Browse by Artist: SOFT MACHINE

Artist:	SOFT MACHINE
Title:	Spaced
Label:	CUNEIFORM
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RUNE 090CD

Fantastic archival release of this legendary avant-rock group, showing them at their most experimental, tranced-state ever, an organically looped masterpiece of sound construction which will be of interest far beyond the prog section. "Previously unreleased studio recordings recorded in early/mid 1969 by the 'classic' Soft Machine trio line-up of Hugh Hopper (bass), Mike Ratledge (electric piano/organ) and Robert Wyatt (drums). Shortly after recording Volume Two (rightly considered a landmark of British progressive rock), Soft Machine agreed to collaborate with Peter Dockley on Spaced, a multimedia show at the Roundhouse. It was an experimental 'happening' in all its creative splendor, with ballet dancers and ex-army gymnasts choreographed to perform on a geodesic structure made of construction scaffolding. The dancers wore rubber costumes with octopus suckers up and down their legs. After it's week-long performance, Spaced slipped into obscurity. The tapes Soft Machine created for the event were forgotten for over two decades. They feature Soft Machine at their most radical, using sound-manipulated techniques associated with experimental music genres like 'musique concrete'. While they would never again use the studio in such a heavily manipulated fashion, the work influenced later Soft Machine works. It can also be seen as an early blue-print for later radical experimenters like Faust. Hugh Hopper: "They wanted a backing tape of suitably deranged and doomy sounds, so we recorded chunks of music as a trio...My brother came up at the weekend to add some sax blasts here and there, and we then spent a week or more playing around with tape loops and ancient mechanical aids to produce the finished tape. Now of course with a computer you could do the whole thing in an afternoon, but in those analog days it was strictly scissors and tape."

Artist:	SOFT MACHINE
Title:	Virtually
Label:	CUNEIFORM
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RUNE 100CD

"One of the most critically acclaimed and far-reaching avant rock bands ever was Soft Machine, named after a novel by William Burroughs. The band was formed in Canterbury, Kent, England in 1966 & had many personnel permutations over it's decade-long career, but the lineup featured on this release [Elton Dean/Mike Ratledge/Hugh Hopper/Robert Wyatt] is considered by most to be the 'classic' version. This previously unreleased, excellent quality live concert was recorded by German radio during the lineup's final European tour." Wyatt (drums, vocals), Dean (alto sax, saxello, electric piano), Ratledge, (electric piano, organ), Hopper (bass). Recorded 3/23/71. "The early seventies (around Third) was for me the most exciting of the band's many transitional periods: a time when they began to move away from the song format (without abandoning an obvious melodic approach), and to incorporate extended modal, free improvisation and segued sets just like the most advanced jazz groups. Unlike jazz groups, they had at their disposal an awareness of identity of sound (who else played the Lowery organ apart from Ratledge, or the saxello other than Dean, or used spaced out bass features like Hopper, or processed voices like Robert Wyatt?). This concert took place a year and a half after jazz player Elton Dean joined Soft Machine and a few months before Robert Wyatt left the band because its music had become too jazz oriented for him. And it was this tension between rock and jazz elements that made up the group's dynamic in that particular period." --Peter Schulze/Radio Bremen.

Artist:	SOFT MACHINE
Title:	Noisette
Label:	CUNEIFORM
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RUNE 130CD

"One of the most critically acclaimed and far reaching avant rock bands ever was the British group Soft Machine, named after a novel by William Burroughs. The band was formed in Canterbury, Kent, England in 1966. Noisette was recorded January 4th, 1970, by the short-lived quintet formation of the group: Elton Dean & Lyn Dobson (reeds), Hugh Hopper (bass), Mike Ratledge (keyboard)s & Robert Wyatt (drums & vocals). Noisette showcases a band in transition from their earlier psychedelic/progressive rock period towards the jazz/rock sound that would make them famous with the release of their Third and Fourth albums in 1970 and 1971. It features the quintet performing versions of material from Soft Machine's first two albums as well as previously unreleased material. As such, it is a vital and necessary release for all fans of this legendary English ensemble."

Artist:	SOFT MACHINE
Title:	Backwards
Label:	CUNEIFORM
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RUNE 170CD

"One of the most critically acclaimed, far-reaching and influential avant rock bands ever was Soft Machine, named after a novel by William Burroughs. The band was formed in Canterbury, Kent, England in 1966 by Daevid Allen (guitar), Kevin Ayers (bass/vocals), Mike Ratledge (keyboards) and Robert Wyatt (drums/vocals). Backwards is comprised of recordings from three different and intriguing eras of the band, and includes liner notes written by Canterbury music scholar Aymeric Leroy. Backwards begins with three tracks from May, 1970: a recording of the 'classic' quartet made about the time that Soft Machine had finished recording its acclaimed Third album. The recording is mono, but the sonic quality is superb; this may be the single finest recording of the quartet version of Soft Machine, surpassing even the band's official studio releases. The next two tracks on Backwards are recordings of performances from November, 1969, featuring the 'big band' septet version. Since the only other available material by this version of the band is 20' of BBC recordings, this is an invaluable addition to the band's recorded legacy. Backwards concludes with Robert Wyatt's original demo of 'Moon In June', a tune the band would later record for Third. The demo version which appears here, taken from the original acetate, was recorded in two parts and spliced together by the band."

