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January 28, 2006
Happy Birthday Robert Wyatt
I confess that I was a latecomer to the astonishing genius that is ROBERT WYATT. Today is his 61st birthday.
He began as singer and drummer in the 60s band Soft Machine. He broke his spine and was paralyzed at 28 due to a drunken fall from a window, and since then has just made solo records. If you don't know his music, I highly recommend--it's strange and gentle and meticulous, mellowed psychedelia with elements of jazz, and he's obviously an eccentric perfectionist in the way of folks like Scott Walker or Kate Bush or Mark Hollis. And his voice is like nobody else's. His albums Rock Bottom and Dondestan are probably my favorites. He's had huge hits in the UK (ie "Shipbuilding") but unfortunately over here he's been generally ignored.
Posted by scottheim at January 28, 2006 11:00 AM
Comments
One of my friends was just remarking that she wished Robert Wyatt and Ivor Cutler would adopt her. I don't know how practical an ambition that would be, in reality; but I could certainly empathize.
"Heaps of Sheeps" is one of my favorite tracks of his. It makes me want to dance around all little-kid-like.
Posted by: Amanda at January 29, 2006 12:04 PM
His stuff reminds me of Ivor Cutler's style, and a couple of his tracks remind me of Professor Stanley Unwin's "Unwinese" language. Great stuff!
Posted by: Mike Peterson at January 28, 2006 03:25 PM
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