Soft Machine – Third 2/LP (1970 UK Jazz-Rock, Canterbury Scene )Full Album

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Formed in Canterbury, UK in 1966 - Disbanded in 1984 - Reformed in 2015
(SM members would reconvene under several monikers along the years)

The band started playing as such in 1966 but their first record, a single, came out in 1967.
The very last concert was in 1984 at Ronnie Scott's on July 30/31 and August 1-4.
Band members at that concert were Paul Carmichael (bass), John Etheridge, Karl Jenkins, Dave McRae (once upon a time keyboard player with Matching Mole), Ray Warleigh and John Marshall.

The name of the band is similar to the book with the same title written by William Burroughs: "The Soft Machine".
Besides this, different formations/groups tour under names as "Soft Machine Legacy" (2004-2015), "Soft Works" (2002-2004), "Soft Ware" (1999-2002), "Soft Mountain", "Soft Heap (1978-1983) and "Polysoft"

The probably most important and influential band to grow out the Canterbury Scene was SOFT MACHINE. The band emerged as the quartet of Robert WYATT (drums, vocals), Mike RATLEDGE (keyboards), Kevin AYERS (bass, vocals) and Daevid ALLEN (guitar, vocals). Through a persistence of personnel changes (totalling ~30), their sound was to changed continually over the years of their existence. This band along with CARAVAN (both to come out of the formative WILDE FLOWERS), would influence the emergence of the Canterbury Sound (MATCHING MOLE, EGG, HATFIELD & THE NORTH, and many more). Many careers began with SOFT MACHINE: Robert WYATT (MATCHING MOLE band and solo artist), Kevin AYERS (later his own WHOLE WORLD band and solo artist), and Daevid ALLEN (later GONG and solo artist). Virtuosic instrumentalists such as Hugh HOPPER, Mike RATLEDGE, Elton DEAN, Allan HOLDSWORTH, (briefly) Andy SUMMERS, Roy BABBINGTON, John MARSHALL and Karl JENKINS were attracted to MACHINE's ranks through out its history, leaving us a series of ground-breaking albums.

Now, briefly - what is the music like? The SOFT MACHINE were, for many listeners, the standard against which all jazz-rock fusion, including many of the big American names, had to be measured. (Alas SOFT MACHINE, has taken a mighty long time to be accepted even by part of the jazz fraternity). SOFT MACHINE's first three studio albums contain some of their best work. The first two demonstrate a progression from R'n'B psychedelia, increasingly heavily flavored by Mike Ratledge's free jazz improv tempered by modern serious music, towards their own idiosyncratic jazz fusion. The first album is very much in the psychedelic vein. In the instrumental section of "Volume Two" and "Third", they are found freely blending modern jazz with modern rock sensibilities, with more than a hint of heavy abstract stylings, e.g. minimalism - that is not to say, they were doing this all along - for instance as found on the 1967 recordings heard on "Middle Earth Tapes". "Volume Two" retains the psychedelia through the mixture of metaphysical and apparently ad-lib lyrics, while instrumentally the psychedelic jamming was heavily infused with a complex jazzy style. Here Hugh HOPPER, RATLEDGE and WYATT were joined by Hugh's brother Brian on sax. "Live At Paradiso" covering the same tunes but in different order, was recorded within a fortnight of "Volume 2", by the trio and sounds more prog than jazz. "Third" is the transitional, double album with one clearly psychedelic piece "Moon in June" (the last sample of WYATT's singing with the band on a studio recording; WYATT's 1969 demo of the tune can be found on "Backwards") and the rest being more jazz-fusion with some psychedelic touches, due in part the first indication of Terry Riley's minimalism having some influence. DAEVID ALLEN (and HUGH HOPPER)had worked with TERRY RILEY in Paris in the mid-60's - and some of HOPPER's later solo work (e.g. "Jazzloops") also echoes this. The presence of ELTON DEAN (sax and saxello) now really emphasised the jazz (often free form), in the mix and so pushing the others into playing more challenging music. One thing that was constant throughout this time was the shear loudness of SOFT MACHINE's gigs

"Third" is a very good introduction to the second period SOFT MACHINE.


Songs / Tracks Listing
1. Facelift 00:00 *
2. Slightly All the Time 18:57 :
- Slightly All the Time
- Noisette
- Backwards
- Slightly All the Time (reprise)
3. Moon in June 37:13
4. Out-Bloody-Rageous 56:23

Total Time 75:43

* Recorded live 1970 at Fairfield Hall, Croydon (January 4) and Mothers Club, Birmingham (January 11)

Line-up / Musicians
- Mike Ratledge / Lowrey organ, piano, Hohner pianet
- Elton Dean / alto saxophone, saxello
- Hugh Hopper / bass
- Robert Wyatt / drums, vocals & piano & Hammond & bass (3)

With:
- Lyn Dobson / flute & soprano saxophone (1)
- Nick Evans / trombone (2,4)
- Jimmy Hastings / flute & bass clarinet (2,4)
- Rab Spall / electric violin (3)