Search - Soft Machine :: Virtually

One of the better Ones

Carl Johnson | Detroit, MI United States | 05/13/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love Soft Machine. This live recording from 1971 is one of the last gigs with Robert Wyatt in the band, and it is a beauty. It is especially interesting to me because this CD has the only live recording(s) of Teeth (SM4), All White (SM5 and Pigling Bland (I believe SM5), Kings and Queens (SM4, 5 or 6). plus several songs that were never recorded in the studio [ Neo-Caliban Grides, Eammon Andrews]. The playing in general shows The Soft Machine at the top of their game.

Robert does more of his vocal improv on this recording than on Noisette. He does this in two sections: one is a really very different scat style for him and really plays well into the mood of the recording.



But the most notable piece for me on this CD is actually the opening cut of Hugh Hopper's Facelift.

The previous reviewer is correct on how Robert's departure from the band made them less extraordinary, however I personally do not think they ever sounded like the typical fusion band of the 1970's era. Heck, they created it in a way! They have always maintained the Soft Machine signature sound. This is the quartet version of the band; I personally like Cuneiform's making of Noisette better because there were 7 band members with the addition of the horn & reed players and the septet was Ratledge's dream band. But they are different records. Both are superb spins!

"