I was there in '70, an impressionable teenager......and man did Soft Machine blow my mind! Robert Wyatt probably got me into drumming more than any other drummer I'd had the privaledge to see . The many times I caught the Machine in that era I would always try n sit behind the band (cheap seats) with the best view of Wyatt"s wizardry! But that Sunday night in Kralingse Bos they took no prisoners! They practically stole the show from the great Pink Floyd,in their prime, who closed the festival!
Kai Bevington lucky you. I think Robert Wyatt was one of the the best British drummer of the 20th century and it's unfair that much of what he did is only remembered on TH-cam.
Walking on the way to the festival site in kralingen, accompanied by the magical swelling music of out-bloody- rageous. One of my most impressive musical memories...
For those wondering about Esther, it's a clear cut Thomas Pynchon reference. Apparently he was Ratledge's favorite writer or something, and the title seems to derive from a chapter of one of the Pynchon's books. The section with lyrics on the studio version, called "Pig" seems to refer to Pig Bodine.
@MrFigueroa007 That's b/c he learned drums from an American jazz player (whose name I forget at the moment) and was a major jazz-head throughout his formative years, listening to Elvin Jones, Max Roach, etc. It's really more accurate to say that he came from a jazz background before getting hooked on rock and pop. Because of this he's one of my 2 favorite rock drummers, for sure!
I once met a guy who'd seen a Hendrix show opened by Soft Machine. Said he *hated* SM. Just to annoy him, I said I would've left the place right after SM had finished.
The Allan Holdsworth period of Soft Machine is my personal favorite..this was a great band..experimental and tasteful at the same time..long live Soft Machine.
@dantean I was listening the same music as you in the 70's. I have all the first RTF and mahavishnu records and my friends gave me the Yes and KC records to listen. I liked'em both in a different way. greetings.
Awesome. My most played band, then a huge empty space, and then all the others. Proto jazz-rock. They themselves once called it "music of the mind". And this video is excellent in proving the point.
Virgins are boring/They should be grateful for the things they're ignoring... Great stuff--I love the studio version too, Wyatt's lispy tenor. And one of the great drummers of all time before the accident.
@slayerized86 Hell yeah, always a pleasure to see more open minded music listeners like yourself. I've always been that way. Who wants to listen to the same stuff all day? Boring people. I need my variety.
Very daring move for them in 70, but I never cared much for the horns/reeds. I want to hear Ratledge buzzing those bees! If I want jazz fusion I'll listen to Nucleus....
@gianca60 All I meant was that those interested in music of weight in the post-60s rock era of the early 70s were listening to Prog and / Fusion--not that the two formed a "team" as you put it. I know that's what I was listening to. Today, I find a smattering of that music to rise above the level of self-cliche and "here's how many scales I've learned," while Soft Machine were not about that.Even when they gravitate closer to that in their later manifestations their compositions r memorable.
good analysis I was around at the time and saw and lived the music of groups like soft machine. its a subjective thing, but the real energy and magic of these groups that defies the easy put down "prog " labels of post everything types survives.even john peel got into the negative stereotyping, to me symbolic events like wyatt leaving,end of beatles j hendrix etc killed off that special feeling by the end of 1970.would include jade warrior, quintessence 3rd ear band,trees and egg as good too
@dantean To put RTF and Yes in the seam "team" seems a little hazardous to me. Progressive had nothing to do with the "funk" that influenced so much Corea and friends.
Here's what progressive music should have been, not "Prog" (most of it, anyway) and Fusion. Early Yes and early King Crimson, early Mahavishnu and Return to Forever--but that's it! Most of the rest can no longer be listened to. Prog died an early death under the weight of its own pretentions, Fusion from a pointless and hopelessly soulless athleticism. Soft Machine tho had everything: compositions, experimentation, soul, and soloing. What a crime what we all got stuck with instead.
When you look at how much vintage prog and fusion has been re-issued and compiled in expensive box sets, I'd say plenty of people still love that music and listen to it today. Ever hear the Gentle Giant release "Pretentious For The Sake Of It"?
I was there in '70, an impressionable teenager......and man did Soft Machine blow my mind! Robert Wyatt probably got me into drumming more than any other drummer I'd had the privaledge to see . The many times I caught the Machine in that era I would always try n sit behind the band (cheap seats) with the best view of Wyatt"s wizardry!
But that Sunday night in Kralingse Bos they took no prisoners! They practically stole the show from the great Pink Floyd,in their prime, who closed the festival!
Kai Bevington lucky you. I think Robert Wyatt was one of the the best British drummer of the 20th century and it's unfair that much of what he did is only remembered on TH-cam.
Walking on the way to the festival site in kralingen, accompanied by the magical swelling music of out-bloody- rageous. One of my most impressive musical memories...
soft machine : only best band all times !!!!
