Rock Bottom, recorded with a star-studded cast of Canterbury musicians, has been deservedly acclaimed as one of the finest art rock albums. Several forces surrounding
Wyatt's life helped shape its outcome. First, it was recorded after the former
Soft Machine drummer and singer fell out of a five-story window and broke his spine. Legend had it that the album was a chronicle of his stay in the hospital.
Wyatt dispels this notion in the liner notes of the 1997
Thirsty Ear reissue of the album, as well as the book
Wrong Movements: A Robert Wyatt History. Much of the material was composed prior to his accident in anticipation of rehearsals of a new lineup of
Matching Mole. The writing was completed in the hospital, where
Wyatt realized that he would now need to sing more, since he could no longer be solely the drummer. Many of
Rock Bottom's songs are very personal and introspective love songs, since he would soon marry
Alfreda Benge.
Benge suggested to
Wyatt that his music was too cluttered and needed more open spaces. Therefore,
Robert Wyatt not only ploughed new ground in songwriting territory, but he presented the songs differently, taking time to allow songs like
"Sea Song" and
"Alifib" to develop slowly. Previous attempts at love songs, like
"O Caroline," while earnest and wistful, were very literal and lyrically clumsy.
Rock Bottom was
Robert Wyatt's most focused and relaxed album up to its time of release. In 1974, it won the French Grand Prix Charles Cros Record of the Year Award. It is also considered an essential record in any comprehensive collection of psychedelic or progressive rock. Concurrently released was the first of his two singles to reach the British Top 40,
"I'm a Believer." ~ Jim Powers
