The Soft Machine (Soft Machine album)

The Soft Machine
Studio album by The Soft Machine
Released	December 1968
Recorded	April 1968 at Record Plant Studios, New York City
Genre	Psychedelic rock,[1] jazz rock,[2] Canterbury Scene
Length	41.30
Label	USA: ABC Probe CPLP 4500 France: Barclay
Producer	Chas Chandler, Tom Wilson
The Soft Machine chronology
The Soft Machine (1968) Volume Two (1969)
Singles from The Soft Machine
"Joy of a Toy" b/w "Why Are We Sleeping?" Released: November 1968

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[3]

The Soft Machine (also titled "Volume One" as a reissue) is the debut album by the British psychedelic rock band Soft Machine, released in 1968.

Overview

Founded in 1966, Soft Machine (one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene) recorded and released this studio album during their 1968 tour of the USA. It was produced by Chas Chandler and Tom Wilson.

This album fused psychedelic rock with jazz and soft rock, making it highly experimental. The work on this album was one of the essential roots in progressive rock and jazz-fusion.

The song "Joy of a Toy" is one of the first compositions to feature a bass guitar melody played through a Wah-wah pedal.

Track listing

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Hope for Happiness"	Kevin Ayers, Mike Ratledge, Brian Hopper	4:21
2.	"Joy of a Toy"	Ayers, Ratledge	2:49
3.	"Hope for Happines (Reprise)"	Ayers, Ratledge, B. Hopper	1:38
4.	"Why Am I So Short?"	Ratledge, Ayers, Hugh Hopper	1:39
5.	"So Boot If At All"	Ayers, Ratledge, Robert Wyatt	7:25
6.	"A Certain Kind"	H. Hopper	4:11

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
7.	"Save Yourself"	Wyatt	2:26
8.	"Priscilla"	Ayers, Ratledge, Wyatt	1:03
9.	"Lullabye Letter"	Ayers	4:32
10.	"We Did It Again"	Ayers	3:46
11.	"Plus Belle qu'une Poubelle"	Ayers	1:03
12.	"Why Are We Sleeping?"	Ayers, Ratledge, Wyatt	5:30
13.	"Box 25/4 Lid"	Ratledge, H. Hopper	0:49

Live performances of "We Did It Again" were sometimes as long as 45 minutes.

The 2009 Remastered Edition includes as bonus tracks also "Love Makes Sweet Music" and "Feelin' Reelin' Squeelin'", respectively Side A and Side B of their first single, issued in 1967.

Personnel

• Robert Wyatt – drums, lead vocals
• Mike Ratledge – Lowrey Holiday De Luxe organ, piano (on 2.7)
• Kevin Ayers – bass, lead vocals (on 2.4 and 2.6), backing vocals (on 2.1 and 2.3), piano (on 1.5)

Additional personnel

• Hugh Hopper – bass (on 2.7)
• The Cake – backing vocals (on 2.6)

Sales chart performance

Year	Chart	Position
1969	Billboard 200	160[4]

References

1. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/soft-machine-mn0000753685/biography
2. http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-soft-machine-vol-1-mw0000115482
3. Bush, John. "The Soft Machine [Volume One] - Soft Machine | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
4. Soft Machine allmusic.