Opera buffa developed in the 18th century as a form for presenting light comedy and by the time it reached Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro had become sophisticated enough to provide sometimes painfully observant social commentary. Some 200 years later, Wyatt's casual and rationalist three act Comicopera may in fact be more specifically aimed not solely at the sea of individuals that comprise culture, but at the individual's culpability in society and the self-aggrandizement of the individual set against a reality geared to him or her little more than grease for various commercial, social and political grinding wheels.
The continuity of the work in connection with the Wyatt corpus is very high – a quick spin of "The Age of Self" from the vastly under appreciated Old Rottenhat chased with a few defiant and melancholy and ultimately positive minutes from his peerless Rock Bottom will provide those still unaware with full orientation. Wyatt continues to play on the slurred and mingled signals emanating from the demands of personal responsibility, the definition of the self within society and the responsibilities of the one to the other; the remorseless march of well-armed capitalism; the relentless cult of waste that is consumerism – and how shopping came to qualify as an "ism" is another story – articulated through lyric observations that offer the ironic and blissful ignorance portrayed by " A Beautiful War" and the suspended self of "Stay Tuned". Wyatt again and poignantly surveys the mutually corrupting embrace of commerce and culture with an unnerving calm and characteristic humor. And while music of conscience can often seem pedantic and pedagogish, Comicopera makes a seductive clarion call.
The music itself could belong to no one but Wyatt. Joined by a diverse aggregation of talent that ranges from Brian Eno to Paul Weller, Yaron Stavi to Annie Whitehead, the instrumentation achieves an eclectic and highly polished finish. If you know his voice only from the recent David Gilmour DVD you have some small perception of how moving an instrument it is. Comicopera is ultimately shaped by a timbral beauty that perfectly supports Wyatt's melodius and singular singing. The sonic catalog is thrown wide open to integrate, feature and subsume a warehouse of forms, voicings, rhythms and patterns deep and rich enough to do credit to the profound ideas that shape the lyrics. Combined with the equally accomplished 2003 release Cuckooland, many reviewers and listeners have trumpeted this as Wyatt's return. It takes little more than comprehension of his very particular talent and perspective on our often too splintered lives to understand that he never left, and that as bad as things are, things can be OK.
Track Listing
act one lost in noise
1) Stay tuned
2) Just as You Are
3) You You
4) A.W.O.L.
5) Anachronist
act two the here and now
6) A Beautiful Peace
7) Be Serious
8) On the Town Square
9) Mob Rule
10) A Beautiful War
11) Out of the Blue
act three away with the fairies
12) Del Mondo
13) Cancion de Julieta
14) Pastafari
15) Fragment
16) Hasta Siempre Comandante
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