Rock Bottom

The best thing I can say about this album is that it's only 33minutes long. The rest of it is just awful.

It a fan of this genre of music. Good musical talent but a bit erratic and disorganized.

No thank you

I was stoked I've never heard of this before. I usually get into odd stuff, but I really didn't like this at all. Sounds like a combination of Robert Dawson in a fever dream, new Brian Eno, and Teeth of the Sea songs being played over each other. Not the interesting discordance I would have liked, this is a cacophonous mess.

Couldn't stand the voice. Didn't manage to get through the second song

Like a Bowie impersonator singing over Radiohead impressions. I had a headache before I started listening, and without an inch of hyperbole, it got worse over the course of the album. Objectively speaking, it's probably not actually a 1 in terms of quality, but I just really disliked it. 21/12/23

Awful. Just awful. No extra credit for having a self-inflicted injury.

One of those albums that’s on here for a laugh. I like those ones occasionally. Like a mate slipping you a CD and saying “You need to hear this” “Oh, is it good?” “No, but it’s f_____g mad.”

No thanks.

Possibly the single worst album I've ever listened to.

Oof. These vocals are tough to listen to. They’re high-pitched, grating and frequently off key. The music occasionally has some interesting stuff going on but the it’s hard to get past the singing. And anyway, the music doesn’t particularly call to me either. It’s got a queasy feeling to it. I get the impression that this is exactly the way Robert Wyatt wants the music to sound but man, I’m really not into it. I’m enjoying these horns on “Little Red Riding Hood Hit the Road.” This is a cool song. I don’t totally love it (again, the vocals) but it has a certain power. Some interesting music in the second half, including experimental free jazz on a few songs. It mostly feels like a backdrop though. And usually what's going on in the foreground (like the German-accented vocals at the end of the last track) isn't something I'm interested in.

Hadn't heard of this guy or this album... and as I listened to it, I thought... what the f@@k is this sh!t£????? Who the hell needs to listen to this??? I mean seriously??? This is bonkers nuts rubbish.. no sane person ever needed to hear this!!!

It’s like this dude heard Pink Floyd and said “what if I just kept the annoying shitty parts?”

What kinda junk is this?

Bad

Ah huh ah huh huh ah aha ah huh huh ahhhhhhhh huh ahhh huh!!- Real lyrics from “Sea Song”. Wap wap wap wap wap wap wap wapwapwap!!!- Real lyrics from “A Last Straw”. Two minutes of straight trumpet from “Little Red Riding Hood Hit The Road”. Uhhh uhh uhhh uhhhh. Uhhh uhh uh Uhhh Uhhhh uhh uhhh uhhhh. Fully bologna. Real lyrics from “Alifib” Bro, is he choking a goose in this song? Wth. Then it got even weirder. “I wanted I wanted I wanted, give it to me. Yum Yum Ha Ha Ha Ha. I’m so confused. 1/10

Another solo artist that simply wasn’t good. Long annoying songs. This dude into the mic: “wah wah wah wah” and someone goes “get this man a record deal!”. No idea how people listen to this and call it good music. Strange voice that sounds like his vocal cords are 1/3 the size of a normal person’s. Melodies are bizarre. The album is well titled though because I did feel I hit rock bottom listening to this. That was awful. 1/10

Holy shit what is this? Out of tune singing coupled with out of tune instruments. ‘Sea Song’ has a piano solo that just sounds like someone slamming their dick on the keys. Then it has a vocalization solo that sounds like he is getting slammed in his dick. This guy sings like he is making up the lyrics on the spot. This album is like a make a wish foundation child with no musical talent wished to make an album but the kid is a grown British man. The best part of the album is when Robert Wyatt is quiet which he rarely is. Alifib or Anus Licking is for interesting bitches is just a dude sounding like he’s getting pegged with noises in the background. This album made me wish I was deaf. 1/10 This is the worst album I have reviewed so far.