Artist:	SOFT MACHINE
Title:	Live In Paris, May 2nd, 1972
Label:	CUNEIFORM
Format:	2CD
Price:	$21.00
Catalog #:	RUNE 195CD

"One of the most critically acclaimed, far-reaching and influential avant rock bands ever was Soft Machine, named after a novel by William Burroughs. About five years into the band's lifetime, in August 1971, founding member Robert Wyatt left Soft Machine. The band had just released its Fourth album and completed an exhausting period of touring. Wyatt's departure left the band -- then consisting of keyboardist Ratledge, bassist Hugh Hopper and saxophonist Elton Dean -- in disarray. After a few months, Soft Machine recruited rock drummer John Marshall, formerly of the Jack Bruce Band and Nucleus. But the lineup of Hopper, Ratledge, Dean and Marshall would only last a half year. Live in Paris is a rare recording of the quartet of Hopper, Ratledge, Dean and Marshall during that lineup's final days; Dean left Soft Machine later that month. It is also a special, rare example of a Soft Machine concert recorded and released in its entirety. Live in Paris shows Soft Machine playing in top form, their stage performance transcending any internal tensions. Heavily indebted to jazz as well as free improvisation, the band's jazz/rock sound here is at times spare, even minimal, with Dean's free-blowing saxophone often in the fore. In the liner notes, Aymeric Leroy notes that the music illustrates main composers Ratledge and Hopper's 'shift in compositional style towards looser and more minimalistic themes'."

Artist:	SOFT MACHINE
Title:	Grides
Label:	CUNEIFORM
Format:	CD/DVD
Price:	$21.00
Catalog #:	RUNE 230/1CD

"Soft Machine were one of England's original psychedelic bands, rising out of the same 'UFO CLUB' London scene at the same time as Pink Floyd. They toured the USA with the Jimi Hendrix Experience two different times in 1968, playing over 60 shows as their opening act. The band broke up at the end of those Hendrix tours, but then reformed in early 1969 with the trio lineup of Mike Ratledge (organ), Hugh Hopper (bass) and Robert Wyatt (drums/vocal) in a more jazzified direction, while keeping their rock energy. Adding Elton Dean (saxes) in the fall of 1969, this is the lineup considered their 'classic' formation. They were one of the very first English jazz/rock bands. This set is a previously-unreleased live concert as well as the first-ever DVD release by Soft Machine, both featuring the classic lineup."

Artist:	SOFT MACHINE
Title:	Middle Earth Masters
Label:	CUNEIFORM
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RUNE 235CD

"Soft Machine were one of England's original psychedelic bands, rising out of the same 'UFO CLUB' London scene at the same time as Pink Floyd. Originally founded in Autumn, 1966 as a four piece of Daevid Allen-guitar, Kevin Ayers-bass, vocals, Mike Ratledge- organ and Robert Wyatt- drums, vocals, they became a trio in August, 1967 when Australian Daevid was denied re-entry into the UK after a French tour. The trio continue onward playing many shows and slowly building an audience in 'swinging London' and beyond. The band releases a 45 and link with Jimi Hendrix's management which culminates in the Softs touring the USA with the Jimi Hendrix Experience two different times in 1968, playing over 60 shows as their opening act and recording their first album while in the USA during their tours. This captures the 1967-era Soft Machine (Kevin Ayers, Mike Ratledge, Robert Wyatt) in full concert glory, recorded live in swinging London's legendary Middle Earth club. The performance is unbelievably freaky for 1967, with songs that feature unusual structures linked by wild solos and improvisations."

Artist:	SOFT MACHINE
Title:	Softstage: BBC In Concert 1972
Label:	HUX (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$18.00
Catalog #:	HUX 070CD

2005 release. "This live BBC concert was recorded at London's Paris Theatre on July 20,1972, just a few months before the live and studio material for band's album Six was put together. The Six album is widely regarded as a great record, but as the critic Duncan Heining says in his liner notes to Softstage, this CD is actually even better. This concert was the fifth by this incarnation of Soft Machine, with Karl Jenkins joining Mike Ratledge, Hugh Hopper and John Marshall, adding his considerable skills on woodwinds and keyboards, not to mention his talents as composer. This performance also showcases the exceptional Hopper-Marshall rhythm section. 'Slightly All The Time,' from the pre-Fifth days, is almost unrecognizable. The rest of the set is a mixture of compositions, mostly bearing only minor resemblance to the originals, from Fifth and Six album. Although only weeks into its existence, this line-up of Soft Machine was already a very solid unit, as this performance testifies. The accompanying 8-page booklet includes extensive liner notes & rare band photos."

