Soft Machine:Out-Bloody-Rageous.Biography - Progressive Rock Music Forum

Just ordered this from Amazon and it has a 3-5 week delay. Must be selling like hot cakes (or has it not been released yet?).

Proud to be an un-banned member since 2005

I ordered it last week thanks to you Dick!

Which brings me to another debate: How about progrock book reviews??? They couldbe in the database at the end of the tool bar or in the Misc or others section!!!!

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

, excellent review Dick and thanks for bringing it to our attention.

Another amazon purchase in progress...

You say virtually everyone involved contributed to the book. Did Wyatt provide any input do you know?

Proud to be an un-banned member since 2005

A review by Special Collaborator Dick Heath:

Title: Soft Machine Out-Bloody-Rageous

Author: Graham Bennett

Pub: S.A.F. Publishing (URL: www.safpublishing.com).

Publishing date: October 2005

ISBN: 0 946719 84 5

Note: UK price: £20 (US $30), but Amazon.UK are discounting it to £14 (November 2005)

(I'll admit straight from the start, that I have been involved with the later stages of this biography's birth, as a proof reader and finder of the odd bit of trivia. Therefore I'm very much committed to telling the world of this excellent book).

Ever since first hearing the psychedelia of Soft Machine played on John Peel's Top Gear radio show in 1968, I felt this was a special band that stood out during period of major innovative in rock music. And then the rapid progression from psychedelic rock to the very British jazz rock of the seminal 'Third' (a contemporary album to ‘Bitches Brew’) and later the boundary breaking, jazz fusion of the 70's. While I've largely followed Machine through most of their career on record, and for instance I did the Pop Proms and was in the same building the night that the 'British Tour' recording was made, Graham Bennett clearly has made greater commitment and heard them both on record and in numerous performances. What Bennett had recognised is that Soft Machine have had a complex history: the unexpected departures, a spectacular and bitter firing, radical musical changes and radical musical innovation, then surviving only to peter out with a whimper in the early 80's. But strange to tell, while hosts of websites tell bits of their story, provide copious discographies, performance dates in scrupulous chronological order, nobody has got round to writing the definitive biography - until now. Out Bloody Rageous** is very thorough in its contents reflecting Bennett's graduate research training as a scientist, (here, well applied to the arts), with respect to the depth of research, the accuracy of detail, good analysis and most importantly telling the various stories well and with clear sense of chronology.

Virtually everybody associated with Soft Machine collaborated in this book’s creation through interviews, including the late John Peel to whom the book is dedicated. Unsurprisingly, but unfortunately Mike Ratledge was the exception; as writers in Jazzwise and Mojo magazines have discovered over the last 5 to 10 years; to this former Machinist, their history is a closed book to one of their most important members. And perhaps unlike Paul Stump and his recent Gentle Giant biography, Graham Bennett has gone out of his way and taken time to talk in detail with fellow fans of the Softs.

As a proof-reader I read the finish draft without the forwards, photos (BTW the folded out dustcover has my favourite picture), nor the discography (alas already out of date with the 4 or 5 Machine albums that have appeared this year), but now with the finished book in hand, I am really impressed. A few typos still exist, and one introduced ironically thanking the proof-readers for the corrections, and the worst (but not serious) stating I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again as being a TV rather than a radio series. IMHO it is amongst the very best rock or jazz biographies published, for being near exhaustive in it research and reporting (cf. other similar biographies). BTW, amongst the pictures is one of Wyatt in that famous yellow suite made by Pan(Pam?), (check out the lyrics on Soft Machine's first album for further details) and reported to have been later presented to Jimi Hendrix. Lyrics are published - including the variants on record of Moon In June - so bang have gone a few of my misconceptions held for 30 years. Like Sid Smith before (i.e. with his biography, In the Court of King Crimson), Bennett is honest when offering comment about weak albums or performances. However, one reviewer in Amazon.UK while giving the book 5 stars, complained that there was a lack of critical analysis about Karl Jenkins’s contribution to Machine – read the book, and realise very few other biographers actually analysed performance etc. to anywhere the extent Bennett goes. This excellent biography is for serious contemplative reading, not the mundane fanzine (i.e. 'my band can do no wrong') level of writing. A must for Soft Machine fans, and a must for future rock biographers as an illustration about doing things right. For those uncertain between paying identical prices for this Soft Machine or the Gentle Giant biography, there is no contest, Bennett’s is much superior.

** Pure coincidence that the Soft Machine compilation issued earlier in 2005 has the same title.

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NutterAlert Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: June 07 2005 Location: In transition Status: Offline Points: 2808	Posted: November 29 2005 at 05:00
	Just ordered this from Amazon and it has a 3-5 week delay. Must be selling like hot cakes (or has it not been released yet?).
	Proud to be an un-banned member since 2005

Alucard Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 10 2004 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 3888	Posted: November 27 2005 at 12:58
	I know only the Robert Wyatt Biography 'Wrong Movement' and I am looking forward to read Bennett's book!
	Tadpoles keep screaming in my ear "Hey there! Rotter's Club! Explain the meaning of this song and share it"

Sean Trane Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Prog Folk Joined: April 29 2004 Location: Heart of Europe Status: Online Points: 20251	Posted: November 26 2005 at 15:36
	I ordered it last week thanks to you Dick! Which brings me to another debate: How about progrock book reviews??? They couldbe in the database at the end of the tool bar or in the Misc or others section!!!!
	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

