You favourite Soft Machine album
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Music Lounge
Forum Description: General progressive music discussions
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=23099
Printed Date: February 21 2025 at 11:38
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: You favourite Soft Machine album
Posted By: bsurmano
Subject: You favourite Soft Machine album
Date Posted: May 09 2006 at 15:30
|
I'm just listeninig to SOFT MACHINE Volume 2, my favourite from 'genuine' period, while 'Bundles' would be my choice from phase two. ------------- 'Sundown,yellow moon, I replay the past I know every scene by heart, they all went by so fast..... Either I'm too sensitive or else I'm gettin' soft.' Bob Dylan |
Replies:
Posted By: The Rock
Date Posted: May 09 2006 at 15:48
|
Bundles and 7. ------------- What's gonna come out of my mouth is gonna come out of my soul."Skip Prokop" |
Posted By: Rocktopus
Date Posted: May 09 2006 at 16:20
|
Third and II.
------------- Over land and under ashes In the sunlight, see - it flashes Find a fly and eat his eye But don't believe in me Don't believe in me Don't believe in me |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: May 09 2006 at 16:24
|
Volume One. I've heard a few tracks from Volume Two and I have Third... it's difficult. I like their quirky side, which Third lacks a little... -------------   
|
Posted By: dagrush
Date Posted: May 09 2006 at 16:28
|
I've only heard 3-5 and... probably Third so far. I'm working on getting more.
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/omgwtfdagrush/"> 
|
Posted By: BebieM
Date Posted: May 09 2006 at 16:46
|
Very tough question, they're one of my favorites. I'll say Third and Volume 1 tied. |
Posted By: Bj-1
Date Posted: May 09 2006 at 16:49
------------- RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on! |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: May 09 2006 at 16:52
|
You're weird Blowie! Why no debut in the top 6? I guess you prefer the later era, no matter. -------------
|
Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: May 09 2006 at 17:06
| Live At Paradiso - Wyatt at his vocal best and drumming best |
Posted By: DaleHauskins
Date Posted: May 09 2006 at 17:09
| Soft Machine's "Bundles" was a huge influence on this Los Angeles Californian Guitarist as a teen-ager;and moved to London to play in the scene.(Thanks to Peter Gabriel,and Nick Magnus(Steve/John Hackett),for helping me;recomending me!) |
Posted By: eugene
Date Posted: May 09 2006 at 17:13
|
"Bundles" is my favourite album by SM, "Softs" and 7 sharing the second place. ------------- carefulwiththataxe |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: May 09 2006 at 17:15
Good to hear that - they have some Soft Machine albums available on emusic, including this one. Have a look:
http://www.emusic.com/artist/11514/11514431.html - http://www.emusic.com/artist/11514/11514431.html
Which one would you recommend? ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to: 
|
Dick Heath wrote:Posted By: DeepPhreeze
Date Posted: May 09 2006 at 17:56
|
Voume Two I love that section in Spanish :) They had it all -- the brash tones, the spacey reverb, the club environment... :) |
Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: May 09 2006 at 19:11
Without doubt Paradiso. With the exception of Rubber Riff - which has been written up as an exercise in creating "copyright free library music" but with Jenkin employing some Softs as session musicians to make musak - unless you are a completist don't touch the others. Poor quality bootlegs, recorded by friends often from the audience with portable cassette recorders. Compare Cuneiform's with Voiceprint/Blueprints live Soft Machine recordings and I think you'll find Cuneiform has had the pick of the bunch - for instance it helps when they got hold of the mastertapes from which CBS used a small fraction of for Third. Strangley the more recently released live recordings have been the better quality. The two 1975 recordings released in the last year British Tour 75 and Floating World are excellent quality and contain excellent music. BTW anybody in this thread who enthuses about Bundles should check out Floating World - same line-up, many of the same tunes but recorded approx 6 months before by a good FM radio station, and personally I think with this as a comparator, may suggest the Machine had gone a bit stale by the time they recorded the studio version with Bundles. BTW Etheridge on British Tour (recorded locally at Nottingham University) does many of the tunes on Bundles and puts quite a differnt edge on them cf Holdsworth. However, Holdsworth is superb on Floating World. |
Posted By: Zargus
Date Posted: May 09 2006 at 19:29
|
Third. ------------- 
|
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: May 09 2006 at 21:45
|
Third. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph  
|
Posted By: progadicto
Date Posted: May 09 2006 at 21:48
|
Two and Third... ------------- ... E N E L B U N K E R... |
Posted By: The Wizard
Date Posted: May 09 2006 at 21:58
|
Volume I, I have listened to that so many times it's scary yet I always find it even more incredible. -------------  
|
Posted By: Zac M
Date Posted: May 09 2006 at 22:31
|
As an expert in this field, I say that Vol. 1 and Third are the two best of the early years, while Softs is BY FAR the best of the Jenkins years, yes it's better than 4,5,6,7, Bundles, Rubber Riff, Alive and Well and Land of Cockayne!
