'68/'69 VOL 1 & VOL 2 THE SOFT MACHINE TRIPPY Fuzz Organ ACID PROG PSYCH

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                             '68/'69 UK PSYCH CLASSIC!

                ... SOFT MACHINE ...

                      Volume One

                      Volume Two

          HOLLAND (PINK) PROBE RECORDS -  SC 184 - 50 - 185 - 86

LOOKS and plays FANTASTIC!

MINT CLEAN VINYL (DOUBLE LP!)

Absolutely SCARCE (((early '70s pressing))) fully laminated GATE-FOLD, 100% the original DUTCH-only issue of the first two Soft Machine Albums from 1968 & 1969 ....

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

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

Side two

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

::::SOFT MACHINE ~ VOLUME TWO::::

The second album from The Soft Machine just called Volume Two continues the intellectual psychedelic late sixties prog rock style from their first album. By this Lp, Kevin Ayers has left the band to be replaced by former roadie for the band Hugh Hopper. The change is instantly heard as the distorted bass from Hugh Hopper is heard for the first time. It must have been quite a revolution to hear a bass so heavily distorted as this one in 1969. Hugh Hopper´s dominant distorted bass along with Mike Ratledge's fuzz-box infected organ is one of the great things about this album.

Overall the style of the music is pretty much a continuation of the style Soft Machine introduced on the debut. Witful lyrics and cool psychedelic rock songs with exciting twists. There are lots of small interludes between the longer tracks which works as bridges between those songs. It means that Volume two sometimes has a kind of concept feeling to it.

The instrumentation is keyboards, bass, drums and vocals. Since Daevid Allen ( Gong) wasn´t admitted entrance into Britain after a vacation, and had to leave the band because of that, there hadn´t been a guitarist in the band. There is, in fact, sporadic guitar playing, but no one is credited for playing the guitar. You don´t miss the guitar though as Mike Ratledge is very good at filling out any empty space with his keyboards and both the bass and the drums are very dominant too. The vocals from Robert Wyatt are very good on this album. Really enjoyable.

The production is pretty similar to the one on the debut album but, even though there are similarities between volume one and two it is arguable that Volume Two is a bit better than the debut. In VOLUME TWO the band reached the highest heights of psychedelics, especially with the gorgeous suite on the album's original A- side. Although instrumentation is minimal (bass, drums and keyboards), there are good tunes aplenty. Some have the bass as lead instrument, some the piano or the organ (both with and without fuzz-box), and Wyatt's drumming is bouncier than ever. This is essentially good-humoured music: most of the lyrics are about partying, having sex, or recording in a New York studio - impossible to listen to without a smile on your face and a groove in your head. Particularly charming are the bits where Robert starts crooning in Spanish (he seems to have spent a lot of time in Majorca, with Kevin Ayers), and when he expresses his heartfelt thanks to the members of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, with whom the Soft Machine had been on tour.

Side Two contains more tunes that are both unforgettable and irresistible is in "Dedicated to You" and "Pig". The album as a whole is a must for anyone who's even remotely interested in the Canterbury Scene. Highly recommendable.

Rivmic Melodies
Pataphysical Introduction Pt. I (1:00)
A Concise British Alphabet Pt. I (0:10)
3. Hibou, Anemone and Bear (5:58)
A Concise British Alphabet Pt. II (0:12)
Hulloder (0:52)
Dada Was Here (3:25)
Thank You Pierrot Lunaire (0:47)
Have You Ever Bean Green? (1:23)
Pataphysical Introduction Pt. II (0:50)
Out Of Tunes (2:30)
Esther's Nose Job
As Long As He Lies Perfectly Still (2:30)
Dedicated To You But You Weren't Listening (2:30)
Fire Engine Passing With Bells Clanging (1:50)
Pig (2:08)
Orange Skin Food (1:52)
A Door Opens And Closes (1:09)
10.30 Returns To The Bedroom (4:14)

CONDITION: The cover: rated: fragile LAMINATED GATE-FOLD near M- front cover, M- insides gatefold, M- back cover. The gatefold cover is in collection TOP copy shape; stiff and sharp. There are no delete marks, no cut corners, no split seams, no bends and no writing. Overall, 47 years onward it looks very fresh with strong original colors  ... VERY collection worthy item from 44 years ago ...

The vinyl: Rated: real nice M- clean, = DOUBLE LP = a TOP COPY with clean PROBE labels  ... a must have acid-prog album...               

      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