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Episode Description
For his album deep dive, singer, songwriter, author and educator Wesley Stace chose Robert Wyatt’s 1974 album Rock Bottom. Wesley recounts the adolescent friendship that led to his discovery of Rock Bottom, and he explains why it has been one of his favorite albums in the ensuing decades. He delves into the non-sensical nature of Wyatt’s lyrics and why they carry deep meaning for him. Wesley also talks about his latest album One Last Heist, his recent movement towards jazzier music and his upcoming shows.
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Facebook: @wesley.stace.9
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1:02 Wesley’s introduction
2:00 Wesley recalls how he first got introduced to Robert Wyatt’s music
12:03 Wesley explains why he was drawn to Rock Bottom and how the album made him a lifelong Wyatt fan
18:05 Wesley makes a connection between Rock Bottom and the film Don’t Look Now
23:53 Wesley lauds Nick Mason’s production work and musical vision
27:00 It doesn’t take long for Rock Bottom to get non-sensical
32:14 Wesley sees the album as having broad appeal despite its bizarre quality
33:14 Wesley compares the non-sensical lyrics of Rock Bottom with those of Yes
36:23 A couple of childhood friends were instrumental to shaping Wesley’s musical explorations
39:47 Wesley sees a link between Robert Wyatt and Bob Dylan
44:37 Wesley and Al were impacted by Wyatt’s lyrics, even when they didn’t make sense
46:11 Wesley addresses why he didn’t pick a jazz album to discuss
48:51 Wesley was disappointed with one aspect of the Rock Bottom reissue
50:03 Wesley talks about the thread tying “One Last Heist” and “Hello Dead Horse”—the opening and closing tracks from One Last Heist
53:27 Wesley explains how he started making jazzier music
58:26 Wesley talks about upcoming Smithereens and Cabinet of Wonders shows
Outro music is from “Not My Speed” by Wesley Stace.