Soft Machine

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Soft Machine is an English band from Canterbury, in Kent. Mike Ratledge, Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers, Daevid Allen and Larry Nowlin founded it in 1966. The name comes from the novel The Soft Machine by William S. Burroughs. Together with Pink Floyd the group played in the early years in the London underground clubs, such as the UFO Club. In 1967 the first single, Love Makes Sweet Music, was released. After a tour of France, Daevid Allen was not allowed back into the country and then started Gong. In 1968 the band supported the Jimi Hendrix Experience on two American tours.

Music and breakthrough

The debut album The Soft Machine came out in 1968 and still sounded psychedelic. On Volume Two from 1969 the music moved towards progressive rock and jazz rock, and Third from 1970 and Fourth from 1971 completed that step. From 1971 Soft Machine made only instrumental music. The band had a long series of other members, among them Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean, John Marshall, Karl Jenkins, Roy Babbington and Allan Holdsworth. Albums such as Fifth, Six, Seven, Bundles and Softs followed until 1978, when the group stopped.

Influence

Soft Machine had little commercial success, but is regarded as one of the most important players of the Canterbury scene and as one of the first progressive rock bands. The AllMusic account calls it one of the most influential underground bands of its time. After a brief return in the 1980s, Soft Machine Legacy came into being in 2004. Since 2015 that group has played again under the old name, with the albums Hidden Details, Other Doors and Thirteen, among others.

Listening

Discography

Studio albums

• 1968The Soft Machine
• 1969Volume Two
• 1970Third
• 1971Fourth
• 1972Fifth
• 1973Seven
• 1973Six
• 1975Bundles
• 1976Rubber Riff
• 1976Softs
• 1981Land of Cockayne
• 1996Spaced
• 2018Hidden Details
• 2023Other Doors
• 2026Thirteen

See also

• Six
• Land of Cockayne