------------- "Art is not imitation, nor is it something manufactured according to the wishes of instinct or good taste. It is a process of expression." -Merleau-Ponty |
Posted By: Zac M
Date Posted: May 09 2006 at 22:33
|
By the way, Fifth is the worse of the numbered albums, too cold sounding and samey.
------------- "Art is not imitation, nor is it something manufactured according to the wishes of instinct or good taste. It is a process of expression." -Merleau-Ponty |
Posted By: Jimbo
Date Posted: May 10 2006 at 03:49
|
Third, by far.
------------- 
|
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: May 10 2006 at 03:59
|
Third, but Six comes a close second
mentions for Vol2, Softs and Bundles ------------- let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
Posted By: pero
Date Posted: May 10 2006 at 04:35
| Third |
Posted By: oliverstoned
Date Posted: May 10 2006 at 04:43
|
Volumes I II III IV are my fav.
|
Posted By: MANTICORE
Date Posted: May 10 2006 at 15:06
|
Volumes I & II are a great Art works but i Choose THIRD.!
-------------  |
Posted By: earlyprog
Date Posted: May 10 2006 at 15:51
| I'm surprised that only one mentions 'Six'. This and Volumes 1 and 2 are the best followed by Bundles. |
Posted By: kebjourman
Date Posted: May 10 2006 at 21:03
|
1, 2, and 3. those are the ones that i have. (im in a big softs kick right now) |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: May 10 2006 at 23:19
|
Bundles. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: SidSmith
Date Posted: May 12 2006 at 05:15
|
I would have to add to the chorus of voices which claim Third as being the album to have. I love the contrasts on this set;hardness, angularity and space. In respect of later period albums Seven has a time and place association for me that makes it difficult for me to leave behind. However, if it absolutely positively had to be just the one then Third would be it. The recently released http://sidsmith.blogspot.com/2006/03/floating-world-live-by-soft-machine.html - Floating World Live is well worth investigating as well as it shows just how powerful an album Bundles could have been. ------------- Sid Smith http://www.dgmlive.com - http://www.dgmlive.com http://sidsmith.blogspot.com/ - http://sidsmith.blogspot.com/ |
Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: May 12 2006 at 13:35
|
Hi Sid
And we were talking Hector Zazou last time.
Very much support your view that Floating World (released only in the last month or so), a recording of the Bundles music made quite a few months before Machine went in the studio to record Bundles, clearly shows Bundles to be tired in comparison. Whether the players had become tired of playing the music and lost the energy to give all, or the production of Bundles lacks something, I wouldn't care to say. I think some (but not all) that energy was regained by the time John Etheridge had stepped into Holdsworth shoes, and can be heard from November 1975 playing Bundles music on British Tour '75.
Just read with great curiosity claims that both Brian Godding and Olly Hassell also auditioned as Holdsworth's replacement - it appears Holdsworth recommended more than John Etheridge for the gig. Perhaps you can discover if there is truth in this? BTW the still unreleased recording made of the Tony Williams Lifetime in Stockholm, with Jack Bruce and Holdsworth in line-up, and known as the Wildlife session probably dates from 1975. The story goes Olly Hassell played Great Balls of Fire as his audition piece - with his teeth ................................................
|
Posted By: SidSmith
Date Posted: May 13 2006 at 05:55
|
Hi there Dick, yes I agree regarding British Tour 75. I saw that line-up as well and Etheridge was very powerful. Sadly they never quite got into their stride regarding material - if people like revved up guitar going over some tricksy time sigs then British Tour 75 if worth checking out. I'm going to have to listen to it again now. ------------- Sid Smith http://www.dgmlive.com - http://www.dgmlive.com http://sidsmith.blogspot.com/ - http://sidsmith.blogspot.com/ |
Posted By: Australian
Date Posted: July 22 2006 at 03:31
|
Third, awsome. ------------- 
|
Posted By: Witchwoodhermit
Date Posted: July 22 2006 at 04:21
|
One and two are my favs. I miss Roberts voice beyond that. The cross of psychedelic and jazz from the early period is my prefered era of the Softs. I do like Noisette, especially Eamonn Andrews, very intense. Third and Forth are very good... but I miss Robert. I find their latter work to be more in the contempary jazz/fusion genre. ------------- Here I'm shadowed by a dragon fig tree's fan ringed by ants and musing over man. |
Posted By: Toon
Date Posted: July 22 2006 at 06:00
|
Volume 1 for me. Great combination of Jazz and psychedelia.
