Robert Wyatt - '68 (2013)

There are two long suites here. The first is a fragmentary, almost 20—minute free compilation of "Rivmic Melodies" songs, which eventually became the basis for the first side of the second Soft Machine album (with Hugh Hopper replacing Kevin Ayers). Obviously, it could be shortened and rearranged a bit, but there are some great extended arrangements in the "Alphabet" section and, to a lesser extent, in the "Dada was here" section. There are wonderful vocal overdubs as Wyatt duplicates his voice and then interacts with it, singing in Spanish against a backdrop of inventive piano chord designs. Despite the fact that it looks like a job in the search process, there are few rough edges. During this period, a demo version of half of the iconic song "Moon in June" was recorded, which was included in Wyatt's album Third; the second half was recorded in England in 1969, when Hopper and Mike Ratledge joined the recording about halfway through and blew up the demo with their improvisation. The demo version of "Moon in June", which was presented with reduced fidelity on the archive compilation Cuneiform Soft Machine 2002 Backwards and is improved here in terms of sound, combines the dynamics of rock music with Wyatt's jazz preferences, combining them in a carefree exploration. Thus, songwriting, arrangement and improvisation form an equilateral triangle, which fully reveals the enormous potential of the band. The opening track "Chelsa", a newly discovered acetate disc, begins as a mid-tempo rock composition with organ parts and a basic drum rhythm. The lyrics, written by David Allen, complement Wyatt's beautiful Baroque psychedelic pop melody. In 1975, it was reworked, received new words, and eventually became the song "Signed Curtain" on Matching Mole's debut album. Brian Hopper's "Slow Walkin' Talk" is a jazz piano blues in the style of Mose Ellison from Wyatt's early days at Wilde Flowers. During the recording, Hendrix came into the studio to ask if Wyatt wanted him to record a bass part that didn't have to be used. Jimi recorded it from the first take, almost completely changing the dynamics of the track. The sound on the 1968 album is excellent; it has been carefully crafted and remastered from original sources, making it a must-listen for any fan of Wyatt, SM, or progressive music. The booklet also contains a detailed interview with Wyatt, conducted by Emerick Leroy, with Hopper's comments. Everything is awesome, no filler.