Rock bottom is an accurate title for this album. Did not enjoy this record at all. Wyatt's lyrics are thin and hard to listen to, instrumentals are all over the place, and the record is an incoherent mess. Maybe someone's cup of tea, but definitely not mine.

Maybe I’m missing something, but I really don’t understand the appeal of this album. I didn’t find it pleasant to listen to at all. Kind of harrowing, and not in a good way. I decided to look it up to see what the story was, and it turns out that Robert Wyatt fell from a window at a party and became paraplegic while making it. I thought that may explain why it feels so dark, but it turns out he’s started writing it before the accident.

The bottom line for me, is it simply did not sound good to me. Was a tough listen but I listened to the whole thing. Not really sure what the point was…maybe some kind of counter culture art? I’m not at all opposed to unique sounds, creative albums but this was way over my head I guess. I’m glad I know it exists in the world but never again will I subject myself to that.

Yuck

Mon 2ème de lui. Très déçu j'ai pas aimé du tout. Chansons longues instrumentales plates pour moi.

Holy hell, that was awful!

Weird

This might the first album I’ve got that I’ve genuinely disliked

Bloody awful. Glad it was recuperative for him, but it’s painful for the rest of us. This sounds like someone was just experimenting with a synthesizer to see what would happen, rather than actually composing music.

Sorry you lost your legs

Laughably terrible. Seriously, I was laughing out loud about how terrible every song was.

Respectfully, fuck off with this shit.

Wie heeft dit op deze lijst gezet? Dit is toch gewoon niet om aan te horen?

Wat een gewauwel! De titel doet zijn naam eer aan.

Ik denk dat dit een geheim experiment is van de Amerikaanse overheid. Dat ze op Guantanamo Bay de gevangenen dagen achtereen naar deze kutzooi laten luisteren om ze volledig te breken. Ik ben na anderhalf nummer al gebroken, dus dat geeft wel aan wat een krachtig wapen ze met Robert Wyatt in handen hebben!

Weer hij. Laat het stoppen!

2nd August 2023. Caught up late cos busy with London and too many podcasts. I try to understand what people like about albums like this. Jazz, prog, folk, it’s just a mess. No.

1.5. Like this dude, but not into the album.

Not really my style, will not be listening to this again.

Highlights: Alifib Leave Em's: Little Red Riding Hood Hit The Road, Alife Overall Thoughts: This album sounds like the result of putting an old man, unfamiliar with music, on vocals and a young child with ADD on production, together in a room and asking them to make an album. The vocals are not strong and oftentimes do not match what is happening with the instrumentation. I wonder how some albums like this make their way onto this list... I did not find much redeeming in this album at all and came away from it feeling like I wasted my time. Score Breakdown: 1.517 & 1 -> 1.259

Vaikea uskoa, että aloin kaipaamaan kahden ekan biisin nauruja. Mutta älä minusta välitä. Väristele vain menemään.

I couldn't get into this. It sounds like he's singing out of tune, or backwards or some weird shit. Experimental and trance-like is how spotify describes it. It's just noise to me.

In my top 5 of hate.

The title says it all tbf. Some dogshit this 👍🏾

Absolute shite.

I listened to this once, read some of the reviews on the site and they said it improves with a second listen, so listened to it again just in case. I did learn to appreciate the bits where he isn't doing an accent a bit more, but other than that did not take much away from the second listen. It's psychedelic, and there are a couple of cool instrumental bits, but he really can't sing very well, the lyrics are more miss than hit, and it's quite a painful listen in places. 1/5.

Ei lähteny ollenkaan

Rock Bottom is right

Every once in a while you come across an album so bad it makes you question why you're even doing this 1001 list. But then you realize that the album is pretty short and can give it a terrible rating and move onto the next one, which is great. Swing and a miss by Wyatt - bad singing and instrumentals all over the place. And the songs aren't even songs, they're just random sounds. 2/10.

Little too out there for me

In prog rock, as in many things in life, you experience hits and misses. This is a definite miss.

Name says it all.

