1968 WHEEL COV THE SOFT MACHINE POPSIKE PROG PSYCH

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1968 BRITISH PSYCH-EDELIC PROG-ADELIC COLLECTIBLE           

ORIGINAL "WHEEL COVER" GATEFOLD              

                         Vol. 1

\                                                           USA - PROBE - CP LP 4500

KEEPER CLEAN....ORIGINAL 1968 .... 42+ years old original first pressing vinyl in thick gatefold with the famous trippy gimmix designed "WHEEL COVER" ... ...1968 first Soft Machine albums, the psychedelic laced progressives who pioneered the prog scene while laced with the reverberations of the acid-sixties ...

 The SOFT MACHINE > VOLUME ONE                            

Without a lead guitar, the first Soft Machine, fondly remembered as Volume 1,  sought to meld psychedelia and progressive-rock through Wyatt’s imaginative, liberally panned drumming, Ayers’ jazz & pop bass grooves, and Ratledge’s horror movie Doors organ. With those pieces in motion, they achieved a wondrous time capsule of experimental pop under the constant surreal lyricism of Wyatt and Ayers. Like Syd Barrett was to Pink Floyd, Ayers brought an infatuation with unhinged, uncouth pop to the group aesthetic, which would make Vol. 1 the most conventional Soft Machine album in terms of structure. Ayers wasn’t long for this band, though. He left on good terms after the US tour in order to focus on his solo career, which would find modest success over a few decades and a dozen odd releases, many of which returned to the themes first explored on Vol. 1. There’s no rest for the wicked, as they say and the bass-hole was quickly filled by one Hugh Hopper just in time to record their second album in 1969. Hopper had previously played with Wyatt in the Daevid Allen Trio, so it was an easy fit that reflected in the work they produced together. The band's debut is certainly a very creative album, and with all the organ fireworks going on during the instrumental jams, one may not notice on the first couple listens that the "lead guitar" Kevin Ayres is credited with is actually a bass. There are no boring or weak moments. The sound production suits the music just fine. Fuzzy organ and bass are spread all over the place, from short odd-time-signature experiments "Box 25/4 Lid" to downtempo almost-ballad-like type songs ( "A Certain Kind"), to three-minute repetitive trance in "We Did It Again".

"Why Are We Sleeping" is a highlight, with simple structured organ chords, excellent lyrics and frenetic solo...but they're all really good. Nice humour, experiments with vocals, overall warmth...

Side one

1. "Hope for Happiness" (Brian Hopper, arr. Robert Wyatt / Mike Ratledge / Kevin Ayers) – 4:21
2. "Joy of a Toy" (Ayers / Ratledge) – 2:49
3. "Hope for Happiness (reprise)" (B. Hopper, arr. Wyatt / Ratledge / Ayers) – 1:38
4. "Why Am I So Short?" (Hugh Hopper / Wyatt) – 1:39
5. "So Boot If At All" (Ratlege / Ayers / Wyatt) – 7:25
6. "A Certain Kind" (H. Hopper) – 4:11

Side two

1. "Save Yourself" (Wyatt) – 2:26
2. "Priscilla" (Ayers / Ratledge / Wyatt) – 1:03
3. "Lullabye Letter" (Ayers) – 4:32
4. "We Did It Again" (Ayers) – 3:46
5. "Plus Belle qu'une Poubelle" (Ayers) – 1:03
6. "Why Are We Sleeping?" (Ayers / Ratledge / Wyatt) – 5:30
7. "Box 25/4 Lid" (Ratledge / H. Hopper) – 0:49

CONDITION: The "wheel" gatefold cover is VG++ near "EX" hard to find clean, this cover with very minimum handling wear, fine with no split seams, no bends and no writing == and the wheel spins!

The vinyl is glossy both sides, real clean near M- top levels ...clear, looks and plays clean, collectibly so...the labels are both clean....

      A cool addition to anyone's music library!

SEE: SELLERS OTher items for similar cool sounds for "head" people...

EFFICIENT/CAREFUL GRADING

All imperfections are noted both cover & record