26 settembre 2020

Anche Domino accompagna l'uscita di Side by Side di Robert Wyatt e Alfie Benge con propria (e appropriata) iniziativa: il recupero in cd e doppio vinile dell'antologico His Greatest Misses - ne produsse un'edizione giapponese la Hannibal nel 2004, e lo rilanciò nel 2010 la stessa Domino - magnificamente illustrato da alcuni disegni realizzati dal piccolo Robert a sei anni. Che annota: "Blimey! My little drawings were done about seventy years ago... how retrospective can you get?"

A compilation spanning Wyatt's decades-long career. The collection, originally released as a Japanese edition, includes selections dating from Rock Bottom (1974) to Cuckooland (2003), although its running order is non-chronological. This makes the subtle point that Wyatt’s recordings are best considered as a non-linear catalogue - this is a world through which the listener can move at any pace in any direction. 

25 settembre 2020


Ad accompagnare l'uscita di Side By Side Alexis Taylor propone per Faber Radio una scaletta di suoi brani preferiti: "To celebrate the publication of Robert Wyatt & Alfie Benge Side By Side, Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor has curated a playlist of the influential artists’ songs. ‘These are just some of my favourite Robert Wyatt songs, and Robert Wyatt songs are some of my favourites, full stop. I hope you enjoy listening to this beautiful, challenging, tough and fragile music as much as I do.’ "

24 settembre 2020


Nella prefazione Jarvis Cocker avverte i lettori di prepararsi a decollare. Si può anche aggiungere che sarà molto difficile non commuoversi... Robert Wyatt & Alfie Benge: Side by Side. 

Side by Side presents the lyrics, poems, writings and drawings of innovative musician Robert Wyatt and his creative partner, English painter and songwriter Alfie Benge. Artist and collaborator Brian Eno said: ‘Whenever an aspiring musician asks me about songwriting I point them towards Robert and Alfie. Their work is so unusual, so perceptive, so playful and so grown-up… well, I don’t think there’s really anyone to compare. If you want songs that touch your mind as well as your heart, these are the best. Wide distribution of this book could improve the state of music dramatically.’ Published in hardback and beautiful limited edition, which includes four prints of Alfie’s artwork, this unique volume celebrates one of the most enduring creative partnerships of the last half-century.