Robert Wyatt
Rock Bottom (Alifib)

Reassured by the reception of my first review, I return. Today, however, I'm truly romantic. So - if you suffer from diabetes - it's better that you stay away. Because today I'm writing about what I believe is one of the most beautiful love songs ever written. It was written by Robert Wyatt. At this point, the good reviewer opens a parenthesis (I love parentheses). And he tells the story of a young man who played in a band called Soft Machine, which aimed to follow in the footsteps of the electric Miles of Bitches Brew. And he - in that (quite unlucky) band - played the drums. He was the engine, a bit of a clown, in short, the sprite of the group. Then, one evening, there's a party, and he, drunk and high, falls from a balcony. Wheelchair-bound for life. Playing the drums is out of the question. But he doesn't care that much. He carries on, he has ideas, he can play more instruments, he can compose. And he releases rock bottom, and he sings. And his voice is the voice of an angel. And inside rock bottom is alifib. Alifib is dedicated to his girlfriend. Her name is (was) Alfie. She was his lover. He says larder. There's a video on YouTube, which, at first glance, looks like one of those "help the less fortunate" shows. There's Wyatt, at the piano, alone. There are balloons around. Like a party, ended, and that one there, in a wheelchair, oh poor him. And he sings Alifib. Sings, and never have I heard anyone else, something that only he and Alfie understand. And he sings it to everyone. He sings it with his head on another planet. And he is not alone. He is on another planet. Him and Alifib. And on that planet, even on that planet, they talk to and understand each other. The others couldn't care less. Robert Wyatt. Alifib. No, one last picture, one last image. Not just any fool, the guitarist of Pink Floyd, calls him, for his umpteenth birthday. He throws a concert and says Robert: why don't you come? And - always on YouTube - if you search for david gilmour robert wyatt or vice versa, you'll see it. With white hair, beard, wheelchair. And it's beautiful. While thinking of Alifib. And the planet they live on. The two of them.