Meltdown 2013

London´s Meltdown 2013 is over. The festival was curated by Yoko Ono, and there are lots of videos from the happening on YouTube (surprise!), if you feel like getting a taste.

Here in Robert Wyatt and Stuff we have chosen a couple of quite quiet moments for you this time. First you will see and hear Bill Frisell and Marianne Faithfull do "As tears go by", and then Yoko Ono´s "Sky piece for Jesus Christ".

Michael Mantler: Many Have No Speech

Robert Wyatt has got a super pop voice, but don´t forget he´s a great vocalist in the more contemporary classical landscapes too.

Yes, of course, I have mentioned this before (see here), but it´s about time again, and today´s album is Michael Mantler: "Many have no speech" (WATT 1988).

On this one, Mantler hired three distinct voices, Robert Wyatt, Jack Bruce and Marianne Faithfull, to sing lyrics by Samuel Beckett, Ernst Meister and Philippe Soupault.
Robert Wyatt sings Soupault´s "Tant de Temps", "A l´abbatoir" and "Prisonniers", while Faithfull sings Beckett and Soupault and Bruce sings Beckett and Meister lyrics.

Michael Mantler is playing the trumpet and Rick Fenn sharp guitar, together with The Danish Radio Concert Orchestra, conducted by Peder Kragerup.

This is strong stuff, meant for concentrated listening and reading. The French and German texts are translated to English in the booklet.