Robert Wyatt – The End Of An Ear

I totally agree with the previous review. The stand-out here is Wyatt's interpretations of Gil Evans' ' Las Vegas Tango'...so wonderfully over the top (the song opens and closes the album and features Wyatt multi-tracking voice, piano's and drums - playing everything himself, and utilizing some bizarre tape manipulations!)...Also fans may notice the beautiful 'To Carla Marsha And Caroline' is an early piano version of "Instant Pussy', later released on the first Matching Mole album. The way this version segues into LVT has always been a memorable transition for me, and appears to be a bold and thoughtfully executed tape splice! This record may not be as well produced as 'Rock Bottom' or 'Ruth/Richard' but Wyatt's more spontaneous and freewheeling approach to music-making on 'End of an Ear' is totally unique, and like his two subsequent releases this is a record like no other....

Masterpiece of a recording made with such technically limited means! It's a good example of what Wyatt could do solo, when left to his own devices, a vehicle which allowed him to experiment with his unbridled imaginative approach to music and composition. Not for the faint of heart, repeated listening will however reward those with enough patience to let these sounds subliminally fill them with their profoundly evocative power. Highly recommended.