ROBERT WYATT  MINT VINYL  'ROCK BOTTOM'  A CANTERBURY PROG ART-ROCK CLASSIC!
Rock Bottom Review   

by Jim Powers

All Music.com

Rock Bottom, recorded with a star-studded cast of Canterbury Prog musicians, has been deservedly acclaimed as one of the finest art rock albums. Several forces surrounding Wyatt's life helped shape its outcome. First, it was recorded after the former  drummer and singer fell out of a five-story window and broke his spine. Legend had it that the album was a chronicle of his stay in the hospital. Wyatt dispels this notion in the liner notes of the 1997 Thirsty Ear reissue of the album, as well as the book Wrong Movements: A Robert Wyatt History. Much of the material was composed prior to his accident in anticipation of rehearsals of a new lineup of . The writing was completed in the hospital, where Wyatt realized that he would now need to sing more, since he could no longer solely be the drummer. Many of Rock Bottom's songs are very personal and introspective love songs, since he would soon marry . Benge suggested to Wyatt that his music was too cluttered and needed more open spaces. Therefore, Robert Wyatt not only ploughed new ground in songwriting territory, but he presented the songs differently, taking time to allow songs like "Sea Song" and "Alifib" to develop slowly. Previous attempts at love songs, like "O Caroline," while earnest and wistful, were very literal and lyrically clumsy. Rock Bottom was Robert Wyatt's most focused and relaxed album up to its time of release. In 1974, it won the French Grand Prix Charles Cros Record of the Year Award. It is also considered an essential record in any comprehensive collection of psychedelic or progressive rock.

 – Rock Bottom Label: – VR 13-112Format: , LP, Album, Presswell Pressing Country:Released:Genre:Style:, , ,  Tracklist Hide Credits A1Sea Song Bass Guitar –  Voice, Keyboards, Percussion [James' Drum] –  Bass Guitar –  Voice, Keyboards, Percussion [James' Drum] –  6:30A2A Last Straw Bass Guitar –  Drums –  Voice, Keyboards, Guitar, Percussion [Delfina's Wineglass] –  Bass Guitar –  Drums –  Voice, Keyboards, Guitar, Percussion [Delfina's Wineglass] –  5:44A3Little Red Riding Hood Hit The Road Bass Guitar –  Trumpet –  Voice –  Voice, Keyboards, Percussion [James' Drum, Delfina's Tray And A Small Battery] –  Bass Guitar –  Trumpet –  Voice –  Voice, Keyboards, Percussion [James' Drum, Delfina's Tray And A Small Battery] –  7:40B1Alifib Bass Guitar –  Voice, Keyboards –  Bass Guitar –  Voice, Keyboards –  6:55B2Alife Bass Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone –  Bass Guitar –  Voice –  Voice, Keyboards, Percussion [James' Drum] –  Bass Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone –  Bass Guitar –  Voice –  Voice, Keyboards, Percussion [James' Drum] –  6:17B3Little Red Robin Hood Hit The Road Bass Guitar –  Drums –  Guitar –  Viola –  Voice –  Voice, Keyboards –  Bass Guitar –  Drums –  Guitar –  Viola –  Voice –  Voice, Keyboards –  6:19 Companies, etc. Record Company –  Record Company –  Distributed By –  Mastered At –  Phonographic Copyright ℗ –  Copyright © –  Published By –  Recorded At –  Recorded At –  Recorded At –  Recorded By –  Pressed By –  Credits Cover –  Engineer [CBS Studios, Assistant] –  Engineer [CBS Studios] – * Engineer [Manor] –  Producer –  Songwriter [Songs By] –  Notes Presswell pressing.

Label variation with "DIST. BY ATLANTIC RECORDING CORP., 75 ROCKEFELLER PLAZA, N.Y., N.Y." on bottom of label.

Distributed by Atlantic Recording Corporation, 75 Rockfeller Plaza, New York, New York 10019.
A Warner Communications company.

℗ © 1974 Virgin Records Ltd. Barcode and Other Identifiers Matrix / Runout (Runout, side A): ST-VR-743237-A AT PR Matrix / Runout (Runout, side B): ST-VR-743238-A AT PR Matrix / Runout (Label, side A): ST-VR-743237-PR Matrix / Runout (Label, side B): ST-VR-743238-PR Rights Society: ASCAP