Robert Wyatt - End of an Ear (1970)

End of an Ear (1970), while far from being the greatest Robert Wyatt outing, is definitely his most bizarre. His renditions of Gil Evans' "Las Vegas Tango" are excellent, containing oddly layered vocalizing set to a freewheeling drums and piano groove. One can imagine that this is what his parent band The Soft Machine could've evolved into, if only they had continued in their Dadaist leanings. This album is all about Wyatt exploring freer and more absurdity-based expressive ways going beyond the increasingly serious and instrumental confines of the Softs which Wyatt was dissatisfied with. He does not do any conventional singing here, he uses effects like tape speed alterations, reverb and echo to experiment with his voice and those voice experiments are the most interesting thing on this record.

Most of the titles are dedications to his friends and musical peers, "To Mark Everywhere", "To Saintly Bridget" are shorter ditties that are based on precise abstract rhythms and atonal noise, then the consistency gives away to free-jazz-for-free-jazz own sake in "To Oz Alien Daevid and Gilli" and "To Nick Everyone" which are really hard to endure. If you get past these two, you're treated to "To Caravan & Brother Jim", based on a consistent beat, rhythmic vocal loop and warm organ courtesy of David Sinclair, who also guests on the most beautiful tune on the album, an "Instant Pussy" re-write that is "To Carla Marsha and Caroline".

This album has some pointless free-jazz noodling, which mar the album, but otherwise it's still a rather non-conformist statement and whoever digs avant-garde music would be compelled by this record. I admire the album mostly for Gil Evans' cover versions and the beautiful David Sinclair collaborations. Overall, this is the least typical Wyatt album, as he actually was still an avant-jazz-based drummer at that stage, becoming a paraplegic several years later and concentrating on more song-based, though not less distinctive, material.