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Robyn Hitchcock's lengthy career has been marked by a myriad of highs and lows, veering close to a commercial breakthrough on several occasions: he was the subject of Jonathan Demme's 1998 film Storefront Hitchcock, and he and his band the Egyptians toured with R.E.M. back in 1989. However, this ever-enduring and always endearing singer-songwriter will most likely be remembered as an under-appreciated, oft-erratic, quirky and remarkably singular genius. Unlike admitted influence Syd Barrett, Hitchcock is always in perfect and absolute control of his craft, and can take whimsical, often lunatic subject matter and put it into easily accessible song structures, i.e., "Lost Madonna of the Wasps" from Queen Elvis. Conversely, he can go to wild extremes, abandoning conventional rock or pop music altogether. No pop psychologist, Hitchcock turns his wry, adroit, and absurdist lyrics inwards, revealing to his listeners his razor-sharp wit, reckless imagination, and beautiful poet's heart.
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