Not for me this. Just couldn’t enjoy it at all

Really just not for me. Can’t think of much I enjoyed.

Looks like... maybe folky stuff? Album art is a pencil drawing, doesn't give much away. I'm guessing singer-songwriter stuff without a full band? Let's find out. Most likely from the UK, lol. Ok yep it's folky, mixed with maybe prog-ish ideas as well and fucking hell this is VERY English. Another outsider art-esque affair by the sounds of things. And by "outsider art-esque" I mean it's laughably bad. Zero talent in the songwriting, singing is horrendous. Half the lyrics are backwards? Like he recorded it backwards then reversed it again? Maybe the music as well? I'd love to know the rationale behind greenlighting these sorts of projects. SOMEONE is having a laugh at Robert Wyatt's expense here, although I guess joke's on them because one IDIOT named Robert Dimery didn't realise and thought it should be immortalised in his stupid book lol. But no, there is nothing of any interest or worth here. 1/5.

No. Lots of musicians doing their own thing. Discordantly.

I don't like this...

Genres: Art rock, canterbury scene, progressive rock, psychedelic rock Formed: (Solo) 1974 Run time: 6 songs, 39 min, 33 sec There is only six songs, but they are all over 5minutes in length. Track 1 “Sea Song” is about a mermaid. The lyrics are ‘out there’! “Partly fish, partly porpoise”, and “Your madness fits in nicely with my own”. There is at least 2 minutes of nonsense noises at the end of the track. Track 2 “A Last Straw” talks about seaweed and “Your rocky bottom”. Another ‘out there’ song with lyrics like “We’ll not grow fat inside The mammary gland”. There’s a minute of nonsense in the middle. Track 3 “Little Red Riding Hood Hit The Road” starts with almost 3 minutes of instrumental and then continues with lyrics that are utter nonsensical drivel. Track 4 “Alifib”. The lyrics can only be described as utter rubbish. “Burleybunch the water mole”, “Hellyplop and fingerhole”. Track 5 “Alife” follows the previous track with no gap. More of the same… “Nit nit folly bololy” and so on. Much of the lyrical content is almost inaudible. Probably for the best. Track 6 “Little Red Riding Hood Hit The Road”. Same title as track 3 but a different song. I can’t imagine how strong the marijuana and mushrooms must have been to create this album. I don’t normally give negative reviews, instead I opt to say nothing, but this was forty minutes of my life wasted! Thank God there are no more tracks. My Rating: *

What?! No. Absolutely not. Next!

i felt bad about giving this one star, i wanted to save that for the truly egregious, and this record has a story of artistic integrity associated with it. however there is not one good moment in this album - even ivor cutlor couldnt save the day. this record reminded me that actually im quite a happy person. im fucking r a d i a n t cheer. im 400x more happy listening to loveless in the pissing rain than listening to this tedious jibberish anyway this record sucks and blows

Vietnam war album

Quite annoying

Just really not my jam. Interesting for sure, and unlike anything I've listened to, but not my jam.

Hopes were up because of Nick Mason. Then they plummeted to Rock Bottom. When you consider Dark Side of the Moon was the same year, this, for "prog" was awful.

I don’t think a lot of those words were even real

Rock bottom seems about right. What absolute garbage. Half a point given for being brief. The "wah-wah-wahs" in A Last Straw were a moment for sure but unfortunately NOT the last straw in terms of pap. This was painful.

Borderline unlistenable

Didn't think this album would ever end.

Boo

Granted, it's interesting but not really my taste...

Shite Awful vocals, dismay tune Only the 2nd album I couldn't even listen to the end

This sucks.

mmmmmm

Unlistenable. Not a melody to be heard. Just, noise?

