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  1. #1
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    Robert Wyatt's Cuckooland?

    Any reports on the new Robert Wyatt CD? I guess it's only been out a couple months now but it's his first full length since Shleep in 1997. I thought that one was a really nice collection and according to AMG this one seems to have pretty much the same cast of characters including Brian Eno, David Gilmour, Phil Manzanera, Paul Weller, and several others. Hadn't thought of him for quite awhile but lately I've been kind of stuck on listening to his 1974 classic Rock Bottom. Well, I think it's kind of a classic and AMG seems to think it's his best work too, beginning the review by saying that it "has been deservedly acclaimed as one of the finest art rock albums". But they also have a check mark next to the latest, Cuckooland, leading me to believe that I should have this new one high on my wishlist, which I don't yet. Amusingly, but not too unexpectedly, Rock Bottom only rates a 4.3 at Pitchfork, although it's not exactly clear why they chose to review something so old and outside their usual bounds - maybe because Thirsty Ear reissued it in 1998 along with his then new Shleep - but I think it would rate close to a 10 with many serious critics and music lovers :-)

    Any other big fans of Rock Bottom here? What a beautiful album. Only six songs spread out over a little under forty minutes, but it still seems to take nearly a month of days to absorb. Complex and highly emotional, yet full of breathing space. Almost perfect for this time of year, which I guess is why I've been playing it so much. Last year I was goofing around a little with my buddy from New Zealand and said I thought Astral Weeks was a great Christmas album because it seemed to fit in well with the season and is somewhat reflective of the Christmas spirit, at least in my mind, and I had been spinning the nice sounding vinyl over and over. And this year it seems to be that Rock Bottom has those same qualities for me. And it's kind of a jazzy, highly progressive album like Astral Weeks too. Not many albums you could point to that are like either. Of course their voices and vocal stylings aren't anything alike, and there aren't really many parallels in the music or writing style, Astral Weeks being a legendary whirlwind improvisation completed in a matter of days while Rock Bottom was worked out meticulously while Robert Wyatt lay in the hospital after his paralyzing fall. You would think Wyatt would be full of self-pity at the time, but it's more of a love album. Seeing the need to change his career goals and about to get married, it glows with optimism and maybe even joy. At other times it is both sad and funny.....and always quite strange, too :-)

  2. #2
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    Pretty pathetic when you have to reply to your own posts just to get some attention, eh?

    Hehehe, not really that bad . I just happened across the Uncut Magazine top 10 of 2003 and I guess they must have really liked the new Robert Wyatt CD since they have it at #5. I wouldn't mind hearing that Willard Grant Conspiracy either. Wonder if that is released here yet. I've heard some very nice things about the Josh Rouse as well. Anyone here have that one. Audiobill? I do have a copy of the Four Tet album and it would probably have been on my top ten if I had bought a real copy, or in the top 20 for sure, but haven't yet so disqualified it. Very nice CD, though.

    1. Warren Zevon: The Wind
    2. Emmylou Harris: Stumble Into Grace
    3. John Cale: HoboSapiens
    4. Willard Grant Conspiracy: Regard The End
    5. Robert Wyatt: Cuckooland
    6. Josh Rouse: 1972
    7. Hamell On Trial: Tough Love
    8. Four Tet: Rounds
    9. Paul Westerberg: Come Feel Me Tremble
    10. Tahiti 80: Wallpaper For The Soul

  3. #3
    Toon Robber tentoze's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Davey.
    Pretty pathetic when you have to reply to your own posts just to get some attention, eh?

    Hehehe, not really that bad . I just happened across the Uncut Magazine top 10 of 2003 and I guess they must have really liked the new Robert Wyatt CD since they have it at #5. I wouldn't mind hearing that Willard Grant Conspiracy either. Wonder if that is released here yet. I've heard some very nice things about the Josh Rouse as well. Anyone here have that one. Audiobill? I do have a copy of the Four Tet album and it would probably have been on my top ten if I had bought a real copy, or in the top 20 for sure, but haven't yet so disqualified it. Very nice CD, though.

    1. Warren Zevon: The Wind
    2. Emmylou Harris: Stumble Into Grace
    3. John Cale: HoboSapiens
    4. Willard Grant Conspiracy: Regard The End
    5. Robert Wyatt: Cuckooland
    6. Josh Rouse: 1972
    7. Hamell On Trial: Tough Love
    8. Four Tet: Rounds
    9. Paul Westerberg: Come Feel Me Tremble
    10. Tahiti 80: Wallpaper For The Soul
    I saw the Wyatt cd in the store on Saturday, but having NO idea who is or what he does, I didn't feel adventurous enough to try it. I'd definitely go for the Willard Grant if I ran across it. Also on my list is Singing Bones, the latest outing from Handsome Family-heard some very good things about it

    .
    ----Never Off Topic, Never Rude-----

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by tentoze
    I saw the Wyatt cd in the store on Saturday, but having NO idea who is or what he does, I didn't feel adventurous enough to try it.
    Whew, glad you passed cause you don't strike me as one that might go for Wyatt, but I'm not that good at judging what people may or may not like. The Rock Bottom album I talked about above is much artier than I imagine this new one is, with only 6 long songs. Probably along the lines of early Roxy Music mixed with that tell-tale Brian Eno fairy dust (sorry, I just remember reading that Eno description someplace and wanted to use it :-)) but with more of a free jazz feel. More jazz than avant garde, but still quite adventurous. Many layers of production and quirky stories with that ever-present wonderful, high pitched, fragile, cute, expressive, and loveable voice. The reviewer at the BBC says, "Listening to Cuckooland is akin to having a cup of tea with a very, very intelligent friend. It soothes as it pricks the conscience."

    I'll keep you posted and maybe put a sampler together in the not-too-distant future.

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