Jazz Archives

By the end of the 90's, Wyatt had left rough Trade to join 60's legend Joe Boyd's label Hannibal records and this was good news for Wyatt, as he would produce some much more inventive records than OR or Dondestan. Recorded in Manzanera's studios with a batch of usual suspects, a few unknown newcomers, plus some surprising appearances such as Belgian JR/F guitarist Philip Catherine and The Jam's Paul Weller. With an Alfie booklet illustration throughout, the Sleep happens to be a delightful walk through the event of Wyatt's life at that moment.
And to say that Shleep had not started well, beginning with the album's weakest song, a Gabriel-esque tune, where Eno adds pop touches not really fitting Robert's personae. Much Wyatt-er is Duchess, filled with gurgling/bubbling/seesawing noises (courtesy of Eno), with Parker's (not Bird, you wisearse) difficult sax and Robert's unsettling piano. The album really starts with the mesmerizing Maryan, a superb Catherine-Wyatt composition, where Wyatt gives a Spanish twist with his trumpet, while Sato's violin is jerking tears from you. Emotions ala Rock Bottom; and it's not about to change with the poignant Was A Friend (Hopper co-writes with Robert). Past the strange intro, Wyatt's voice directly takes you to lands abandoned over two decades ago, with Robert playing all instruments. Last Straw is just around the bend, here!!! Awesome. The power of evocation is overwhelming, as you cannot help but thinking of RB in the lengthy sustained finale...The following Free Will & Testament didn't stand a chance matching the predecessor's dramatic greatness, but Paul Weller pulls a good Gilmour-ian guitar, while Wyatt contributes piano, organ and emotions.
Sept 9th is a mostly instrumental song with the returning Whitehead (remember RISTR?) and Parker adding dramatic horns to an already emotion-filled track. Again we are nearing the sublime of RB, with Whitehead's trombone wracking your guts out. Alien is again striking n the same area of your brains, Manzanera pulling a superb guitar solo over impeccable percussions and Merchan's fabulous bass. Wyatt's emotional voice again reminds of the poignant album resulting of that accident that put him a quarter a century ago in a wheelchair. The short Out Of Season has rob doing the whole instruments, except for Whitehead's trombone drones and is again aiming directly into your soul. Based on an Alfie visit to her parents in Spain, Sunday In Madrid has some stunning moments, with Eno's quiet synth underlines giving some excellent background tension (a bit reminiscent of Van Morroson's St Dominic's Preview), while Wyatt's constant wordy vocals is amazing. But nothing compared with his rap (that's right Robert raps superbly!!!!!) in the awesome Blues In Bob Minor. With Weller pulling some splendid guitar lines, if progheads ever had a problem with rap, BIBM might just be the key to open that door. A phenomenal bet successfully achieved, the album can only lets itself die out with the short Weller-penned instrumental Whole Point Of No Return, a dreamy drone where a trumpet evades to heaven.
Yes, Robert was on a creative high at this point, further help by the movie Little Red Robin Hood, produced by Italian enthusiasts DiLoretto and Bevilacqua, doing a documentary on Robert's activities. Shleep is definitely one of Wyatt's high point, the highest since Rock Bottom for sure and it'll take a complete miracle for him to top Shleep in terms of pure inventiveness. Sleep is just missing on the fifth star, because of a weak bonus track and a shaky start, but outside that, it's really a wonderful trip into Robert's brains.

:::Review by Sean Trane:::

Robert Wyatt - Shleep (1997)

1. Heaps of Sheeps (4:56)
2. The Duchess (4:18)
3. Maryan (6:11)
4. Was a Friend (6:09)
5. Free Will and Testament (4:13)
6. September the Ninth (6:41)
7. Alien (6:47)
8. Out of Season (2:32)
9. A Sunday in Madrid (4:41)
10. Blues in Bob Minor (5:46)
11. The Whole Point of No Return (1:25)

Credits
- Robert Wyatt / vocals, keyboards, trumpet, bass, percussion, violin

Guests

- Philip Catherine / guitar
- Brian Eno / syntheziser, back vocals
- Phil Manzanera / guitar
- Evan Parker / Soprano and Tenor saxophone
- Paul Weller / guitar, backing vocals
- Jamie Johnson / guitar
- Annie Whitehead / tabla
- Chikako Sato / violin
- Alfreda Benge / vocals
- Chucho Merchan / percussion
- Gary Adzukx / percussion

This album stands apart from a lot of the other jazz-rock records released in the early to mid 70s in that instead of leaning on short gratuitous melodies that lead to long improvisational sections, this album features well composed melodic development combined with organically shifting sound textures to create one of the most unique fusions of jazz-rock rhythms and progressive rock composition released during this time.

Most of the instrumentals on this album share some common references and influences. The dissonant diminished scale melodies driven by odd-metered rhythms sound similar to mid-70s King Crimson. The freer jazzy sections sound a bit like Soft Machine on their 3rd or 4th album, other sections reflect early fusion artists such as Chick Corea or Brian Auger. The big difference is that this album is driven by sonic texture changes that help push the music forward thanks to the pioneering production work of Brian Eno.
Eno is the most valuable player on this recording. His production skills were ahead of the game at this point making the music a constant shifting kaleidoscope of sound, his "treatments" help the strong melodic developments of Manzanera shift smoothly from one idea to the next.
Two songs stand apart from the others. One of those is R.F.D. by keyboardist Dave Jarrett. This is a beautiful piece of impressionism in the style of Ravel with understated electronic keyboards more similar to 60s lounge interpretations of classical music rather than rock. The other is Rongwrong that features drummer Charles Hayward in a Robert Wyatt style wandering avant-pop song, unfortunately Hayward doesn't have Wyatt's cool jazzy voice. Too bad this is the
only release by this amazing band, it would have been nice to hear more.

:::Review by Easy Money:::

Quiet Sun – Mainstream (1975)

1. Sol Caliente (7:35)
2. Trumpet With Motherhood (1:47)
3. Bargain Classics (5:49)
4. R. F. D. (3:22)
5. Mummy Was An Asteroid..... (6:01)
6. Trot (5:14)
7. Rongwrong (9:29)

Musicians
- Charles Hayward / drums, percussion, keyboards & voices
- Dave Jarrett / keyboards
- Phil Manzanera / guitars, keyboards
- Bill MacCormick / bass & voices
With
- Brian Eno / synthesizers, treatments and oblique strategies