| Comicopera | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 8 October 2007 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 1:00:15 | |||
| Label | Domino Recording Company | |||
| Producer | Robert Wyatt | |||
| Robert Wyatt chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 86/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The A.V. Club | B+[3] |
| The Boston Phoenix |  [4] |
| Los Angeles Times | [5] |
| Mojo | [6] |
| MusicOMH | [7] |
| NME | 8/10[8] |
| The Observer | [9] |
| Pitchfork | 7.5/10[10] |
| Q | [11] |
Comicopera is the ninth and final studio album by Robert Wyatt, released on 8 October 2007 and available on both CD and double vinyl formats. The vinyl's fourth side contains no music and has a poem etched into its surface. It is Wyatt's first release on the Domino Records label. It features many other musicians, including Brian Eno, Paul Weller, Gilad Atzmon and Phil Manzanera, and was recorded in Wyatt's house and Manzanera's recording studio. The song "Del Mondo" is a cover from Ko de mondo, the second album of Italian post-punk band Consorzio Suonatori Indipendenti.[12]
The Wire named Comicopera the record of the year in its annual critics' poll.[13]
Track listing
editAct One: Lost in Noise
- "Stay Tuned" (Anja Garbarek) – 3:49
- "Just as You Are" (Alfreda Benge, Wyatt) – 4:21
- "You You" (Alfreda Benge, Wyatt) – 4:22
- "A.W.O.L." (Alfreda Benge, Wyatt) – 2:56
- "Anachronist" (Wyatt) – 3:28
Act Two: The Here and the Now
- "A Beautiful Peace" (Wyatt, Brian Eno) – 2:27
- "Be Serious" (Wyatt) – 2:56
- "On the Town Square" (Wyatt) – 5:26
- "Mob Rule" (Wyatt) – 2:16
- "A Beautiful War" (Wyatt, Brian Eno) – 2:40
- "Out of the Blue" (Alfreda Benge, Wyatt) – 3:41
Act Three: Away With the Fairies
- "Del Mondo" (Giovanni Lindo Ferretti, Massimo Zamboni, Gianni Maroccolo, Francesco Magnelli, Giorgio Canali) – 3:29
- "Cancion de Julieta" (Federico García Lorca, Wyatt) – 7:32
- "Pastafari" (Orphy Robinson) – 4:37
- "Fragment" (Alfreda Benge, Wyatt) – 1:38
- "Hasta Siempre Comandante" (Carlos Puebla) – 4:37
Personnel
edit- Robert Wyatt – voice, piano, percussion, keyboards, trumpet, cornet, pocket trumpet, guitar, old metronome, karenotron (voice of Karen Mantler), enotron (voice of Brian Eno), monicatron (voice of Monica Vasconcelos)
- Brian Eno – keyboards, effects
- Seaming To – voice, clarinet
- Annie Whitehead – trombone, baritone horn
- Yaron Stavi – bass violin
- Monica Vasconcelos – voice
- Paul Weller – guitar
- Gilad Atzmon – saxophones, tenor saxophone, clarinet
- Jamie Johnson – bass guitar
- Dave Sinclair – piano
- Phil Manzanera – guitar
- Del Bartle – guitar
- Orphy Robinson – steelpan, vibraphone
- Chucho Merchan – bass violin
- Maurizio Camardi – saxophones
- Alfonso Santimone – piano, keyboards
- Alessandro Fedrigo – bass guitar
- Paolo Vidaich – percussion
- Gianni Bertoncini – drums
References
edit- ^ "Comicopera by Robert Wyatt Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
- ^ Jurek, Thom. Comicopera at AllMusic
- ^ Murray, Noel (9 October 2007). "Robert Wyatt: Comicopera". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
- ^ Drozdowskid, Ted (6 November 2007). "Robert Wyatt - Comicopera". The Boston Phoenix. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
- ^ Hochman, Steve (7 October 2007). "Canterbury tales, from a survivor". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
- ^ It's hard to imagine a record more original or full of life, from any artist of any age, emerging this year. It's that damn good. [Nov 2007, p.91]
- ^ Hogwood, Ben (8 October 2007). "Robert Wyatt – Comicopera". MusicOMH. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
- ^ NME (10/06/2007, p.45)
- ^ Adams, Tim (16 September 2007). "Robert Wyatt, Comicopera". The Observer. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
- ^ Klein, Joshua (9 October 2007). "Comicopera - Robert Wyatt". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
- ^ Comicopera is a cornicopia. [Nov 2007, p.148]
- ^ Chris Jones, A national treasure makes another peerless album, BBC, 5 October 2007.
- ^ "2007 Rewind: Records of the Year Top Ten". The Wire. No. 287. London. January 2008. p. 36 – via Exact Editions.
External links
edit- Robert Wyatt, "Comicopera" Brainwashed
- Robert Wyatt on Domino Records info
