01	Hope For Happiness						04:22
	02	Joy Of A Toy						02:49
	03	Hope For Happiness (reprise)						01:39
	04	Why Am I So Short?						01:37
	05	So Boot If At All						07:24
	06	A Certain Kind						04:14
	07	Save Yourself						02:25
	08	Priscilla						01:03
	09	Lullabye Letter						04:42
	10	We Did It Again						03:46
	11	Plus Belle Qu'une Poubelle						01:00
	12	Why Are We Sleeping?						05:32
	13	Box 25/4 Lid						00:49
	14	Pataphysical Introduction-PT I						01:00
	15	A Concise British Alphabet-PT I						00:09
	16	Hibou, Anemone And Bear						05:59
	17	A Concise British Alphabet-PT II						00:12
	18	Hulloder						00:54
	19	Dada Was Here						03:25
	20	Thank You Pierrot Lunaire						00:48
	21	Have You Ever Bean Green?						01:19
	22	Pataphysical Introduction-PT II						00:51
	23	Out Of Tunes						02:34
	24	As Long As He Lies Perfectly Still						02:34
	25	Dedicated To You But You Weren't Listening						02:32
	26	Fire Engine Passing With Bells Clanging						01:50
	27	Pig						02:09
	28	Orange Skin Food						01:47
	29	A Door Opens And Closes						01:09
	30	10:30 Returns To The Bedroom						04:14

Audio CD (November 27, 1995)

Original Release Date: September 1989

Number of Discs: 1
Label: Big Beat UK

Soft Machine Vols. 1 & 2





Soft Machine
Volume Two
One Way Records
1969

This album really surprised me. I would have never guessed that the same guys who made 5 (the only Soft Machine album I owned before Volume Two and one of the least listened-to records in my collection) could have created this post-psychedellic jazz rock masterpiece.
Crazy, distorted organ, nasty fuzz bass and high-pitched, scratchy vocals make up the sonic palette for this unique album. Add the juxtaposition of some seriously cutting edge musicianship with some of the (intentionally) silliest lyrics in prog, and you have one unique listening experience.




Soft Machine [UK]
Updated 11/11/00
Discography
Soft Machine Volume One (68)
Soft Machine Volume Two (69)
Live at the Proms 1970 (70)
Thirds (70)
Fourth (70)
5 (72)
Six Album (72)
7 (73)
The Unbeatable Soft Machine (??, Compilation)
Bundles (75)
Softs (76)
Triple Echo (77)
Alive and Well in Paris (78)
Land of Cockayne (81)
The Peel Sessions (??, 2CD, BBC Recordings from 1969 to 1971)
Spaced (97, recorded in 1969)
Virtually (98, recorded in 1971)
Jet-Propelled Photographs (9?, First recordings w/ Daevid Allen, 1967)
Noisette (00, recorded in 1970)


Reviews

The first album is very much in the psych vein, but its experimental edge makes it seem much more progressive than it otherwise might. The instrumentation is primarily just organ, bass and guitar, the music is pretty much just their live show translated to vinyl with added sound effects and treatments. Robert Wyatt's intricate drumming and high-pitched singing voice, along with Mike Ratledge's unique organ playing, were all very influential on the other Canterbury musicians. Bassist Kevin Ayers sings on the classic track "Why Are We Sleeping?", which he later redoes on one of his solo albums. Another good track: "A Certain Kind." The second album added new bassist Hugh Hopper as well as some additional instrumentation: saxes, flutes, guitars, etc. Definitely a touchstone album in the history of fusion, adding a complex jazzy style to the psych jamming of the first album, and sounding way ahead of its time. Note songs like "Hibou, Anemone And Bear", in 13/8 with powerful organ soloing, jazzy sax arrangements and a fine vocal and drum-solo by Wyatt. The third album is the landmark album, a double LP consisting solely of four tracks, each in the 18-minute range. They now have full-time members on saxophones and trombone, expanding from a trio to a sextet. Each of the tracks has its own character. Hopper's "Facelift" grows out of a lunatic, noisy organ solo into a vibrant horn-riff, followed by a lovely flute solo. "Slightly All The Time" is a very jazz-orientated piece with a magnificent sax-solo about three-fourths of the way into it. Wyatt's opus "Moon In June" starts as a lyrical vocal tune with heavenly bass soloing by Hopper. Half-way through, it becomes instrumental, with Ratledge's organ dominating, and the music becoming ever darker. Fascinating! The closing number, "Out-Bloody-Rageous", opens with an electronified glittery electric piano cadenza that reminds me of some of Terry Riley's work, or perhaps some of the German electronicians. This leads into the main section, a 9/4 movement with superb drumming by Wyatt. After a brief echo of the opening, we are greeted by some beautiful acoustic piano forming a bed for a very nice sax solo. Almost all fusion and experimental rock bands owe them a debt for this album. Later albums competent but rarely as inspired. -- Mike Ohman

