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Radio Experiment Rome
February 1981
2009
Robert Wyatt
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DOWNTOWN MUSIC GALLERY - Newsletter
- July 31st, 2009
Radio Experiment Rome, February
1981 (Rai Trade 0014;
Italy)
Bruce Lee Gallanter
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Previously unreleased material made by Robert Wyatt (Soft
Machine) in the studio for an Italian radio program in 1981. Wyatt
himself described the experience as "a chance to expand ideas
to bring to life outside the music business, which is just one big
fashion industry..normally you have to obtain money for studio time
and aim at a particular recording for a particular product. So after
three days of testing, the eight-track started officially rolling
- piano, vocals, hi-hat, a jaw harp - laying down track after track,
until the Roman radio guys ended up with 45 minutes of music, including
pieces like "Born Again Cretin" (a song about Nelson Mandela),
"The Opium War", with garbled 'radio-like' vocals and
"Heathens Have No Souls", featuring a jaw harp.
"This is an extraordinary and completely unique work from our
main inspiration and reluctant hero, Robert Wyatt. Giving Mr. Wyatt
a week's worth of experimentation in a radio in Rome was a wonderful
idea and the results are fascinating and bizarre. "Opium War"
begins our journey with a transmission from another planet. Wyatt's
distinctive voice speak/sings his special words about the British
invasion of China. Words sped up, slowed down and mutated in layers
with jew's harp, skeletal percussion and enchanting minimal keyboards.
Mr. Wyatt has always used his voice(s) and weaved them in selective
layers to create a variety of characters. This is truly the way
a radio studio can be used for creative explorations and Wyatt does
his best to take us on a personal journey. Since Mr. Wyatt was given
time to prepare in the studio, he is able to craft exquisite and
mesmerizing voices, melodies and backing rhythms. There is something
immensely charming about the way Wyatt has created these silly/serious
songs, sometimes on-the-spot. I dig the way "L'Albero Degli
Zoccoli" sounds as if it flowing backwards for the first half
and it turns into a delightful wordless sort of ballad. On "Holy
War", Wyatt warbles "Anarchy in the UK" & "Onwards
Christian Soldiers" while swirling layers of other vocal lines,
each one adding another mystery to be revealed through time and
consideration. In many ways this disc is a long lost treasure that
bridges the gap between the seventies ('Rockbottom' & 'Ruth...')
and the eighties period of Robert Wyatt's sparse recording career.
Charlie Parker's theme song, "Billie's Bounce" gets a
short yet infectious reading and "Born Again Cretin" gets
a tantalizing, thoughtful version. For us Canterbury fans, this
is like manna from above, that is if you do believe in miracles,
this is one to savor."
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