What the actual fuck did I just listen to? Robert Wyatt was the drummer of the band Soft Machine before branching off on his own. This is his second studio album, and this one was produced by Pink Floyd's drummer, Nick Mason. Need I say more? This album is super out there. Psychadelic folk maybe? I don't know what to call it. An unfortunate accident befell Wyatt in the middle of recording this record, leaving him paralyzed, which sucks, but my fuck this album still blows. Most of the album has no discernable beat to it at all. Someone just sat behind a piano and played random notes shittily while the bass player fell asleep and waves of God awful theramin screeching and synth garbage are layered overtop. Wyatt couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, and the lyrics are mostly nonsensical (especially in the song Alifib and Alife which isn't English, or any discernable language. It seems like he is singing backwards while brass instruments are abused in the background). The flute playing on Little Red Riding Hood Hit The Road was terrible. The violin in Little Red Robin Hood Hits the Road sounds like something an unskilled 6 year old would play if given free range to wail on the instrument with no instruction. This album was garbage from start to finish. Painful to listen to really. Why the fuck is this on this list? Favourite song: Sea Song (if I had to pick one. In reality the whole album is trash) Least favourite songs: Alifib, Alife, A Last Straw, Little Red Riding Hood Hits The Road, Little Red Robin Hood Hits The Road 1/5

Ooops, it was awhile ago since I listened to this. However, I think I remember it being pretty bad. Maybe I'm mistaken, but I think this wasn't great

Started at a 2 for me and went downhill. Produced by Nick Mason and the psychedelic influence is definitely seen. Not a fan of this one as a whole.

It was hot garbage and not for me. One songs lyrics are wa wa wa wa over and over and over.

WTAF is this? WHY is this? Who was this made for, other than the artist himself? The answers to these questions are irrelevant. This album is genuinely unlistenable, and the only list it truly belongs on is "1001 Albums That Make You Wish You Were Dead." I couldn't even make it through an entire song; the best I could manage was a skim of the album. It is my fervent hope that I can purge this abomination from my memory banks and never waste another millisecond thinking about it. Life's too short to waste on terrible music.

The guy can't sing

Not my bag.

un peu horrible

Holy shit this was bad. I feel like I am at rock bottom after listening to this.

Absolutely awful.

Weird. I’m learning from this project that I really hate art rock. The scratchy and out of tune vocals make it even worse. I feel bad because the guy had just had a bad accident that left him paralyzed but maybe he should’ve done a bit more reflecting and recovering before penning this atrocity. Just because he was paralyzed doesn’t mean he’s excused for inflicting this album upon the world. Couldn’t finish.

drab 1.5

Well, the title is certainly fitting. Listening to this truly feels like being in rock bottom.

I can't do this stuff. Maybe if I was on acid...

1.5

This is one where I just go really? Really? There wasn’t another album out there more influential or, just better? Hard to believe. It makes me look back at some other 1s I’ve given and realize they should’ve been 2s.

Interring.

This album is really bad. This might be the first one star review I have given.

Man, after reading what happened to the guy, I really wanted to be able to give this a good rating but this... it's unlistenable at times. He's completely off-key. There are certain notes he can't hit but goes for anyways. It sounds like every instrument was assigned to play a different song during some parts, and during other parts it sounds like he hired people who didn't know how to play the instruments. I can appreciate the weirdness even if I don't like it, but a lot of this is just dreadful to listen to.

Robert Wyatt has two albums on the list, more than 20 years apart, and third with Soft Machine before his solo career. And they all stink. But “Rock Bottom” most of all. I thought it was fitting that this seems to be rock bottom of his music career, but then I read that he recorded this after a fall that left him paraplegic and wheelchair-bound. So it may have been rock bottom in his life, but with apologies, it was also for his music. I don’t know why this was critically acclaimed, but it was awful and I did not need to hear this.

I almost gave it an extra star for only making me listen to it for six songs

This album is the antithesis of synergy. The sum is most definitely much worse than the parts. Sea Song is very difficult to listen to. That non-word, moaning part at the end is the fingernails on a chalkboard to my ears. Yikes! I had to skip the last minute. I hate the squeaky noises in Alife. I could write more but I don’t want to listen again to pinpoint my comments. This is an album where I think being a professional critic is a bunch of bullshit because this album was overwhelmingly well received.

