September 18, 2008
Robert Wyatt
may be one of those musicians whose music almost requires a “personal” relationship between artist and listener–the more we read about him, the more we listen to one work in the context of another work, the deeper the history we have with him, the more we admire him. Sheila would agree with me, I think, in often admiring Wyatt himself more than his music, though we both adore some of his music. Take a listen to “A Beautiful Peace” from Comicopera (2007) and see what you think. If you like ambient/experimental, try “Pastafari” from the same record.
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Indeed. Sheila agrees.
And she still thinks it is cool that you recall it was she who urged you to buy Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard way back when. Even though she doesn’t recall anything about it.
Correction: Cooper says it was Rock Bottom I encouraged him to buy. That’s good to learn, as Rock Bottom is better.
The vocal work on Rock Bottom — Wyatt’s, Benge’s, and Cutler’s — is marvelous indeed. And the lyrics, often written in a kind of invented pidgin-English, are also a marvel. This record was my opening into Ivor Cutler, whom I can’t remember having heard of before.
What are other artists like that? I nominate David Byrne, as well as Bill Callahan.