At Last I Am Free: Choose Your Version: Liz Fraser, Robert Wyatt or Chic?

Message Bookmarked
Bookmark Removed

I didn't always understand how amazing this song was. Until now.

Poll Results

OptionVotes
Robert Wyatt 9
Chic 6
Liz Fraser 3


Disruptor of Morals (Bimble), Saturday, 25 April 2009 17:30 (seventeen years ago)

&

Disruptor of Morals (Bimble), Saturday, 25 April 2009 17:32 (seventeen years ago)

I like Wyatt's version (and have never heard Liz Fraser's), but Chic's is such a masterful production: the strings and vocals sound like they were on Qualudes.

I'm crossing over into enterprise (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 25 April 2009 17:32 (seventeen years ago)

Wyatt

Naive Teen Idol, Saturday, 25 April 2009 22:25 (seventeen years ago)

Nice to hear Chic's live version, but the studio version is the real deal...

The Drumless Drum, Sunday, 26 April 2009 00:34 (seventeen years ago)

Refuse to ever choose between Wyatt and Chic.

Eugenecist Levy (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 26 April 2009 00:36 (seventeen years ago)

Having said that, Wyatt sounds undefuckingniable on here as per usual.

Eugenecist Levy (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 26 April 2009 00:48 (seventeen years ago)

Yeah, I wanted to put the original studio Chic version here, but I don't think You Tube has that. Of course you're welcome to prove my drunk befuddled ass wrong.

Disruptor of Morals (Bimble), Sunday, 26 April 2009 12:22 (seventeen years ago)

Also, Eugenecist Levy is a great screen name, Noodle!

Disruptor of Morals (Bimble), Sunday, 26 April 2009 12:23 (seventeen years ago)

;-)

Eugenecist Levy (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 26 April 2009 12:24 (seventeen years ago)

You rock, man. You rock.

Disruptor of Morals (Bimble), Sunday, 26 April 2009 12:25 (seventeen years ago)

I like every version of this song equally, including these two

Cassiber (Heiner Goebbels / Alfred Harth / Chris Cutler). Studio version here: http://www.discogs.com/Cassiber-The-Beauty-And-The-Beast/release/310883

Otomo Yoshihide & Ground-zero, the last track of their album-length remix of Cassiber's live concert in Japan: http://www.japanimprov.com/indies/offnote/cassibertokyo.html

Milton Parker, Sunday, 26 April 2009 21:15 (seventeen years ago)

guys, the Chic version pwns the rest of these. i mean, really really pwns them.

the table is the table, Sunday, 26 April 2009 21:40 (seventeen years ago)

have to admit that's probably the case

Robert Wyatt's cover of this sparked off all the other cover versions of this track, almost annexing it for the post-RIO crowd. I grew up with all the cover versions thinking it seemed like an esoteric or arbitrary choice to cover but when I finally heard the original version, yeah it's no wonder it spawned nearly an entire album worth of covers

Milton Parker, Sunday, 26 April 2009 22:07 (seventeen years ago)

concert closer: http://www.discogs.com/Heiner-Goebbels-Alfred-23-Harth-Live-Victoriaville/release/1255693

Milton Parker, Sunday, 26 April 2009 22:08 (seventeen years ago)

i admit that i do like the Wyatt version, but nothing compares to Rodgers & Edwards and those ladies.

the table is the table, Sunday, 26 April 2009 22:17 (seventeen years ago)

two weeks pass...

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

System, Tuesday, 12 May 2009 23:01 (seventeen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

System, Wednesday, 13 May 2009 23:01 (seventeen years ago)

Actually in the end, I chose Wyatt myself!

More Goth Than Your Grandmother (Bimble), Thursday, 14 May 2009 20:08 (seventeen years ago)

three years pass...