Fourth, Fifth, and Seven feature the improvisational, almost free-form jazz rock that Soft Machine ventured into after divesting themselves of Kevin Ayers. However, there is a strong musical virtuosity on all these releases that make them very compelling. In Fourth, the basic sound hinges around Ratledge's piano/organ patterns, punctuated by Elton Dean's sax solos, anchored by Hopper's bass and drums by Robert Wyatt. Wyatt departed before Fifth, but, the sound remained essentially unchanged. For Seven, the only original member left was Mike Ratledge, with Karl Jenkins appearing to take up the spot vacated by Dean. It may be his influence, but the music on this is more structured than that of the previous releases, which helped make this release more popular. Jet Propelled Photographs consists of studio recordings made by the Soft Machine line-up of Ayers, Wyatt, Ratledge, and the ubiquitous Daevid Allen. There is some contention as to whether these were to become an album, but portions showed up on the first couple of Soft Machine releases (volumes 1 and 2), and on Bananamoon. The recordings were made in 1967, very soon after the four protagonists had met, and reflect, to a good degree the early Soft Machine output. The CD also includes a very interesting history of the band by John Platt, and the following quotes from that should help describe the music on this release... the negatives .".. production qualities are minimal ... some of the playing is sloppy (especially Allen's guitar-playing, which only if one was being very kind could be called "atonal") ...," and the positives " ... the album has enthusiasm, not a little excitement, some great songs ... the whole thing was redeemed by Wyatt, whose vocals and drumming Allen described as "magnificent" ...." In balance, the value of this CD is more in its historical content, than, perhaps its music, but, for anyone who enjoyed the original Soft Machine line-up, this is probably worth it. Turns On is a live recording of the Hopper/ Wyatt/Ratledge line-up of Soft Machine (as noted on the sleeve), performed at Paradiso in March, 1969. The non-presence of Kevin Ayers is somewhat unusual, since this was the period when the foursome were preparing to release Volume Two, but that seems to be borne out by the fact that none of the tracks list Ayers as co-writer. The music is centered around the organ stylings of Ratledge (quite similar in style to Dave Stewart in his early-Egg days) and the drums of Wyatt, and fits well into the mold of the first three Soft Machine releases, with vocals by Wyatt.
Soft Machine are one of the seminal Canterbury bands. Growing out of the Wilde Flowers (along with Caravan), Soft Machine and Pink Floyd were the two most popular rock bands of the underground culture in the late '60s England. The band has gone through *many* personnel changes; consequently their sound has changed constantly over the years of their existence. I have four of the first five studio albums, missing only Four. Incorporating jazz elements and lyrical humor into the rock format, the Soft Machine's early music is best described as improvisations interrupted by songs. This live technique was realized on their studio albums where brief lyrical passages alternated with long improvisational jams. The early band was Kevin Ayers on guitar, Robert Wyatt on drums, Mike Ratledge on organ and, starting with Volume 2, Hugh Hopper on bass. Third was the classic release by this early formation of the band, mixing long improvisations with a mature style of composition. This album is a good introduction to the early Soft Machine. Robert Wyatt left before 5 was released and the band used two different drummers. Along with Wyatt went his distinctive voice which has a minor cult following! 5 is very spacious, showing influence of Pink Floyd, while Dean's sax and saxello play a major roll in the overall sound. The songs are still mostly improvisational, perhaps with a bit more structure and complexity than in earlier works. Mike Ratledge (who would remain the longest lasting member of the Soft Machine) still has a strong presence with his organ and electric piano but no longer are they a dominant force. This would be a good album to check out the jazzy experimental side of the band.
The Soft Machine - An Annotated and Opinionated Discography
I should put a label on this band's music so you can all conveniently file it away and forget about listening to it. Unfortunately, it's not so easy so let's just call it "composed and improvised music played on electrically amplified instruments." All in all, not very danceable. DISCLAIMER: The following is typed completely from memory as circumstance has temporarily separated me from a large part of my record collection. Especially unreliable are the dates attributed to some of the recordings.

