Album of the Day

Shleep, by Robert Wyatt (1997): I bought yesterday's entry because of the extensive praise it got in the mainstream media. I picked this album up just because I heard about it on MTV, of all places! It was in some MTV News blurb about new CDs that were "off the beaten path" or some such. Which, of course, it it. At the time, I wasn't familiar with Wyatt's story, from his role in the early Canterbury scene to his paralysing fall from a hotel balcony and then to his subsequent solo career.

Now, years later, I've got a decent idea of what his music is like and I've become a big fan. I'd be lying if I said every bit of this album (or any others I've heard) is brilliant - some of it is just too odd to connect with me. Wyatt's vocal stylings take a while to get used to, but his unique delivery really adds a great deal of charm in most places. Abetted by folks like Phil Manzanerra and Brian Eno on this album, when it all comes together it's really excellent.

And here's a great live performance of my favorite track from this album: