1993
Robyn Hitchcock And The Egyptians
Respect
A&M 31454 00642
by Paul Davies
The evidence of Hitchcock's seventh LP suggests that if the artful hermit is not too careful, he may find himself with hit singles and all manner of celebrity trapping on his hands. Produced by an in-form John Leckie and recorded on the Rock 'n' Roll epicentre of The Isle Of Wight, Respect is a typically off-the-wall collection of songs about love and death which glistens with a bright and attractive sheen of Pop melody. The man variously known as the last of the great English Pop eccentrics, Michael Stipe's favourite cult, the fifth Beatle, and Syd Barrett's smarter younger brother has hit a rich and consistent vein of songwriting form. As ever, the songs reek of a deeply held attachment to Psychedelia. Which, combined with the agression of "The Yip Song", "When I Was Dead", and "Driving Aloud" -- and the dreamy contemplation of "The Moon Inside" and "Railway Shoes" -- provide a platform for Hitchcock's vocal japes. ****
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