Reviewed by Eric Saeger
One scrap of unkillable rock n roll wreckage you may not be familiar with is Robert Wyatt, who fronted 60s/70s band Soft Machine from behind the drum kit before he summarily quit to immerse himself in other oddball projects in between permanently losing the use of his legs. He’s legendary stuff in some circles, and a relationship with Domino Records that began in 2007 with a solo LP continues here in this collaboration with saxplayer/board-wiz Gilad Atzmon and violinist Ros Stephen. The instrumental core support for Wyatt’s lispy Tom-Waits-vs-Boris-Karloff warble is string quartet with lonely midnight-sax passages, so in general there’s a 1930s Hollywood soundtrack feel to it that deviates only once into Arab-accented grime (Where Are They Now, with feat. credits to Stormtrap and Shadia Mansour) and finally exits on a particularly ironic What a Wonderful World. It isn’t at all unsuccessful, not that I could tell you for the life of me what kind of audience would be genuinely enthralled by it.
Grade: B
Editor adds: Some vintage Wyatt, because they’re two of the most gorgeous songs I know:
[“When you’re drunk, you’re terrific…”]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAQMO8wpAvo