Awful.

This album is unlistenable garbage.

It really was Rock Bottom ! 1*

Its not often I give a one-star and this may not have be worthy of a one but it wasn't good. The music was OKish but the singing....

The cover art is washed out and hard to see or make sense of. Maybe having the physical album would help, but it turns out my impression of the art is perfect for the album which is also faint and weird and hard to get enough of a fix on to even decide if it is interesting or just self indulgent. Yeah, just got to Alife, and I'm afraid Robert Wyatt has worn out his welcome. Not for me. But then I don't like Radiohead either. I did look up the Tears for Fears cover of Sea Song and found it a bit more accessible. After that I was thinking maybe two stars and went back and listened to the album again and halfway through decided no, no second star, I just don't like it.

16qt

Rock Bottom is aptly named and decidedly feels like it belongs there.

What the actual??? I don’t know what the artist was on when they recorded this and I don’t know what I would have to be on to enjoy this. No, just no.

Did not enjoy. Somewhat odd.

Not really a fan. Musically I could probably enjoy it, but I do not like the vocals.

I like something distinctive, unique, original...weird, even. But not this, not today. No. Sorry.

Probably a reasons I've never heard of this

I tried but the last straw was the 2nd track on the album and I just couldn't continue...

Did not vibe with it

This was experimental, but not in a way that I enjoy.

Weird, not my type of music

I guess “art rock” means a total lack of anything resembling some kind of song structure, you know like a verse or chorus or even an enjoyable melody. I struggled to get through this

I don't know what that was.

Tragic story about the musician, but I didn't enjoy the music.

What in the God's name was that'

Rock bottom, scratchy sax on a jazz soundscape. Urrgh.

I get that Wyatt had just suffered a major accident in life, and he was still able to continue composing and playing music. It is impressive. Unfortunately, this experimental rock is a failed experiment.

Not my style

Nope.

Not familiar with Robert except by name. Even Soft Machine, his band I am familiar with by name and reputation only. Album has 6 long songs, or are they movements or suites. I'll take them one bu one. 1st song; did not like it closer to free jazz than rock, not my cup of tea. 2nd song a little more modal in nature, enjoyed this one more. 3rd song, reminds me a little bit of Miles Davis in a Silent Way. Like this one still more. Closer to a rock sound but still more jazz than anything (not that there's anything wrong with that) 4th song; just kinda weird ...annoying organ sounds, jazzy guitar weird percussive, metronomic breathing sounds and fragile singing add up to a strange listening experience 5th song; more weirdness...a continuation of the previous song. I do like the percussion and the sax in this one. Actually much better than the previous song and perhaps my 2nd favorite so far 6th song; and the last one more of the same anti rock & roll. Just not music for my tastes 1 🌟

Did not enjoy. In some areas it sounded like a film score without a film, but not in a good way.

What the hell did I just listen to? Good for this dude for getting his stuff out on record. This shit is weird.

Wank. 3.4/10

Disco rarísimo. Demasiado experimental para mí. Sonidos ambientales mezclados algunos de manera extraña, otros no. No es un álbum que le daría una segunda oportunidad.

Maybe I missed the point but this was self indulgent, boring, hard to listen to tripe

Slow, glacial paced art rock. Best Tracks: Sea Song, A Last Straw, Alifib

No thanks, this is utter cack

Bit weird.

Too painful. I don’t think it was done fir art. I think he’s just shit and taking the piss out of everyone

Reallllly long songs that use the same elements over and over again. Too monotonous in my view.

trying to be experimental doesnt make you experimental

Definitely not my cup of tea.

noise

1974. Key Songs: Sea Song?

oof.

Oof. I just didn't get it at all. I rarely give out 1-star ratings because I usually find some redeeming quality, or at least one song I kind of like. But not this one. There's not one song I ever want to hear again. Not one minute of one song. This album wasn't meant for me at all. Even knowing the context of the album (it was made right after he was paralyzed after falling 4 stories); didn't help at all.