2023 Repress. Robert Wyatt: gifted songwriter; political activist; drummer in the Canterbury jazz/prog pioneers Soft Machine and contemporaries of the original lineup of Pink Floyd; collaborator with the likes of Brian Eno, David Gilmour, Phil Manzanera, Fred Frith, Paul Weller, Scritti Politti, Elvis Costello and his beloved wife Alfreda Benge, to name but a few.

Perhaps his greatest gift though is his voice, a reedy instrument of great warmth and emotion; one need only hear his interpretation of the classic “Shipbuilding” (a song that was written for him by Costello and producer Clive Langer) and you shall be smitten for life.

Continually, and rightly, regarded as an emotionally charged masterpiece Rock Bottom, like all truly great records, defines its own moonlit world. Defiantly graceful, listening to Rock Bottom is like being invited into another person's consciousness: fluid, deep, mesmerizing and utterly unique. An intense meditative song cycle recorded in difficult circumstances Rock Bottom adds another layer of meaning to the term soul music.