Soft Machine - BBC Radio 1971

Soft Machine - Out Bloody Rageous
Soft Machine - Eamonn Andrews
Soft Machine - All White
[Live - BBC Studios 3/11/71]
[From The Album "Soft Machine Live"]

What do Daevid Allen from planet Gong, Robert Wyatt (Shleep, fantastic album BTW), William S. Burroughs, policeman Andy Summers and the instrumentalists Kevin Ayers and Mike Ratledge have in common? They've all spun around the hub of the Soft Machine wheel - except for Mr. Burroughs of course who's cranky ravings in "The Soft Machine" gave the band it's name. There are two distinct periods in the bands history: first was a brief Daevid Allen influenced trippy psychedelic machine, followed by a longer jazz inspired progressive period. I like both and consider them two different bands which happen to share the same name and a few members. These tracks obviously come from Soft Machine's jazzy, progressive, fusion period and were recorded live at BBC studios. The accompanying video is expectedly trippy (water & oil swirling on overhead projectors behind the band) but you can't deny these guys their chops. A handful of Jazz, a pinch of psychedelic fusion - light up and enjoy. [the three tracks run together]


These tracks come from an unauthorized CD. Other BBC sessions have been officially released: Buy at Amazon

posted by Jason @ 5:46 PM