Last week I read an interesting review of the book 'Different Every Time' by Marcus O'Dair. The review appeared in The Guardian newspaper and if you have been paying attention you will know that the subject of the book is Robert Wyatt.
You can read the review yourself by clicking here.
It is worth a read but you will notice that in the first paragraph, Wyatt is referred to as a National Treasure. Now I am a massive fan of Robert Wyatt and warts and all, I love him to bits, but on seeing him described as a national treasure, my immediate reaction was - "Is he?"
And that got me thinking. What exactly is a national treasure and how does someone become one? It strikes me that the term is being used more and more within the UK and my own definition was probably along the lines of "someone who the nation have taken to their hearts". So I suppose the Queen must obviously be a national treasure as indeed was her old mum. I suspect that veteran actresses such as the Dames Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren and Judi Dench have been referred to as national treasures as has Sir Cliff Richard (though one wonders whether that might change in the future). Aside from being showbiz personalities, there's no connection to the aforementioned and I could be wrong, but weren't Jimmy Savile and Rolf Harris referred to as national treasures?
Others that spring to mind include David Beckham and Johnny Wilkinson from the world of sport and the Monty Python Team and The Goons from the world of comedy. You can of course start your own list now.
A little bit of research revealed that back in 2008, The Independent newspaper ran a feature on 50 National Treasures. You may or may not be surprised to learn that among the 50 were Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, Amy Winehouse and Sid Vicious. I suppose that if they feature in the list, then so too should Robert Wyatt, - which is where we came in.
Happy listing.
Showing posts with label Different Every Time. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Different Every Time. Show all posts
Tuesday, 2 December 2014
Saturday, 22 November 2014
Books #17 Different Every Time by Marcus O'Dair
It hasn't taken me long to make my way through the 465 pages of this book and I am very pleased that I made the effort. I have been a fan of Wyatt since his days with Soft Machine and I regard his 1974 album 'Rock Bottom' as one of the greatest albums of all time. Yet being a fan of a person's music does not necessarily make for an interesting read when it comes to biographies. However I recall a 2001 BBC4 documentary 'Free Will And Testament' which delved into the real story of Robert Wyatt. I watched the film again recently on YouTube and felt compelled to also read this book.
The title of course comes from the the opening line of the brilliant 'Sea Song' which opens 'Rock Bottom'. It is fitting because with each subsequent album, Wyatt has produced something different from what has come before. He is clearly an artist who is prepared to take chances and not comply with the expectations of the record buying public. Perhaps that explains why sales of his records have never been in the major league, but credit to him for sticking to his own principles.
The book gives a great insight into the writing and recording of all of his recordings (under his own name, or supporting other artists) but it gives so much more than that as Wyatt is and was a fascinating character in his own right. Consequently among other things we get details of his political activities (he was for many years a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain), and his relationships with others, most notably his wife Alfreda (Alfie) Benge.
Alfie is indeed central to the story and has often single-handedly kept Wyatt going, acting not only as wife but as a business manager, album cover designer and writer of beguiling lyrics. Of course she has also been the muse and inspiration for many of Wyatt's greatest songs. Fans of Wyatt certainly owe her a debt of gratitude.
One of the most striking things gleaned from reading the book, is how self deprecating Wyatt is about his own ability as a writer, singer and musician. Indeed it has taken many other very talented musicians to encourage and bring the best out of him. These include Brian Eno, Phil Manzanera and David Gilmour, plus numerous others from many fields of music. Also, the actress Julie Christie played a significant part in the lives of Robert and Alfie.
For me however, the single most striking thing is the way that Wyatt responded to the terrible accident in 1973 that left him paralysed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair. One must remember that this incident happened not too long after Wyatt had been unceremoniously booted out of his own band, Soft Machine and he had ended his next venture, Matching Mole. He was very much in a state of flux, unsure about whether his future lay as a singer or a drummer. The accident effectively made the decision for him as he was left unable to operate the foot pedals necessary for a career in drumming. Wyatt referred to the accident as "an incidental detour" and he described his new situation as being "fantastically liberating". He realised that he couldn't be all the things he was trying to be and his mind became more focused on what he could become.
As fans of his music, we can only be grateful that he survived the fall and took the route that he did.
If you are a fan of Robert Wyatt or just want to read an interesting story of someone overcoming all kinds of adversity, I thoroughly recommend this book. Oh and have a nice bottle of wine and all of Wyatt's albums close at hand. You will find it a great journey.
The title of course comes from the the opening line of the brilliant 'Sea Song' which opens 'Rock Bottom'. It is fitting because with each subsequent album, Wyatt has produced something different from what has come before. He is clearly an artist who is prepared to take chances and not comply with the expectations of the record buying public. Perhaps that explains why sales of his records have never been in the major league, but credit to him for sticking to his own principles.
The book gives a great insight into the writing and recording of all of his recordings (under his own name, or supporting other artists) but it gives so much more than that as Wyatt is and was a fascinating character in his own right. Consequently among other things we get details of his political activities (he was for many years a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain), and his relationships with others, most notably his wife Alfreda (Alfie) Benge.
Alfie is indeed central to the story and has often single-handedly kept Wyatt going, acting not only as wife but as a business manager, album cover designer and writer of beguiling lyrics. Of course she has also been the muse and inspiration for many of Wyatt's greatest songs. Fans of Wyatt certainly owe her a debt of gratitude.One of the most striking things gleaned from reading the book, is how self deprecating Wyatt is about his own ability as a writer, singer and musician. Indeed it has taken many other very talented musicians to encourage and bring the best out of him. These include Brian Eno, Phil Manzanera and David Gilmour, plus numerous others from many fields of music. Also, the actress Julie Christie played a significant part in the lives of Robert and Alfie.
For me however, the single most striking thing is the way that Wyatt responded to the terrible accident in 1973 that left him paralysed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair. One must remember that this incident happened not too long after Wyatt had been unceremoniously booted out of his own band, Soft Machine and he had ended his next venture, Matching Mole. He was very much in a state of flux, unsure about whether his future lay as a singer or a drummer. The accident effectively made the decision for him as he was left unable to operate the foot pedals necessary for a career in drumming. Wyatt referred to the accident as "an incidental detour" and he described his new situation as being "fantastically liberating". He realised that he couldn't be all the things he was trying to be and his mind became more focused on what he could become.
As fans of his music, we can only be grateful that he survived the fall and took the route that he did.
If you are a fan of Robert Wyatt or just want to read an interesting story of someone overcoming all kinds of adversity, I thoroughly recommend this book. Oh and have a nice bottle of wine and all of Wyatt's albums close at hand. You will find it a great journey.
Saturday, 8 November 2014
Robert Wyatt - A Coda
Further to my post a couple of days ago on the subject of Robert Wyatt's album 'Rock Bottom' I omitted to mention that all of Wyatt's albums are currently being reissued by Domino. There will also be a double album consisting of one disc of tracks from Wyatt's entire career to date and a second disc of collaborations and guest appearances on works by other artists. The thirty track album will be titled 'Different Every Time' which also just happens to be the title of an authorised biography of Wyatt written by Marcus O'Dair.
Watch this space.
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