Soft Machine

While the two sets from the second night (February 28, 1971) have been released before, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE ENTIRE TWO-NIGHT STAND HAS BEEN RELEASED. So half of this is previously completely unreleased.

While the two sets from the second night (February 28, 1971) have been released before, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE ENTIRE TWO-NIGHT STAND HAS BEEN RELEASED. So half of this is previously completely unreleased.

Turns On is a collection of early Soft Machine recordings sold in two separate volumes. Turns On, Vol. 1 catches the newly formed group in their first studio recordings and live performances in early to mid-1967, all pre-dating the first LP. The lineup on most of the 16 tracks consists of Robert Wyatt, Mike Ratledge, and Kevin Ayers. Daevid Allen appears on four studio recordings. The repertoire draws a lot from the Wilde Flowers' songbook, Ayers, Hugh Hopper and Brian Hopper having written most of the material (Wyatt and Ratledge were only beginning to submit material). Sound quality goes from poor to very weak, but it is still better than on Turns On, Vol. 2 - while the latter focuses on live material, this one contains more studio demo cuts…

Soft Machine Legacy is made up of former Soft Machine members and the lineup here boasts Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean, John Marshall and John Etheridge. Sadly it was less than 2 months after this concert that Elton Dean passed away, and so it's stated in the liner notes that this album is in memory and a tribute to this legendary performer. The concert here was performed at a club in Paris called "New Morning" and this is a club famous for it's Jazz concerts and also a favourite place for Elton and Hugh to play at.

A powerful rock-edged collaboration from Elton Dean, John Etheridge, Hugh Hopper and John Marshall, four legendary members of jazz-rock pioneers Soft Machine. This album itself is a mixed bag. There are two tracks that sound a bit too much like studio improvisations. There are a couple in conventional head-solo-tail jazz constructions. There is a Softs medley, Mike Ratledge's "Facelift," "As If" & "Slightly All The Time" (titled "Ratlift"). There is a ten-minute Hopper epic with typically Hopperean twists and turns.

This follow-up to Soft Machine's highly acclaimed 2018 album Hidden Details finds John Etheridge, Roy Babbington, John Marshall and Theo Travis on fine form at the Baked Potato, LA, USA on 1st February 2019. The material mixes tunes from Hidden Details, along with older material and some choice improvisations. The band, with a world tour under their belt and a partisan crowd urging them on, are absolutely at the top of their game - powerful, committed and idiosyncratic.

This album was the band's first for EMI's Harvest label and featured a line-up of Mike Ratledge (keyboards), Karl Jenkins (Oboe, Piano, Soprano Sax), John Marshall (Drums), Roy Babbington (Bass) and new member Allan Holdsworth (Guitar). An accessible collection, Bundles featured Holdsworth’s considerable guitar playing talents and opened a new chapter for the band, and attracted much praise upon release.