SOFT MACHINE TURNS ON VOLUME 1 + 2
released july 25th 2001 on the Voiceprint label
Volume One
These are new unreleased and very rare sessions and live tapes from Soft Machine circa 1967 / 1968. Volume 1 contains 6 tracks recorded at the Middle Earth and Speakeasy clubs and various other tracks, some of which appear to be demos of material found on Soft Machine Volume One, Jet Propelled Photographs ( not the same sessions ) and tracks which later appeared on Kevin Ayers solo albums. There are additional tracks of unreleased material the Cd clocking in a time of just over 73 minutes.
Track listing is as follows
1. I Should've Known
2. We Know What You Mean
3. I'm so Low
4. Clarence in Wonderland
5. Hope for Happiness
6. I Should've Known
7. We Know What You Mean
8. She's Gone
9. Save Yourself
10. Lullaby Letter
11. I Should've Known
12. A Certain Kind
13. Clanrence in Wonderland
14. May I (instrumental variant)
15. We Know What You Mean
16. Hope for Happiness
Personnel : Robert Wyatt / Mike Ratledge / Kevin Ayers / Daevid Allen (tracks 1,3,6,8)
Volume Two
This contains recordings from 3 different concerts namely:
Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 10th
December 1967 ( tracks 1-5)
Middle Earth, London UK, 10th November 1967 (track 6)
Col Ballroom, Davenport, Iowa, Usa, 11 August 1968 (tracks 7 -14)
Track listing is as follows
1. Moon In June
2. I Should've Known
3. A Certain Kind
4. Save Yourself
5. Lullaby Letter
6. Organistics
7. Lullaby Letter / Priscilla / Lullaby Letter (reprise)
8. We Did it Again
9. Why are we Sleeping?
10. Joy of a Toy
11. Hope for Happiness
12. Clarence in Wonderland
13. Moon in June
14. Esther Nose Job
Personnel : Robert Wyatt / Mike Ratledge / Kevin Ayers
Both cd's are, I have to say, a fascinating collection of studio / live recordings and a must for Soft Machine Fans, the liner notes do make the comment that the recordings are not "pristine" but have been well edited and processed and very little material of them seems to exist from this time period anyway. The live recordings on both certainly capture the sheer intensity and power of what a Soft Machine gig from that period must have been like which is great for those of us who were to young to experience it.
My only critisism is the liner notes could have been more extensive but hey , what the f**k do I know !!!
Both CD's can be purchased from Voiceprint by clicking HERE