As for his songs, they can be skewed, sure; sometimes eccentric. But to me, they make more sense than most things happening in the world today.
More and more, Robert Wyatt seems to me to be the voice of reason. Wise songs for crazy times. It’s no wonder that I, like countless others, have been inspired and uplifted by them for so long and am forever grateful.
Thursdays at Libero Pensiero in Lecco are reserved for jazz, or at least music related to it.
A wonderful opportunity to hear the duo Hobo, Massimo Giuntoli on vocals and keyboards and Eloisa Manera on violin and vocals, perform the complete re-release of Rock Bottom, Robert Wyatt’s landmark album from 1974. Music that hasn’t lost an ounce of its visionary quality, an unmistakable and inimitable voice, a diverse yet cohesive group of musicians who have crafted an album that is a manifesto of a unique sensibility between rock and jazz.
The lineup included some of the finest musicians on the British music scene at the time: Richard Sinclair and Hugh Hopper alternated on bass, former Gong member Laurie Allan played drums on two tracks, Ivor Cutler’s haunting and ironic voice appeared on two songs, one of which was counterpointed by the trumpet virtuoso Mongezi Feza, Benge sang on “Alife” with support from Gary Windo on clarinet, and the final track featured Mike Oldfield on guitar and Fred Frith on viola.
The bizarre and imaginative cover designs were created by Benge, who would also design all of Wyatt’s subsequent album covers.
Rock Bottom was released by Virgin Records on July 26, 1974, the same day Robert married Alfreda.
The following September, the album was promoted at London’s Drury Lane Theatre with a major concert featuring some of the best members of the Canterbury scene.
At Alfreda’s suggestion, who found Wyatt’s previous work too dense, he opted for a calmer, more inspired sound, with frequent spaces between long notes that showcased his vocal qualities.
Unlike in Matching Mole and Soft Machine, where he played drums and sang simultaneously, his physical condition forced him to record the instruments and his voice separately, allowing him to concentrate more effectively on the latter.
The search for a new vocal form is also evident in the use of several words he invented (for example, “No nit not, nit no not, nit nit folly bololey” and “Trip trip pip pippy pippy pip pip landerim”), for which he cannot attribute a literary meaning but has emphasized their emotional and artistic importance.
Most of the tracks are the artist’s soul-searching and love songs dedicated to Benge, who inspired the lyrics with her own poetry, but is not cited among the authors due to her penchant for remaining in the shadows.
The album breaks away from the experimental fusion that characterized the second album, Matching Mole, to immerse itself in an introspective mood that blends the sweet atmospheres of Moon in June and O Caroline with the pataphysical madness of Las Vegas Tango.
The Dadaism of his previous works is toned down here, and the calm that distinguishes the work offers listeners a new Wyatt: resigned, mature, wise, and sweet at the same time.
Obviously, the Hobo duo’s revival couldn’t help but be minimalist, both in instrumentation and approach to the musical material. But, while preserving the inimitable uniqueness of Wyatt’s voice, the formula works thanks to an open and respectful approach, where the themes are revisited in their unmistakable guise, but then reworked and reinterpreted with poise and authority by the two instrumentalists.
The only songs not from the Rock Bottom album are the opening track “O Caroline,” “Mass Medium,” and the encore “P.L.A.”—both from Old Rottenhat—cap an hour and a little over an evening marked, for us, not so young, by pleasant memories, sweet melancholy, and great introspective power.
As well as great and enduring music.