For those wondering about Esther, it's a clear cut Thomas Pynchon reference. Apparently he was Ratledge's favorite writer or something, and the title seems to derive from a chapter of one of the Pynchon's books. The section with lyrics on the studio version, called "Pig" seems to refer to Pig Bodine.
@MrFigueroa007 That's b/c he learned drums from an American jazz player (whose name I forget at the moment) and was a major jazz-head throughout his formative years, listening to Elvin Jones, Max Roach, etc. It's really more accurate to say that he came from a jazz background before getting hooked on rock and pop. Because of this he's one of my 2 favorite rock drummers, for sure!
awsome!!! the clip i ever of suft machine!! and those are two of their favorite songs!! 10x for this!
I once met a guy who'd seen a Hendrix show opened by Soft Machine. Said he *hated* SM. Just to annoy him, I said I would've left the place right after SM had finished.
YEAH! It's back! The best Soft Machine clip ever!
Maldición esto e toda una obra de ARTE¡
Elton Dean, the best ever, rip
The Allan Holdsworth period of Soft Machine is my personal favorite..this was a great band..experimental and tasteful at the same time..long live Soft Machine.
@dantean I was listening the same music as you in the 70's. I have all the first RTF and mahavishnu records and my friends gave me the Yes and KC records to listen. I liked'em both in a different way. greetings.
Awesome. My most played band, then a huge empty space, and then all the others. Proto jazz-rock. They themselves once called it "music of the mind". And this video is excellent in proving the point.
fucking hell Robert is a machine
Wow!
Virgins are boring/They should be grateful for the things they're ignoring...
Great stuff--I love the studio version too, Wyatt's lispy tenor. And one of the great drummers of all time before the accident.
Yup. I'm a open minded dude, and I enjoy Soft Machine as much as I enjoy Slayer. Those two bands are actually my alltime favorite bands.
I was there!
Elton Dean: metal mouthpiece.
It's something in the nature of a lullabye letter. Great. Lol
@slayerized86 Hell yeah, always a pleasure to see more open minded music listeners like yourself. I've always been that way. Who wants to listen to the same stuff all day? Boring people. I need my variety.
Very daring move for them in 70, but I never cared much for the horns/reeds. I want to hear Ratledge buzzing those bees! If I want jazz fusion I'll listen to Nucleus....
Fuck you idiot
Bummer that they didn't play the Pigling bland part... thanks for sharing thought :D
They did. This video is only a short fragment. Check out a longer version of this concert on my channel.
@gianca60 All I meant was that those interested in music of weight in the post-60s rock era of the early 70s were listening to Prog and / Fusion--not that the two formed a "team" as you put it. I know that's what I was listening to. Today, I find a smattering of that music to rise above the level of self-cliche and "here's how many scales I've learned," while Soft Machine were not about that.Even when they gravitate closer to that in their later manifestations their compositions r memorable.
good analysis I was around at the time and saw and lived the music of groups like soft machine. its a subjective thing, but the real energy and magic of these groups that defies the easy put down "prog " labels of post everything types survives.even john peel got into the negative stereotyping, to me symbolic events like wyatt leaving,end of beatles j hendrix etc killed off that special feeling by the end of 1970.would include jade warrior, quintessence 3rd ear band,trees and egg as good too
ﾌﾞﾘﾃｨｯｼｭ･ｼﾞｬｽﾞ･ｱﾙﾄの傑出人､ｴﾙﾄﾝ･ﾃﾞｨｰﾝ､1970年、ｶﾝﾀﾍﾞﾘｰﾌﾟﾛｸﾞﾚ､ｿﾌﾄﾏｼｰﾝ時代の勇姿、なかなかのｲﾝﾀｰﾌﾟﾚｲ!
The book in question is _V_.
@dantean To put RTF and Yes in the seam "team" seems a little hazardous to me. Progressive had nothing to do with the "funk" that influenced so much Corea and friends.
andy summers played sometimes in soft machine...when?
Summers was with them on their 1968 US tour, but wasn't on any of their albums.
Agreed. I think Robert was/is influenced by Jazz and Pop more than Rock.
Tim Hawthorn you may be right.. You can hear elements of jazz drumming in this tune. It's good either way.
bigbreadeaterellis he originally wanted to be a pop musician, but found interest in jazz as well and incorporated a jazz style into his playing
As for lyrics, I'm sure Wyatt wrote them, rather than Ratledge.
Here's what progressive music should have been, not "Prog" (most of it, anyway) and Fusion. Early Yes and early King Crimson, early Mahavishnu and Return to Forever--but that's it! Most of the rest can no longer be listened to. Prog died an early death under the weight of its own pretentions, Fusion from a pointless and hopelessly soulless athleticism. Soft Machine tho had everything: compositions, experimentation, soul, and soloing. What a crime what we all got stuck with instead.
When you look at how much vintage prog and fusion has been re-issued and compiled in expensive box sets, I'd say plenty of people still love that music and listen to it today. Ever hear the Gentle Giant release "Pretentious For The Sake Of It"?