Artist:	SOFT MACHINE
Title:	Jet Propelled
Label:	SPALAX (FRANCE)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	SPA 14816

Umpteenth reissue of the original Soft Machine demos, recorded in London, 1967 by Giorgio Gomelsky. This is the complete 9 track session, which along with their first single, mark the band's only documentation with this superstar lineup: Daevid Allen (lead guitar), Robert Wyatt (vocals/drums), Mike Ratledge (piano, organ) and Kevin Ayers (bass, vocals). While this will never come close to living up to the expectations of such a line up, it's a curious listen at least.

Artist:	SOFT MACHINE
Title:	The Soft Machine
Label:	TAPESTRY RECORDS (LIECHTENSTEIN)
Format:	LP
Price:	$28.00
Catalog #:	TPT 226LP

"The Soft Machine deftly combine '60s psych-pop, jazz, and rock into a unique sound that stands up to repeated listenings more than most music today. The instrumentals are awesome -- interplay between organ, drums, bass and vocals make for intricate rockers with priceless moments. Wyatt's lispy voice is off-putting at first, but endearing on more listens, aided by his clever and often witty lyrics. Songs like 'A Certain Kind,' 'Save Yourself,' 'Lullabye Letter,' and 'Why Are We Sleeping' are great '60s psych-pop, with good hooks, but still original sounding." 180 gram virgin vinyl, gatefold sleeve, limited edition of 1000 copies.

Artist:	SOFT MACHINE
Title:	Alive In Paris 1970
Label:	VOICE PRINT (UK)
Format:	DVD
Price:	$19.00
Catalog #:	VP 045DVD

Great quality French TV broadcast, recorded on 3/2/70. "This DVD captures The Canterbury Sound legends, Soft Machine, live in France filmed in 1970 at the Theatre de la Musique. The line up of the band at the time included Mike Ratledge, Robert Wyatt, Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean and Lyn Dobson. This rare footage has only recently been rediscovered and as such is a rare insight into one of the classic British genre defining bands of the sixties and seventies. Tracks include 'Out-Bloody-Rageous,' 'Eamonn Andrews,' 'Facelift' and 'Esther's Nose Job.' "Shot with tangible cinematic flair at Paris' photogenic Theatre De La Musique in March 1970 this superb quality live footage of the Softs at their freewheeling peak was originally broadcast on French Television's Pop 2 slot in two 30 minute segments in the wake of the band's extensive French tour of February and March 1970. Like the sounds fashioned onstage by Messrs Wyatt, Hopper, Ratledge, Dean and Dobson the visual style here is both highly fluid and refreshingly free of the stylistic cliches all too familiar from countless lookalike in concert films. Interestingly, the one thing the footage conspicuously lacks is a surplus of conventional head on camera angles with instead vantage points from side stage and from behind Robert Wyatt's drum kit and the band's backline much in evidence. With the Softs flying high sans safety net and previewing material from their upcoming album Third, the audience in raptures, Robert Wyatt looking like the younger brother of Brian Jones and the sight of Orangina bottles decorating the top of the amps this is a hugely evocative period piece made all the more vivid by the warm hues of the colour film stock. They sure don't make 'em like this any more." -- Grahame Bent, Record Collector. NTSC format, region free, 60 minutes running time.

Artist:	SOFT MACHINE
Title:	Facelift
Label:	VOICEPRINT (UK)
Format:	2CD
Price:	$21.00
Catalog #:	VP 233CD

"You may well ask, why release yet another live recording of a Soft Machine concert when there are already several available. Quite simply according to the line up which included Mike Ratledge, Robert Wyatt, Hugh Hopper and Elton Dean and in their opinion it was one of the best performances they had done together. It was made in the middle of the classic Soft Machine period and contains all the major items that made up their repertoire of the time. The recording was made by Brian Hopper from the audience and as can be heard from the enthusiastic reception by the audience at the end, this was an outstanding Soft Machine offering, with an 'authentic' live sound exactly as it was actually experienced, heard here in glorious lo-fi, but a performance to treasure and above all to enjoy. It is the spirit and energy which comes through in a performance that is critical and if these are at a high point as they were in this concert then any shortcomings in sound quality can be ignored. Elton's playing was especially lyrical with a soaring, expressive fluency especially on 'Out- Bloody-Rageous', 'Backwards', 'Hibou Anemone & Bear' and 'Pigling Bland'. Hugh, as ever, underpinned everything with rock solid bass whilst displaying sensitivity and drive ? very necessary with the complex patterns being thrown around by the other three. Robert as a drummer, Robert as a vocalist, Robert as a musician -- all are inseparable. It is his total immersion in music that enables Robert to project his personality into all he does on stage and on record Mike's uncompromising strings of notes, leaps of musical structure and texture and complex time signatures all characterize a style not heard before (or since) in any band. The concert followed conventional practice with two sets separated by an interval. It was therefore appropriate to place the two halves on separate CDs to maintain the feel of the overall performance. This CD will be a must for the huge Soft Machine fan base especially with this brilliant line up."

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