Soft Machine

		A very English phenomenon and probably my favourite group of all time, the Soft Machine were never going to be a commercial enterprise. With their sizeable underground following they were prime movers on the British psychedelic scene of the late sixties and key players in the birth of both progressive rock and jazz-rock. They also form the central strand of the so called Canterbury family tree of British rock acts that spawned the likes of Caravan, Gong, Hatfield and the North, Matching Mole, National Health and the solo careers of Robert Wyatt and Kevin Ayers. Wyatt (drums/vocals) and Ayers (bass/vocals) along with Daevid Allen (guitar), all of whom had at various times been members of the Canterbury based group the Wilde Flowers, teamed up with Mike Ratledge (keyboards) in London to form the Soft Machine, playing their first gig in August 1966.

Along with Pink Floyd and Tomorrow, they were part of the emerging underground scene in and around London and quickly built up a loyal following. In these early days the music was a mix of quirky pop and extended instrumental passages utilising organ, bass, drums and voice. Surreal wordplay and unusually (for rock) complex instrumental interplay gave an innovative edge. They only managed to produce one single, Love Makes Sweet Music, which was not a commercial success before Allen, the weirdest of a colourful group of characters, was forced to leave after passport irregularities prevented his re entry to the UK.

[Photo: Allen, Wyatt, Ratledge & Ayers somewhere in France 1967]


Now down to a trio the Softs were taken on by Jimi Hendrix's management and thus to a gruelling period supporting the Jimi Hendrix Experience on their 1968 American tours. [photo courtesy of Ron Koster] Along the way their first album was recorded under difficult circumstances in New York, a collection of songs and instrumental pieces which demonstrate surprising improvisatory abilities by musicians so early in their careers. At the end of all this Kevin Ayers cracked under the strain and left to pursue his own maverick muse. He was replaced on bass by old friend and ex roadie Hugh Hopper. With promising sales of their first album the new line up began rehearsing in early 1969 at Robert Wyatt's mother's house in south London. In April they recorded their second album, the actual recording quality left much to be desired but the material was fabulous. Side one was mainly Hopper/Wyatt songs and miscellaneous fragments, plus Ratledge's mind blowing Hibou, Anemone and Bear. Side two kicks off with a couple of songs from Hopper and Ratledge and closes with the irregular time signatures and instrumental gymnastics of Esther's Nose Job, a mainstay of the live set for the next couple of years. Then it was back to the American touring treadmill, which almost split the band again.


		[Photo: Wyatt, Hopper & Ratledge 1969] As the compositions became more ambitious and complex they experimented with a four piece brass section which was musically challenging and exciting, but in practical terms too expensive to run. With personnel reluctant to subject themselves to the rigours of touring the project was ultimately doomed.


Initially slimming down to a quintet of Ratledge, Hopper and Wyatt plus Elton Dean and Lyn Dobson on horns (left), the line up responsible for Facelift that makes up side one of Third, they finally evolved into the celebrated four piece when Dobson departed. If the first two trio based albums were more influential in a rock vein then this next phase of the group paved the way for much of the jazz rock that came after. The third album was very much a watershed, a rock coming of age. Sides 2 and 4 were almost entirely taken up with two highly extended Ratledge compositions, Miles Davis influences circa Bitches Brew were in evidence but somehow with a peculiarly English slant. The distinctive fuzzed roar and spiky tones of the Lowry organ were definitely out of the ordinary in this context.


		Also emerging was newest recruit Elton Dean, his abrasive alto and more pastoral saxello (a slightly lower toned variant on soprano sax) were prominently featured. Side 1 was a live version of Hugh Hopper's Facelift, two separate performances stitched together, but it was side 3 that seemed at odds with the rest. Robert Wyatt's Moon in June was no less brilliant but somehow seemed to belong to a different band, as it was recorded virtually solo in New York I guess this should come as no surprise. In some ways this marked the beginning of a long and painful departure for Wyatt from the group he co founded. His vocal excursions were becoming less song based and more part of the overall sound.

The music moved further into jazz directions and one by one the songs were dropped, a development that left Wyatt increasingly out in the cold. Despite this the band toured extensively all over Europe and the USA and much of the playing was excellent and at times inspired, Robert Wyatt included. Recent live releases from the period bear this out.

Fourth was released in early 1971 and was the first Softs album without vocals. Robert Wyatt's drumming was well up to standard albeit slightly lower in the mix than previous. The jazz directions reached new heights with Mike Ratledge's Teeth, his most advanced composition to date. It constantly shifts in rhythm and melody, the basic quartet augmented at various points by extra horns and double bass. It's not rock, at the time it probably wasn't called jazz, whatever it was it was exhilarating.