I can hardly see in front of me!

http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4145249

NR: Now when we wrote that, we were a rock and roll band who called ourselves The Boyz. A really hard, hard punk band. And I wrote that because I had literally just dropped acid. And I’d written that song years ago in 1969 or 1970 when I was just a young guy starting out playing. And I’d dropped acid and the cops had just beat up my friend. So we were going to try and help him and each time I took a step, the buildings took a step too! And I was walking for ages and I could never get out of Central Park. And so finally, I got to the edge of Central Park and I was like… “Phew – at last I am free!”

Milton Parker, Monday, 29 April 2013 18:11 (thirteen years ago)

aw bimble i was all like who the hell did this poll but it makes sense it was him <3

ums (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 29 April 2013 22:33 (thirteen years ago)

five months pass...

Yeah, good old Bimbs. Surprising just how close Robert Wyatt version sticks to the original but then the song's tailor made for him, even the chords are sort of Robert Wyattish.

Tommy McTommy (Tom D.), Tuesday, 15 October 2013 12:52 (twelve years ago)

don't know if i've heard Wyatt's version but yeah i can recreate it in my head

footballer of the future (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 15 October 2013 15:01 (twelve years ago)

wyatt's is magical, approaches chic's

fraser's at last I am tweeeeeee can fuck off tbrr

Ronnie Mexico (wins), Tuesday, 15 October 2013 18:52 (twelve years ago)

i like Liz Fraser fine but no way she's above 3rd in this race

footballer of the future (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 15 October 2013 18:53 (twelve years ago)

Never saw this poll - love this song so much, so much weariness in Wyatt's voice. He really is one of the greats.

Evil Juice Box Man (LocalGarda), Tuesday, 15 October 2013 18:55 (twelve years ago)

xp I like her too! it's just that in this particular instance her cover of wyatt's cover is a waste of everybody's time

treesh humpers (wins), Tuesday, 15 October 2013 18:56 (twelve years ago)

i do not understand any of you fuckers, wyatt's cover is nothing to the original

He is "The Developer" and the children view him with a deep susp (c sharp major), Tuesday, 15 October 2013 20:52 (twelve years ago)

what is this thin voice

He is "The Developer" and the children view him with a deep susp (c sharp major), Tuesday, 15 October 2013 20:53 (twelve years ago)

how is it beloved

He is "The Developer" and the children view him with a deep susp (c sharp major), Tuesday, 15 October 2013 20:53 (twelve years ago)

idk it's fucking bonkers that chic didn't win this but wyatt is great and so is his cover

starting to reconsider "treesh humpers" (wins), Tuesday, 15 October 2013 20:56 (twelve years ago)

and his voice

starting to reconsider "treesh humpers" (wins), Tuesday, 15 October 2013 20:57 (twelve years ago)

get one rock bottom, xposts

Evil Juice Box Man (LocalGarda), Tuesday, 15 October 2013 21:06 (twelve years ago)

heh yeah I dunno how much I'd like the cover without having heard his other work

starting to reconsider "treesh humpers" (wins), Tuesday, 15 October 2013 21:08 (twelve years ago)

i can understand, kinda, not getting Wyatt. and i wdn't necessarily vote for him here. but his voice is fucking awesome.

footballer of the future (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 15 October 2013 21:12 (twelve years ago)

Just heard "Shipbuilding" this morning for the first time in twenty.

Yeah.

Mark G, Wednesday, 16 October 2013 09:38 (twelve years ago)

Guy can sing his (rock) bottom off. Have been listening to that Michael Mantler album, "The Hapless Child", which is kind of hard work, but Wyatt's singing on it is out-bloody-rageously good.

Tommy McTommy (Tom D.), Wednesday, 16 October 2013 09:49 (twelve years ago)

eleven years pass...

https://ellenarkbro.bandcamp.com/track/at-last-i-am-free-live

etc, Wednesday, 11 June 2025 10:50 (one year ago)

I am surprised 36 year-old me so definitively chose Wyatt. Even he loved the Chic version unconditionally.

Naive Teen Idol, Wednesday, 11 June 2025 12:27 (one year ago)


You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.