The Soft Machine: First official album. Lineup: Robert Wyatt, Mike Ratledge and Kevin Ayers. The music bears Ayers stamp more than anyone elses. Here, the group has already taken a big turn away from normal pop music. Individual songs are bridged by improvised bits. Ratledge's organ solos are killers. Some goofy sixties production values date the work, however (big panning and swish boom effects). Produced by Chas Chandler and Tom Brown) but the story has it that the band effectively produced themselves while Chas was on the phone.

Volume II: Produced by George Martin. Ayers replaced by Hugh Hopper, their former roadie. Features long complex compositions with a backing horn section. The group has started to take to improvisation in a big way ("Esther's Nose Job") though some pop values remain ("Dedicated to You," "As Long as He Lies Perfectly Still").

Third (two discs): One of their most brilliant efforts. The classic lineup of Wyatt, Ratledge, Hopper, and Elton Dean (horns). Four sides, four compositions featuring extended improvisations from all musicians. Influences ranging from Terry Riley to Eric Satie. "Moon in June" is the last sample of Wyatt's singing with the band.

Four: Same lineup as Third. Roy Babbington has a guest appearance on double bass. More "jazzy," less dramatic and cooler than Third.

Fifth - The other essential Soft Machine album. Wyatt has left to form Matching Mole (from the French translation of "soft machine": "machine molle"). Replaced by Neil Dolen, then John Marshall. One piece of music that I have not grown tired of listening to after eight years, especially the opening cut "All White" where Elton Dean blows extremely hot.

Six (two discs, one recorded live): Karl Jenkins comes on board to replace Elton Dean. The live stuff is pretty bland. The studio disc contains four compositions of which "Chloe and the Pirates" makes buying the whole set worthwhile. "Stanley Stamp's Gibbon Album" contains a lot of manic energy but Ratledge's improvisations seem to be losing their edge and the whole song bogs down in repetitivity. Hugh Hopper's "1984" is a rather dark experimental piece. Jenkins' piece presages "New Age" music with some complex but repetitive polyrythms.

Seven: Roy Babbington in, Hugh Hopper out. This album can be classed as the last of the Soft's main period as Jenkins begins to assume control of the band. Interesting but not entirely successful.

Bundles: Allan Holdsworth joins up. Ratledge is still present but on the margin. Jenkins more or less ceases to play his horns and takes up keyboards. The presence of Holdsworth exemplifies the music on this album, which is mostly in the heavy guitar based jazz-rock vein. Holdsworth fans should definitely get this one.

Softs: Ratledge and Holdswort leave. Guitar taken over by John Etheridge. Music continues to develop in the Jenkins direction: new age tinged jazz-rock (hmm, that might suggest Pat Metheny to some but that's not right. Think of Mahavishnu Orchestra's Birds of Fire with a dose of Wyndham Hill or vice versa).

Alive and Well: From a series of Paris concerts. More of the same.

Land of Cockaigne: Last studio album (last album ever?). Mostly a Karl Jenkins solo effort with backing from an orchestra, Marshall, Holdsworth, and Jack Bruce(!).

The Peel Sessions (Top Gear BBC recordings, 2 cd's): Fantastic collection of live recordings featuring Wyatt, Ratledge, Hopper, and Dean. Contains recordings of the brief seven man lineup with the addition of Marc Charig, Lyn Dobson, and a third person. ('69, '70, '71).

Triple Echo: Legendary three disc compilation of material up to Fifth or Six. In 1983, I saw a battered copy in a used record shop in New York going for $100.

The Unbeatable Soft Machine: Compilation of Jenkins-era material. With 78 minutes of music on one disc, you can buy this one and forget about Bundles and after.

Spaced is early, (until recently) unreleased recording, which can be seen as Soft Machine's foray into electronic music, probably helped by some "chemistry". Virtually and Noisette are essential live recordings from 1970-71 period, when Robert Wyatt was still part of the group. Noisette is from short-lived quintet line-up (with Lyn Dobson - reeds), and encapsulates the concert on which "Facelift" was recorded for the Third, while Jet-Set could offer some insights into earlier "wring-outs" of one of the most inspiring ensembles ever. -- Nenad Kobal




