The Soft Machine (Soft Machine album)
| The Soft Machine | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by The Soft Machine | ||||
| Released | December 1968 | |||
| Recorded | April 1968 at Record Plant Studios, New York City | |||
| Genre | Psychedelic rock,[1] jazz rock,[2] Canterbury Scene | |||
| Length | 41.30 | |||
| Label | France: Barclay | |||
| Producer | Chas Chandler, Tom Wilson | |||
| The Soft Machine chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Soft Machine | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [3] |
The Soft Machine (also titled "Volume One" as a reissue) is the debut album by the British psychedelic rock band Soft Machine, released in 1968.
Overview
Founded in 1966, Soft Machine (one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene) recorded and released this studio album during their 1968 tour of the USA. It was produced by Chas Chandler and Tom Wilson.
This album fused psychedelic rock with jazz and soft rock, making it highly experimental. The work on this album was one of the essential roots in progressive rock and jazz-fusion.
Track listing
| Side one | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 1. | "Hope for Happiness" | Kevin Ayers, Mike Ratledge, Brian Hopper | 4:21 |
| 2. | "Joy of a Toy" | Ayers, Ratledge | 2:49 |
| 3. | "Hope for Happines (Reprise)" | Ayers, Ratledge, B. Hopper | 1:38 |
| 4. | "Why Am I So Short?" | Ratledge, Ayers, Hugh Hopper | 1:39 |
| 5. | "So Boot If At All" | Ayers, Ratledge, Robert Wyatt | 7:25 |
| 6. | "A Certain Kind" | H. Hopper | 4:11 |
| Side two | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 7. | "Save Yourself" | Wyatt | 2:26 |
| 8. | "Priscilla" | Ayers, Ratledge, Wyatt | 1:03 |
| 9. | "Lullabye Letter" | Ayers | 4:32 |
| 10. | "We Did It Again" | Ayers | 3:46 |
| 11. | "Plus Belle qu'une Poubelle" | Ayers | 1:03 |
| 12. | "Why Are We Sleeping?" | Ayers, Ratledge, Wyatt | 5:30 |
| 13. | "Box 25/4 Lid" | Ratledge, H. Hopper | 0:49 |
Live performances of "We Did It Again" were sometimes as long as 45 minutes.
The 2009 Remastered Edition includes as bonus tracks also "Love Makes Sweet Music" and "Feelin' Reelin' Squeelin'", respectively Side A and Side B of their first single, issued in 1967.
Personnel
- Robert Wyatt – drums, lead vocals
- Mike Ratledge – Lowrey Holiday De Luxe organ, piano (on 13)
- Kevin Ayers – bass, lead vocals (on 10 and 12), backing vocals (on 7 and 9), piano (on 5)
- Additional personnel
- Hugh Hopper – bass (on 13)
- The Cake – backing vocals (on 12)
Sales chart performance
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Billboard 200 | 160[4] |
References
- ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/artist/soft-machine-mn0000753685/biography
- ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-soft-machine-vol-1-mw0000115482
- ↑ Bush, John. "The Soft Machine [Volume One] - Soft Machine | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
- ↑ Soft Machine allmusic.