Hugh Hopper's Virtually takes up the whole of Side 2 and covers the whole range from ensemble playing to tortuous fuzz bass excursions. Also the presence of much free blowing was evidence of Elton Dean's growing influence, indeed some sections were obviously complete improvisations. Artistic integrity notwithstanding these developments certainly began to alienate the rock and psychedelia fans who had followed the group since the early days. However there's no getting away from the fact that this was another brilliant album from highly talented musicians.

Finally enough was enough and Robert Wyatt quit in mid 1971. Initially, at the suggestion of Elton Dean, he was replaced by the dazzling Phil Howard (right), a flamboyant Australian whose style of drumming was of the Tony Williams school. The like minded Dean and Howard proceeded to take the music into new areas of freedom, perhaps a bit beyond what Ratledge and Hopper were prepared for. Howard wouldn't necessarily play the time signatures, they might just be implied, a pulse beneath ever increasing layers of rhythmic density. Egos and philosophies clashed disastrously, the fallout being the sacking of Phil Howard. Fortunately not before the sessions for the fifth album had begun, side 1 is probably the last really potent statement made by Soft Machine.

Howard's rumble propelled the playing to new heights, All White and Drop were Ratledge compositions of excitement and beauty. When Howard was fired John Marshall brought in to complete the project. Despite the upheavals in personnel Side 2 was still good, Dean in particular. Still seething at the manner of Phil Howard's dismissal maybe he was expressing his anger through his playing. Even so the feeling was that the fires of this quartet had finally burnt out. Dean agreed to do one more tour then quit in the Summer of 1972. His replacement, former Nucleus horn and keyboard player Karl Jenkins, took over the bulk of the composing and the music became firmly rooted in mid 70s jazz rock.

The sixth album was a double with separate live and studio discs. The live material recorded on tour in the UK, mainly Jenkins compositions, was competently played if a little dull in places. The studio sessions were more fruitful. Ratledge's contributions were bizarrely titled and musically rewarding. Stanley Stamps Gibbon Album a fast paced work out for the trusty Lowry, in contrast Chloe and the Pirates was a shimmering melodic feature for Jenkins' soprano sax. Most experimental was Hugh Hopper's final composition for the group, 1983 was something of a trailer for his uncompromising solo album 1984. Tape loops, fuzz bass and other effects make it an eerie experience. 1984 was more of the same.

Hugh Hopper finally left shortly after Six was released, it had all got too clinical, no real place for his irregular bass riffs or his fuzzbox. The new man was Roy Babington, a jazz double bass player who had taken up bass guitar. Seven appeared in early 1974, there were some nice moments, mainly from the pen of Jenkins and the playing of Mike Ratledge, but in reality the music had become a little sterile. The album is not bad or badly played, just a bit dull in places.

The music moved further into the waters of technical ecstasy when ace guitar player Allan Holdsworth was recruited in late 1973. The subsequent album Bundles marked something of a return to form, mainly carried by the astonishing playing of Holdsworth. Karl Jenkins responded to this musical shot in the arm with much improved compositions. One criticism however was the poor quality of recording, if anybody can get hold of the masters for a digital remastering there is much scope for improvement. [Photo: Babington/Marshall/Jenkins & Holdsworth/Ratledge] As has been the pattern of his career in various bands Allan Holdsworth was soon on the move, after 18 months he'd had enough and was succeeded by the equally proficient but more versatile John Etheridge who added additional colour to the palette. Also brought in was Alan Wakeman (cousin of Rick) on sax. The album Softs released in 1976 carried on the good work of Bundles with a greater variety of soloists. Jenkins was still producing the goods, with Wakeman on board he could concentrate totally on keyboards.

This album also marked the last appearance by any of the original members. Mike Ratledge, disillusioned with the whole business, finally called it a day shortly after sessions began, his contributions to two tracks ending up in the final mix.

It could be said that with the departure of Ratledge Soft Machine became nothing more than a brand name, any real identity or soul had long since departed. They continued to function under the leadership of Jenkins and drummer John Marshall until 1979 releasing one further album Live in Paris with various new names on board.

Looking back the Softs never really made a bad album, but much of the spark and originality was lost around 1972 with Robert Wyatt's departure and the soured relations with Elton Dean. Karl Jenkins ushered in the era of Miles Davis influenced jazz rock with occasional moments of excitement and inspiration, the music was never substandard it just became a little predictable and lost that vital cutting edge.