Ladies & Gentlemen | Lagmag

Well folks, I’m kicking off a new series here at Lagmag called “Song of the Day.” Chances are you’ve figured out the basic premise already, but I’m going to go ahead and talk it over anyhow.

From time to time, we’ll showcase a song (still with me?). It’ll be something we’ve recently discovered, rediscovered, enjoyed, or are generally obsessing over. It may not always be a new song, but it will always be a hot hit we think you, our beloved readers, should hear.

The first such post, features Heaps of Sheeps by Robert Wyatt. Wyatt was a founding member of  influential Canterbury band Soft Machine in the late 1960s, but by 1970, he had left the band and released his first solo record, The End of an Ear. He has released 10 (mostly) amazing solo records since, including most recently, the widely lauded Comicopera.

Heaps of Sheeps is the leadoff track on his 1997 solo record Shleep. It’s the only song on the record produced by Brian Eno, whose influence from both a production standpoint and synth work on the track is readily apparent. The track is phenomenal, not only because it leads off one of my favorite Wyatt records, but also as a perfect collaboration between two of my favorite musicians.

If you liked this track, go buy Shleep and many other Robert Wyatt records, it won’t be a decision you soon regret.