Jazz Articles about Soft Machine

like 282

Soft Machine: Breda Reactor

by John Kelman
April 9, 2005

Breda Reactor finds British jazz-rock outfit Soft Machine in one of its many transitional stages. Between the septet that toured in late '69 and the emergence of the “classic" lineup--keyboardist Mike Ratledge, saxophonist Elton Dean, bassist Hugh Hopper, and drummer/vocalist Robert Wyatt--this incarnation was augmented by saxophonist/flautist Lyn Dobson. The quintet may have only lasted three months, but Dobson possessed a strong voice, providing interesting counterpoint to the more free-spirited Dean.

Recorded a month after the Croydon show documented on ...

like 162

Soft Machine: Facelift

by John Kelman
November 21, 2004

First, let's get one thing out of the way. Facelift , another in Voiceprint's ongoing series of live Soft Machine performances, comes from an audience recording by bassist Hugh Hopper's brother Brian. Not only is the quality decidedly lo-fi, but the tape machine actual slows down and speeds up on a couple of occasions, making this double-disc set absolutely for deeply committed fans only.

That being said, Facelift is yet another reason to re-examine Soft Machine within the broader context ...

like 286

Soft Machine: Live 1970

by John Kelman
November 20, 2004

Between Cuneiform Records and the Voiceprint/Blueprint label, Soft Machine fans have been exposed to a diversity of archival live material. Some of it may be of a decidedly lo-fi quality, but the performances and contexts far outweigh any sonic deficiencies. These live performances demonstrate how rapidly Soft Machine, through a plethora of personnel changes, evolved from a psychedelic pop band in '68 to an outstanding jazz rock ensemble in '70, a more free jazz outfit in '71/'72, and finally a ...

like 253

Soft Machine: Live at the Paradiso 1969

by John Kelman
November 18, 2004

In a recent interview guitarist Nels Cline described seeing John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra as “...like having all your body hair singed off in one fell swoop." Similar words could be used to describe British progressive rockers Soft Machine on Live at the Paradiso 1969. Their raw energy and sheer power, recorded in Amsterdam shortly before the release of Volume Two --considered by many to be a defining moment in progressive rock--translates directly from stage to disc on this fine archival ...

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Soft Machine: Somewhere in Soho

by John Kelman
October 4, 2004

A few months after the recordings that would result in an undisputed classic of progressive rock/jazz, Third , Soft Machine had pared down from an octet to a leaner, meaner quartet. Remaining were keyboardist Mike Ratledge, bassist Hugh Hopper, drummer/vocalist Robert Wyatt and a relative newcomer, saxophonist Elton Dean, who would continue to drive the group in further and further outward-reaching directions over the next couple of years. The group would shift around him, first in seeming agreement and then ...

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Soft Machine: Live In Paris

by John Kelman
May 20, 2004

Following an aborted experiment with free drummer Phil Howard, Soft Machine recruited ubiquitous drummer John Marshall to fill out a version of the quartet that ultimately recorded one side of an album and performed about twenty shows before saxophonist Elton Dean left, feeling that the group was not free enough, not a “real" jazz band. The reality is that keyboardist Mike Ratledge and bassist Hugh Hopper, the two remaining members from Soft Machine's Dada-ist pop days, still wanted some structure ...

like 315

The Soft Machine Turns You On

by Nic Jones
December 5, 2003

Any 'golden age' is always questionable, but in the period 1967-71 the British band Soft Machine are reckoned to have enjoyed such an age, and releases on the Cuneiform and Hux labels make the case. The band was built around keyboard player Mike Ratledge, bassist Hugh Hopper, and drummer/vocalist Robert Wyatt. Reed player Elton Dean was often present, and was but one of a number of horn players who passed through the ranks. At one time the band was a ...