The Soft Machine
Formed 1966
Disbanded 1976

Group Members Andy Summers Robert Wyatt Allan Holdsworth Marc Charig Elton Dean Alan Skidmore Daevid Allen Kevin Ayers Lyn Dobson Roy Babbington John Etheridge Nick Evans Jimmy Hastings Hugh Hopper Brian Hopper Phil Howard Karl Jenkins John Marshall Mike Ratledge Alan Wakeman Ray Warleigh

by Richie Unterberger

The Soft Machine was never a commercial enterprise and indeed still remains unknown even to many listeners that came of age during the late '60s, when the group was at their peak. In their own way, however, they were one of the more influential bands of their era, and certainly one of the most influential underground ones. One of the original British psychedelic groups, they were also instrumental in the birth of both progressive rock and jazz-rock. They were also the central foundation of the family tree of the "Canterbury school" of British progressive rock acts, a movement that also included Caravan, Gong, Matching Mole, and National Health, not to mention the distinguished solo careers of founding members Robert Wyatt and Kevin Ayers.
Considering their well-known experimental and avant-garde leanings, the roots of the Soft Machine were in some respects surprisingly conventional. In the mid-'60s, Wyatt sang and drummed with the Wilde Flowers, a Canterbury group that played more or less conventional pop and soul covers of the day. Future Soft Machine members Ayers and Hugh Hopper would also pass through the Wilde Flowers, whose original material began to reflect an odd sensibility, cultivated by their highly educated backgrounds and a passion for improvised jazz. In 1966, Wyatt teamed up with bassist/singer Ayers, keyboardist Mike Ratledge, and Australian guitarist Daevid Allen to form the first lineup of the Soft Machine.

This incarnation of the group, along with Pink Floyd and Tomorrow, were the very first underground psychedelic bands in Britain, and quickly became well loved in the burgeoning London psychedelic underground. Their first recordings (many of which only surfaced years later on compilations of 1967 demos) were by far their most pop-oriented, which doesn't mean they weren't exciting, or devoid of experimental elements. Surreal wordplay and unusually (for rock) complex instrumental interplay gave an innovative edge to their ebullient early psychedelic outings. They only managed to cut one (very good) single, though, which flopped. Allen, the weirdest of a colorful group of characters, had to leave the band when he was refused re-entry into the U.K. after a stint in France, due to the expiration of his visa.

The remaining trio recorded their first proper album in 1968. The considerable melodic elements and vocal harmonies of their 1967 recordings were now giving way to more challenging, artier postures that sought - sometimes successfully, sometimes not - to meld the energy of psychedelic rock with the improvisational pulse of jazz. The Softs were taken on by Jimi Hendrix's management, leading to grueling stints supporting the Jimi Hendrix Experience on their 1968 American tours. Because of this, the group at this point was probably more well-known in the U.S. than their homeland. In fact, their debut LP was only issued, oddly, in the States. For a couple of months in 1968, strangely enough, the Soft Machine became a quartet again with the addition of future Police guitarist Andy Summers, although that didn't work out, and they soon reverted to a trio. The punishing tours took their toll on the group, and Ayers had left by the end of 1968, to be replaced by Wyatt's old chum Hugh Hopper.

Their second album, Vol. 2 (1969), further submerged the band's pop elements in favor of extended jazzy compositions, with an increasingly lesser reliance on lyrics and vocals. Ratledge's fuzzy, buzzy organ, and Wyatt's pummeling, imaginative drumming and scat vocals, paced the band on material that became increasingly whimsical and surrealistic, if increasingly inaccessible to the pop/rock audience. For their third album, they went even further in these directions, expanding to a seven-piece by adding a horn section. This record virtually dispensed with vocals and conventional rock songs entirely, and is considered a landmark by both progressive rock and jazz-rock aficionados, though it was too oblique for many rock listeners.

The Soft Machine couldn't afford to continue to support a seven-member lineup, and scaled back to a quartet for their fourth album, retaining Elton Dean on sax. Wyatt had left by the end of 1971, briefly leading the similar Matching Mole, and then establishing a long-running solo career. In doing so he was following the path of Kevin Ayers, who already had several solo albums to his credit by the early '70s; Daevid Allen, for his part, had become a principal of Gong, one of the most prominent and enigmatic '70s progressive rock bands.

For most intents and purposes, Wyatt's departure spelled the end of the Soft Machine's reign as an important band. Although the Soft Machine was always a collaborative effort, Wyatt's humor, humanism, and soulful raspy vocals could not be replaced. Ratledge and Hopper kept the group going with other musicians, though by now they were an instrumental fusion group with little vestiges of their former playfulness. Hopper left in 1973, and Ratledge, the last original member, was gone by 1976. Other lineups continued to play under the Soft Machine name, amazingly, until the 1990s, but these were the Soft Machine in name only.