------------- 
|
Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: July 22 2006 at 06:33
|
For a top 5 , I can't decide from the following 6 Paradiso Soft Machine Volume 2 Third Floating World and now Grides released last month by Cuneiform of the Third period band, has really got me. The pairing of a CD of a recording from 1970 of a major Dutch gig (but surroundings a million miles from the Paradiso), with a real rarity DVD footage of the band in German 1971, help make this a very special album set to me. |
Posted By: M. B. Zapelini
Date Posted: July 22 2006 at 06:47
|
Third, followed by Volume 2, and then Seven. I don't have listened to most of SM albums, but these three are all superb. ------------- "He's a man of the past and one of the present" PETER HAMMILL |
Posted By: Intruder
Date Posted: July 22 2006 at 07:37
|
The BBC sessions, especially the 1967-71 set, are a must to anyone who has overplayed their first seven albums. Fantastic sound quality and definitive versions of some of their best numbers. The only problem is....the price. No bargains here. ------------- I like to feel the suspense when you're certain you know I am there..... |
Posted By: Bj-1
Date Posted: July 22 2006 at 08:26
Yeah, plus that I only heave heard their two first albums one time, and can't remember how they are. ------------- RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on! |
Posted By: NutterAlert
Date Posted: July 25 2006 at 06:34
|
First for me, also love "Jet Propelled Photograph" with Daevid Allen's wonky guitar work. If SidSmith above is same who wrote King Crimson book, then I love that book, excellent work  ------------- Proud to be an un-banned member since 2005 |
Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: July 25 2006 at 10:56
| Check that particular Sid Smith's web addresses given....... |
Posted By: The Wizard
Date Posted: July 25 2006 at 11:04
|
The first two of course! Third is pretty dull except for Moon in June, and the rest have nothing to do with the original sound of The Soft Machine. I'm a huge fan of those two ablums. I really need Jet Propelled Photographs still. -------------
|
Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: July 25 2006 at 19:17
But it is demos done in a rush and closer to Wilde Flowers than Soft Machine or Volume 2. It was probably only issued when (former Yardbirds manager) Giorgio Gomelsky the demos' producer and copyright-holder realised Soft Machine might make it big about 3 or 4 years after the recordings - Gomelsky had the reputation of a conman, and he also conned the public by issuing the demos across one side each of two separate LPs entitled Rock Generation...... and then there must be 10 variants since so beware. I have Rock Generation Volume 8 (on the original French Byg Records) and later got the whole session on the LP reissue Soft Machine At The Beginning (Charley/Oxford Records with apparent loving liner notes by Gomelsky himself...). Only later did the session get called Jet Propelled Photographs - presumably to avoid Gomelsky's copyright - and that would have been the 3 rd or 4th variant on LP. As I said, it is worth sampling Daevid Allen truly loving re-recording of the tunes from the Gomelsky session, about 3 years ago working as University Of Errors, called Jet Propelled Photographs. |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: July 25 2006 at 19:29
|
I have the original two singles by The Soft Machine on my Anthology CD and they're very quirky indeed, due to Daevid Allen's influence. I actually really like their later stuff as well, because I'm a huge fan of jazz/fusion. I don't have Bundles or Softs, but I do have the second BBC album and one other live recording. I have the new Soft Machine CD/DVD on order and that will hopefully arrive soon! -------------
|
Posted By: The Wizard
Date Posted: July 25 2006 at 19:33
I have heard of the University of Errors album. I really want to get JPP though, I'm a big enough fan to find them worthwile I think. -------------
|
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: July 25 2006 at 19:34
A big enough fan that you don't particularly care for their career after Wyatt departed? 
-------------
|
Posted By: kebjourman
Date Posted: July 25 2006 at 23:07
|
i think One and Third are my favourites
Two's very good too so's Fourth
and Fifth
|