Robert Wyatt
b. 28 January 1945, Bristol, Avon, England. As the drummer, vocalist and guiding spirit of the original Soft Machine, Robert Wyatt established a style which merged the avant garde with English eccentricity. His first solo album, THE END OF AN EAR, presaged his departure from the above group, although its radical content resulted in a muted reception. Wyatt's next venture, the excellent Matching Mole, was bedevilled by internal dissent but a planned relaunch was forcibly abandoned following a tragic fall from a window, which left him paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. ROCK BOTTOM, the artist's next release, was composed while Wyatt lay in hospital. This heartfelt, deeply personal collection was marked by an aching vulnerability which successfully avoided any hint of self-pity. This exceptional album was succeeded by an unlikely hit single in the shape of an idiosyncratic reading of the Monkees hit, I'm A Believer. RUTH IS STRANGER THAN RICHARD, released in 1975, was a more open collection, and balanced original pieces with outside material, including a spirited reading of jazz bassist Charlie Haden's Song For Che. Although Wyatt, a committed Marxist, would make frequent guest appearances, his own career was shelved until 1980 when a single comprising of two South American songs of liberation became the first in a series of politically motivated releases undertaken for the Rough Trade label. These performances were subsequently compiled on NOTHING CAN STOP US, which was then enhanced by the addition of Shipbuilding, a haunting anti-Falkland War composition, specifically written for Wyatt by Elvis Costello which was a minor chart entry in 1983. Wyatt's fluctuating health has undermined his recording ambitions, but his commitment remains undiminished. He issued singles in aid of Namibia and the British Miners’ Hardship Fund, and contributed a compassionate soundtrack to the harrowing 1982 ANIMALS film. Wyatt's recent works OLD ROTTEN HAT and DONDESTAN are as compelling as the rest of his impressive work. It is remarkable that an artist like Wyatt can come to terms with the tragic events of his accident and carry on with considerable enthusiasm, hope and creativity.