1968 Volume One One Way
1969 Volume Two One Way
1970 Third Columbia
1971 Fourth One Way
1972 Fifth One Way
1973 Six One Way
1974 Seven One Way
1975 Bundles See for Miles
1976 Softs See for Miles
1976 Rubber Riff De Wolfe
1978 Alive & Well: Recorded in Paris See for Miles
1981 The Land of Cockayne One Way
1988 Live at the Proms 1970 Reckless
1993 BBC Radio 1 Live ROIR
1994 BBC Radio 1 Live, Vol. 2 Windsong
1995 Live in France One Way
1995 Live at the Paradiso 1969 Voiceprint
1996 Spaced Cuneiform
1998 Virtually Cuneiform
1998 Live 1970 Blueprint
2000 Noisette [live] Cuneiform
2002 Backwards Cuneiform
2002 Facelift [live] Voiceprint




Volume Two
Date of Release Apr 1969

The first Soft Machine LP usually got the attention, with its movable parts sleeve, as well as the presence of ultra-talented songwriter Kevin Ayers. But musically, Volume Two better conveys the Dada-ist whimsy and powerful avant-rock leanings of the band. Hugh Hopper took over for Ayers on bass, and his fuzz tones and experimental leanings supplanted Ayers' pop emphasis. The creative nucleus behind this most progressive of progressive rock albums, however, is Robert Wyatt. He provides the musical arrangements to Hopper's quirky ideas on the stream-of-consciousness collection of tunes ("Rivmic Melodies") on side one. Unlike the first record, which sounded choppy and often somnolent, this one blends together better, and it has a livelier sound. The addition of session horn players enhanced the Softs' non-guitar lineup, and keyboardist Mike Ratledge, whose musical erudition frequently clashed in the early days with the free-spirited Wyatt, Ayers, and Daevid Allen, lightened his touch here. He even contributes one of the album's highlights with "Pig" ("Virgins are boring/they should be grateful for the things they're ignoring"). But it's Wyatt who lifts this odd musical jewel to its artistic heights. He uses his tender voice like a jazz instrument, scatting (in Spanish!) on "Dada Was Here," and sounding entirely heartfelt in "Have You Ever Bean Green," a brief tribute to the Jimi Hendrix Experience, with whom the Softs toured ("Thank you Noel and Mitch, thank you Jim, for our exposure to the crowd"). Fans of the Canterbury scene will also relish "As Long As He Lies Perfectly Still," a loving tribute to ex-bandmate Ayers. This is the one record that effectively assimilates rock, absurdist humor, jazz, and the avant-garde, and it misses classic status only due to some dissonant instrumentation on side two. - Peter Kurtz

1. Pataphysical Introduction, Pt. 1 (Wyatt) - 1:00
2. A Concise British Alphabet, Pt. 1 (arr. Wyatt/Hopper/Wyatt) - :10
3. Hibou, Anemone and Bear (Ratledge/Wyatt) - 5:58
4. A Concise British Alphabet, Pt. 2 (arr. Wyatt/Hopper/Wyatt) - :12
5. Hulloder (arr. Wyatt/Hopper) - :52
6. Dada Was Here (arr. Wyatt/Hopper/Wyatt) - 3:25
7. Thank You Pierrot Lunaire (arr. Wyatt/Hopper) - :47
8. Have You Ever Bean Green? (arr. Wyatt/Hopper) - 1:23
9. Pataphysical Introduction, Pt. 2 (Wyatt) - :50
10. Out of Tunes (Hopper/Ratledge/Wyatt) - 2:30
11. As Long as He Lies Perfectly Still (Ratledge/Wyatt) - 2:30
12. Dedicated to You But You Weren't Listening (Hopper) - 2:30
13. Fire Engine Passing With Bells Clanging (Ratledge) - 1:50
14. Pig (Ratledge) - 2:08
15. Orange Skin Food (Ratledge) - 1:52
16. A Door Opens and Closes (Ratledge) - 1:09
17. 10:30 Returns to the Bedroom (Hopper/Ratledge/Wyatt) - 4:14


The Soft Machine - Producer
Robert Wyatt - Percussion, Drums, Vocals
George Chkiantz - Engineer
Hugh Hopper - Guitar (Acoustic), Bass, Guitar, Alto (Vocal)
Brian Hopper - Saxophone, Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor)
Michael Jeffrey - Producer
Mike Ratledge - Organ, Flute, Piano, Harpsichord, Keyboards

1968 CD One Way 22065
1969 LP Probe 1002
CD One Way 22065
Probe 4505
1969 One Way
Big Beat WIKA 58
CD One Way MCAD-22065
1993 CD One Way 22065