Solar Flares Burn for You cover

Solar Flares Burn for You

Robert Wyatt · 2003

52 min · 13 tracks · rock music

Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

73 /100
Treeline
Higher than 66% of albums we've rated

The collection has substantial writing and distinctive performances, but its period-spanning sequence works as an archive more than a deliberately shaped album.

What we noticed

  • The opening run—“Alifib,” “Soup Song,” and “Sea Song”—is followed by “I’m a Believer,” shifting from long, intricately arranged pieces to a compact cover.
  • The 13 tracks collect songs and rarities from different periods rather than building a continuous arc; the closing stretch moves through short pieces including “We Got an Arts Council Grant” and “The…
  • Wyatt’s soft, restrained singing sits against arrangements that leave space for piano, percussion, and instrumental passages rather than driving on a steady rock beat.
Composition 25% of the score
8/10

the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics

Craft 20% of the score
7/10

production, performance, arrangement

Durability 25% of the score
7/10

whether it rewards returning to it

Distinctiveness 18% of the score
7/10

whether it sounds like itself

Sequencing 12% of the score
4/10

running order, pacing, length

Influence 2/10

Little footprint beyond its audience. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

  • 1 Alifib 3:17
  • 2 Soup Song 3:14
  • 3 Sea Song 8:11
  • 4 I’m a Believer 3:44
  • 5 Blimey O’Riley 4:23
  • 6 Solar Flares Burn for You 7:46
  • 7 God Song 5:12
  • 8 Fol de Rol 1:52
  • 9 Little Child 3:13
  • 10 We Got an Arts Council Grant 1:33
  • 11 Righteous Rhumba 1:17
  • 12 ’Twas Brillig 5:06
  • 13 The Verb 3:29

Reference: MusicBrainz · Wikidata