red Riding Hood Hit The Road

I don't know what I just listened to but that Alifib-Alfie is just trippy Jazz Wank. It's interesting, I'll give it that. What the hell was that German guy talking about? 2

Nah

4.7 Not something I would listen to on the regular and I’ll probably never listen to any of these songs again really. However, I do see why the music in this album is praised and appreciated because overall I think the sound of beautiful, just not really my thing Favorite Song: Alifib

No standouts

For me, this album was an interesting audio experiment. Sadly, the experiment failed.

Listening session: february 12th, while commuting to internship Listened to before: no Thoughts: oof this is not my cup of tea. Normally I can appreciate some more experimental music but this just sounds like music they use for ecstatic dancing Favourite track: Little Red Riding Hood Hit The Road

Robert Wyatt is in this list too much.

Rock Bottom was a bit of a difficult album for me to really enjoy. This album was made by Robert Wyatt so it makes sense that it's gonna be a bit crazy due to Wyatt's unique writing style but this one kinda goes overboard. This album wasn't super abrasive which is a big problem when it comes to albums that just throw everything they can at the wall and just hope that it will stick but the fact that the songs seem to lack proper structures makes them real hard to enjoy as songs. Maybe there is something that I'm just not getting with this album due to the fact that it's even on this list but regardless, this album isn't one that I'm willing to go back to. Best Song: Little Red Riding Hood Hit The Road Worst Song: Alife

wow i don't like his voice

Interesting album, felt very artsy. Didn’t hate it but didn’t love it. Honestly it felt kinda out there but Robert’s voice was nice

In some ways, this album sounds like nothing else. It meanders like jazz but has the song structures of something that vaguely resembles rock. Its lyrics are often impenetrable, with wordless vocalizations often taking over. It's repetitive in a kind of minimalist way, with parts not really repeating but circling around the same idea in different ways. It's bursting with creativity. It's also a bit of a chore to listen to. The free-form structures make it hard to latch onto anything, in part because all the unique stuff is so subtle. There are no hooks or really even repeated parts on this, just quiet horns and small jazzy flourishes here and there. It sounds really nice - everything is crisp and clear. But it defies anything but a close listen that focuses on every part of its world. I'm not surprised many enjoy exploring that world, but it's not for me.

An album with a moving backstory that I didn't enjoy listening to all that much.

Some of the instrumental elements were cool but his voice and the more experimental parts are so disruptive

Terrible. The songs weren’t memorable and the vocals were bad.

weird

So apparently I did something with my Spotify where this album played over and over like 3 times. While I did not think this was very good, after the last listen I thought the lyrics were pretty cool with Alifib and I even kinda dug the last Red Riding Hood song. Mushroom flashback? Maybe I'm going a little or a lot crazy? Combo of both, probably. Anyway, can't see myself revisiting this album, but it certainly was worth a few listens. Considering the story, I'll give a 2 to Mr. Wyatt. Way to persevere through some tough circumstances. 2

once again, the reviews here are a little worrying. even so, i want to give this an honest listen and review Sea Song - 4/5 A Last Straw - 3/5 Little Red Riding Hood Hit the Road - 4/5 Alifib - 2/5 Alifie - 1/5 Little Red Robin Hood Hit the Road - 3/5 Average score: 2.8/5 ⭐️⭐️ there were ideas here. not all of them were great in my opinion

I am slowly working my way through the lowest rated albums in this book. I did not enjoy Shleep because I like music and that was a shit album. Shleep does have a higher rating than Rock Bottom though. Can an artist really name a piece of art "Rock Bottom" and expect there to not be jokes or some sense of the listener thinking the title is a self-fulfilling prophecy? Robert Wyatt is a good musician and there are some things on here I could really listen to repeatedly and end up enjoying. The problem is he will ruin a song with bizarre spoken word riffs or what appears to be moaning. Sea Song is an excellent example of this. I want to give this album a higher score than I gave Shleep, because I did like it more, but a "3" means that I liked it and/or saw its place in the book justified. Neither statement is true. My favorite songs: Sea Song Little Red Riding Hood Hit the Road

Can appreciate the instrumentation and this album generally but it’s a little too experimental / prog for me (appreciate the background info I learned about robert Wyatt too)

This would have been a good album if it had been instrumental and cut the sax. As it was the saxophone was irritating and the vocals didn’t add much.

Oh my - NO

Someone who thought they can sing and their friends said they could- they can’t

jännää tunnelmaa ja erikoisia ratkaisuja. Taidelevy

Fav: little red riding hood hit the road. I was conflicted by this one bc I admired what he was trying to do but I could simply not get into it at all. Very disorienting listening experience honestly

Hmm?

That was bad.

I’m not quite sure what to make of this one. I have a soft spot for Robert Wyatt - he’s never knowingly ordinary. However, this album mostly washed over me; A Last Straw and Little Red Riding Hood Hit The Road were the most memorable moments, bringing jazz influence to bear and some experimental touches, and I couldn’t wait for “Little Red Robin Hood Hit the Road” to end, but other than that it was quirky but ultimately fairly unremarkable.

me gusta la musica lenta pero esto es dms lento

Wasn't expecting an album like this. I really liked the vibe, had a dream like quality to it. I don't think I would put it as a must listen but glad I didn.

Up its own butt. Too artsy for its own good. Tries to use a bunch of spicy and complex chords, but the singing is not precise enough to pull them off, so they just sound atonal. Songs are long and dragging and lacking true movement. I kept skipping ahead looking for things to gel to a purpose, but they just stayed the same. Contrast to things like "Close to the Edge" that starts dissonant and chaotic, but builds to a purpose and has movements. This is all just self involved.

A Last Straw might be the worst song I've heard on this list. The rest wasn't terrible. Not enough to warrant a 1, but very close. 2/5

My daughter referred to this as “sad stoner rock”. That’s a pretty accurate analysis. At first listen I had no ideas what was happening, no idea where it was going and not sure I should care. The song Little Red Riding Hood felt like the climax of a Radiohead song, but there was no conclusion nor intro. The jazz interludes were interesting but, again, just existed without transition. Even after reading the info, it made sense but I couldn’t find myself enjoying it any more. I think I discovered I am not an art rock guy.

Random thoughts: * I read about this album and learned it was by a guy who had recently become paraplegic. And Nick Mason from Pink Floyd was involved. I was pumped expecting something pretty cool. Boy was I disappointed. * It was such a downer of an album. Nothing caught my ear and I could do without this again. * I didn't actively hate it and made it through the album which is why it gets a 2. But I will never be choosing this one again. Skip.

Not a massive fan of prog rock. Sea Song was ok, but nothing else interested me.

Big fan of Pink Floyd and this album had some echoes of early Floyd, however I found some of the tracks on this album to be slow and weird and there was no enjoyable musical interlude. Also, I wasn't massively impressed by all of early Floyd.

Just like the other Robert Wyatt we did, I hated this. His voice is unbelievably irritating

Robert Wyatt made this album so that others wouldn't have to. I can get what he's doing but I didn't like it.

I'm sorry.

I think there might a been a good song in there somewhere, but the vocals made this a hard listen.

It wasnt bad, but it was chaotic and hard to listen to

I'm normally a big prog guy and I appreciate the difficulties that Mr. Wyatt was dealing with around this time with his accident and all. This just wasn't for me though. A bit too abstract.