Foolonthehill

Rock Bottom Robert Wyatt 1974 I bought this album on a whim a few months ago, and it surprised me by being a surreal, emotional masterpiece. Wyatt, formerly the drummer for Soft Machine, recorded this after becoming paralysed from the legs down when he fell from a third floor window at a party. While this ended his career as a drummer, and meant that he could no longer be a part of a touring band, it opened great new opportunities. Unable to drum, Wyatt could now focus all of his efforts on writing, singing and recording his own music. The album opens with a vibrant, shimmering keyboard, playing a meandering, melancholy line with minimal percussion, gliding across your ears and through your mind as if from a different world. This texture continues through the rest of the song, and throughout most of the rest of the album, keeping you in a entranced for it’s duration. Wyatt’s vocals enter soon after. His voice would not be conventionally called ‘good’, but I feel that it’s raw, exposed emotion is what gives this album it’s almost intrusively intimate quality. The lyrics are always surreal, and sometimes nonsensical, but throughout the album they carry a melancholy tone. Side One continues in the same mood; a highlight is the swirling, pounding loop on “Little Red Riding Hood Hit the Roadâ€, created from Mongezi Feza’s trumpet playing. It is these background textures which make Rock Bottom so unique. The album begins to head in a definite direction on the first track of Side Two, “Alifibâ€. It opens with a looped voice breathing the name “Alife†(referring to Alfreda Benge, Wyatt’s future wife). The aforementioned keyboards are again present, and Hugh Hopper provides a delicate bass solo before Wyatt’s voice enters, singing half real words and half not, one of the few coherent statements being “Alife my larderâ€. These nonsense lyrics are repeated in the next track, but with no emotion or even melody. The dry quality of these vocals is countered by dark, heavy organ drones, pounding piano and screeching interjections of saxophone. Tension builds through the song, culminating in a suddenly clear moment in which Benge herself declares that she is not, in fact, his larder. All the tension built throughout the first two tracks of Side Two is released in the album’s finale, “Little Red Robin Hood Hit the Roadâ€. Brief vocals from Wyatt give way to a soaring solo from Mike Oldfield, which in turns fades into a surreal, almost comical final statement. Ivor Cutler, in a thick Scottish accent, delivers a monologue, accompanied by his accordion and a viola played by Fred Frith. The two instruments give an open, resolved-feeling drone, finally realizing all of the emotions built up through the album. As the final note rings away, you are left with a feeling of contentment. Rock Bottom has had a major emotional impact on me in the time I’ve been listening to it. Wyatt laid bare all of the emotions in his life, and I have yet to hear a more intimate piece of music. My personal feelings aside, Rock Bottom is highly original, and features many of the greatest musicians of the time. While I would recommend it, I must warn that it is not an easy album to enjoy. It takes a lot of patience, and many of the sounds, while they build emotion, and not at all pleasing. That being said, I would encourage everyone here to give it a listen, preferably on a rainy day in a melancholy mood.

wow that is a good song I just listened to it and I was joking I don't care about people downloading stuff I just buy CDs because I like having something material I guess

ur a terrible person robbing artists

Did you leave them in Detroit?

Yeah, I'm gonna check that one out as soon as I can. Ah, the thrill of discovering music.

Which would be your favourite albums of theirs?

ok, there may already be a Modest Mouse thread, but I searched and couldn't find one, so here's a new one. I've just recently started to appreciate Modest Mouse. I've listened to "This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About" a few times in the past couple weeks, and it is an excellent album. I'd heard some Modest Mouse in past, but nothing really grabbed me until now. I've also listened to "Good News For People Who Love Bad News" and it's pretty good and really accessible, but it didn't really have an impact on me the way that Long Drive did. I'm going to have to check out some of their other stuff. Anyways, any other Modest Mouse fans here?

Or just download it illegally. This is one of those situations where I wouldn't feel bad about not paying for my music. If the band/record company is going to make it hard or impossible for me to buy their music, then I just won't pay them.

I've had way worse experiences with alcohol than with weed. I think people grow out of it because it's kind of an "immature" thing to do. Laughing, eating like a pig, the things you do while stoned wouldn't be considered very professional or adult-like. Of course, in some societies, it's considered perfectly legitimate for adults to smoke pot, typically in places like Tofino where lots of hippies live.

A very difficult question, sorry for asking it. My favourites would be: Atom Heart Mother Wish You Were Here Animals maybe Dark Side and Meddle too

I hate it when bands release stuff like this as part of a box set. If you like the band enough to want something this obscure, chances are you'll have their entire discography already so the rest of the box set is just a waste of money.

Welcome to Songfacts Harry! Your taste in music appears to be quite similar to mine as it was when I joined the forums. Which would be your favourite Floyd album, just out of curiosity?

hey, I like Halifax.

Fantasia- I hadn't seen it in a while. I'm glad I watched it again. I'll rate it by section: Nutcracker- Really entertaining, a lot better than just listening to it. The visuals add to the dance feel of it. Sorcerer's Apprentice- I liked it a lot, the animation aged well, still visually spectacular. Rite Of Spring- I like the piece a lot, but didn't find the animation satisfactory. The story wasn't all that interesting. Still enjoyable though because of the music. Pastoral Symphony- Another piece I love, and the animation which would be a little cheesy in any other circumstances worked pretty well here. Dance of the Hours- Didn't like this one at all. I don't like the piece, and the dancing african animals were just goofy. A Night On Bald Mountain/Ave Maria- This is definetly my favourite. I love both pieces, and the contrast between them made them even better. The animation was very artistic, and the morning colours in the Ave Maria were beautiful. The end was a little cheesy, a little to much swelling chorus in the sunset. Oh well. all in all a great film

what is this supposed to mean about Halifax? yeah twilight seems to be pretty big, but only amongst girls.

I don't find weed itself particularly enjoyable, it's just a great social thing. The reason unhappy kids "turn to drugs" in high school isn't for the drugs, it's more the people. Stoners tend to be friendly and accepting (except for the small portion that are ***holes that think they're gangsters). It has nothing to do with peer pressure, it's more that theres a lot of pressure coming from everyone but your stoner friends, so it's a break.

Happy Birthday Tim!

Happy Birthday Phil!

or the French music by Daft Punk.

just got back there weren't enough people there to justify a 12 joint joint, so we just smoked a couple bowls from a lemon I think I'm gonna stop smoking weed for a while though

I'm looking forward to 12-joint-joint night tonight. We're gonna roll a joint that's the size of 12 normal joints, smoke it, and watch zombie movies. I argued that we should watch Fantasia instead, though, I don't find giggling my ass off while baked that much fun anymore. And Fantasia is a kickass movie.

Let's do best frontmen/women some time not just best vocalist, but best personality.

yeah, my brother really likes that song, he plays it a lot. I have to say I really enjoy it. I like sappy romantic stuff like that.

Wow, I totally didn't know that Rick Astley had other songs.

Same here! excellent party music.