THE SOFT MACHINE Soft Machine LP PROBE 1968 US orig+foc ROBERT WYATT-KEVIN AYERS

$

64

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THE SOFT MACHINE

KEVIN AYERS, ROBERT WYATT, MICHAEL RATLEDGE

A pioneering Canterbury psychedelic group that initially featured Robert Wyatt and Kevin Ayers, 

later developing into an experimental jazz-rock unit. Soft Machine were never a commercial 

enterprise and indeed still remain unknown even to many listeners who came of age 

during the late '60s and early '70s, when the group was at its peak. In their own way, 

however, they were one of the more influential bands of their era, and certainly 

one of the most influential underground ones. One of the original British psychedelic groups, 

they were also instrumental in the birth of both progressive rock and jazz-rock. 

They were also the central foundation of the family tree of the "Canterbury Scene" 

of British progressive rock acts, a movement that also included Caravan, Gong, 

Matching Mole, Hatfield and the North, and National Health, not to mention the distinguished 

pop music careers of founding members Robert Wyatt and Kevin Ayers and the jazz 

and jazz-rock explorations of saxophonist Elton Dean and bassist Hugh Hopper 

"THE SOFT MACHINE"

Produced by Chas Chandler and Tom Wilson

1968     LP     COMMAND/ABC/PROBE RECORDS      CPLP 4500   STEREO

PRINTED IN U.S.A.    ORIGINAL PRESSING

   GATEFOLD COVER

THICK CARDBOARD COVER (AMERICAN STYLE)

This version: 1. On Front cover: Circular cut-out in sleeve, revealing rotating 'clockwork image' 

card insert- through which the band members can be viewed on a further inserted full-color backing sheet.

2. On Inside: Uncensored image of nude girl (A bikini was used to censor a US version 

of this album, cat suffix 'X'). Non-gatefold issues also exist.

3. On the spine the caption ''Command/Probe'' appears, on the label it's ''Command/ABC Records/Probe.''

4. On the labels the side indications are ''Side 1 and ''Side 2'' and the cat.nr. is suffixed with ''A'' and ''B'' 

Barcode and Other Identifiers

Barcode: none

LABEL:  COMMANDABC/PROBE -  BLACK LABEL with RAINBOW LOGO - SILVER TEXT

Catalog on cover: CPLP 4500

Catalog on labels: CPLP-4500-A (Side 1) / CPLP-4500-B (Side 2)

Matrix / Runout (Side A, Etched): CPLP-4500AS-2LW   P17   LW

Matrix / Runout (Side B, Etched): CPLP- 4500 B  -SB  -255   LW

On labels: STEREO

Above selections published by Amm Jay Music Inc.-BMI

Produced by - Chas Chandler and Tom Wilson

rim text reads 'Mfg. by Grand Award Record Co., Inc..............Made in USA'

(on Side A only): Time Side I: 21:56

(on Side B only): Time Side II: 19:12

On inside sleeve: Notes by Arnold Shaw

Mfg. by Grand Award Record Co., Inc.,

a subsidiary of ABC Records, Inc. 1330 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10019

Made in U.S.A.

from my records collection

tracklisting

Side A: HOPE FOR HAPPINESS - JOY OF A TOY

HOPE FOR HAPPINESS (reprise) - WHY AM I SO SHORT?

SO BOOT IF AT ALL - A CERTAIN KIND

Side B: SAVE YOURSELF - PRISCILLA - LULLABYE LETTER

WE DID IT AGAIN - PLUS BELLE QU' UNE POUBELLE

WHY ARE WE SLEEPING? - BOX 25/4 LID

  grading

RECORD EX (please, read above description)

SLEEVE VG+ but (please, see pictures and read above description)

A wild, freewheeling, and ultimately successful attempt to merge psychedelia with jazz-rock, 

Soft Machine's debut ranges between lovingly performed oblique pop songs and deranged ensemble 

playing from drummer/vocalist Robert Wyatt, bassist Kevin Ayers and organist Mike Ratledge. 

With only one real break (at the end of side one), the songs merge into each other, 

not always smoothly, but always with a sense of flair that rescues any potential miscues. 

Wyatt takes most of the vocals, and proves himself a surprisingly evocative singer 

despite his lack of range. Like Pink Floyd's The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, 

The Soft Machine was one of the few over-ambitious records of the psychedelic era 

that actually delivered on all its incredible promise...(AllMusic)