Dick Heath Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Jazz-Rock Specialist Joined: April 19 2004 Location: England Status: Offline Points: 12813	Posted: November 24 2005 at 09:04
	I think everybody bar Ratledge (who have avoided interview on Soft Machine for over 10 years now), and (Graham Bennett has confirmed in the last hour, in part as a response to the criticism in Amazon.UK) Karl Jenkins. Wyatt, is still very angry about being fired and seems to regret that he and Ratledge couldn't be more accommodating to Kevin Ayers' musical concept - but Machine would have been a very diffient band. Hugh Hopper, was very laid back and candid about friendships and more often lack of friendships, as the band move away from the Canterbury community and took on board jobbing jazz muscians based in London

NutterAlert Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: June 07 2005 Location: In transition Status: Offline Points: 2808	Posted: November 24 2005 at 07:28
	, excellent review Dick and thanks for bringing it to our attention. Another amazon purchase in progress... You say virtually everyone involved contributed to the book. Did Wyatt provide any input do you know?
	Proud to be an un-banned member since 2005

Easy Livin Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin Joined: February 21 2004 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 15585	Posted: November 23 2005 at 15:06
	Great review Dick, well done!

Tony R Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin Joined: July 16 2004 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 11979	Posted: November 23 2005 at 13:03
	A review by Special Collaborator Dick Heath: Title: Soft Machine Out-Bloody-Rageous Author: Graham Bennett Pub: S.A.F. Publishing (URL: www.safpublishing.com). Publishing date: October 2005 ISBN: 0 946719 84 5 Note: UK price: £20 (US $30), but Amazon.UK are discounting it to £14 (November 2005) (I'll admit straight from the start, that I have been involved with the later stages of this biography's birth, as a proof reader and finder of the odd bit of trivia. Therefore I'm very much committed to telling the world of this excellent book). Ever since first hearing the psychedelia of Soft Machine played on John Peel's Top Gear radio show in 1968, I felt this was a special band that stood out during period of major innovative in rock music. And then the rapid progression from psychedelic rock to the very British jazz rock of the seminal 'Third' (a contemporary album to ‘Bitches Brew’) and later the boundary breaking, jazz fusion of the 70's. While I've largely followed Machine through most of their career on record, and for instance I did the Pop Proms and was in the same building the night that the 'British Tour' recording was made, Graham Bennett clearly has made greater commitment and heard them both on record and in numerous performances. What Bennett had recognised is that Soft Machine have had a complex history: the unexpected departures, a spectacular and bitter firing, radical musical changes and radical musical innovation, then surviving only to peter out with a whimper in the early 80's. But strange to tell, while hosts of websites tell bits of their story, provide copious discographies, performance dates in scrupulous chronological order, nobody has got round to writing the definitive biography - until now. Out Bloody Rageous** is very thorough in its contents reflecting Bennett's graduate research training as a scientist, (here, well applied to the arts), with respect to the depth of research, the accuracy of detail, good analysis and most importantly telling the various stories well and with clear sense of chronology. Virtually everybody associated with Soft Machine collaborated in this book’s creation through interviews, including the late John Peel to whom the book is dedicated. Unsurprisingly, but unfortunately Mike Ratledge was the exception; as writers in Jazzwise and Mojo magazines have discovered over the last 5 to 10 years; to this former Machinist, their history is a closed book to one of their most important members. And perhaps unlike Paul Stump and his recent Gentle Giant biography, Graham Bennett has gone out of his way and taken time to talk in detail with fellow fans of the Softs. As a proof-reader I read the finish draft without the forwards, photos (BTW the folded out dustcover has my favourite picture), nor the discography (alas already out of date with the 4 or 5 Machine albums that have appeared this year), but now with the finished book in hand, I am really impressed. A few typos still exist, and one introduced ironically thanking the proof-readers for the corrections, and the worst (but not serious) stating I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again as being a TV rather than a radio series. IMHO it is amongst the very best rock or jazz biographies published, for being near exhaustive in it research and reporting (cf. other similar biographies). BTW, amongst the pictures is one of Wyatt in that famous yellow suite made by Pan(Pam?), (check out the lyrics on Soft Machine's first album for further details) and reported to have been later presented to Jimi Hendrix. Lyrics are published - including the variants on record of Moon In June - so bang have gone a few of my misconceptions held for 30 years. Like Sid Smith before (i.e. with his biography, In the Court of King Crimson), Bennett is honest when offering comment about weak albums or performances. However, one reviewer in Amazon.UK while giving the book 5 stars, complained that there was a lack of critical analysis about Karl Jenkins’s contribution to Machine – read the book, and realise very few other biographers actually analysed performance etc. to anywhere the extent Bennett goes. This excellent biography is for serious contemplative reading, not the mundane fanzine (i.e. 'my band can do no wrong') level of writing. A must for Soft Machine fans, and a must for future rock biographers as an illustration about doing things right. For those uncertain between paying identical prices for this Soft Machine or the Gentle Giant biography, there is no contest, Bennett’s is much superior. ** Pure coincidence that the Soft Machine compilation issued earlier in 2005 has the same title.