soft machine third

[llanwydd]

I am hearing Soft Machine right now for the first time. I thought I should start with Third which I am hearing now. I cannot believe how much this sounds like Caravan. I just checked both bands on Wikipedia and apparently the two bands have no musicians in common. But there are parts where I could swear I am hearing Nine Feet Underground Part 2.

Overall, I am quite impressed with the album but I have to say there are some parts of it that are pretty awful, especially the first few minutes of side one. I love side two, though.

[Zappathustra]

Backwards from Slightly All The Time has been played by Caravan in (I believe) For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night. They did not have members in common but they were very well aware of each other, and I am quite sure that members have played in future projects together, or have appeared as guests (Matching Mole for example teams up Dave Sinclair with Robert Wyatt). The influence is more from Soft Machine towards Caravan than the other way around, it is Mike Ratledge who is credited for the Canterbury trademark use of heavy fuzz organ.

I am sure more knowledgeable people than me have more to add on the issue.

[Steve F.]

^ ^ ^ ^ ^

BOTH Soft Machine and Caravan had the same roots in the same band, The Wilde Flowers, in Canterbury, before both moved to London (hence the name Canterbury sound).

So, no musicians in common but they ALL played together only a few years earlier.

and yes. The first few minutes of Facelift are awful!

[Zappathustra]

and yes. The first few minutes of Facelift are awful!

They are not awful Steve, they are iconic. I confess guilty though with the crime of having skipped them several times!

[Kcrimso]

Not my favourite Soft Machine album but pretty pretty good anyway. My review: https://pienemmatpurot.com/review-so...ne-third-1970/

[Splicer]

The first few minutes of Facelift are awful!

It sounds like the Mister Rogers theme gone horribly wrong or the soundtrack to a 1960s Italian SF film where there are lots of red tubes hanging around for some reason.

[Steve F.]

They are not awful Steve, they are iconic. I confess guilty though with the crime of having skipped them several times!

I was being dry in my humor.

My father told me about 10 years ago that many, many years ago, when I was still living at home, that there was 'extra special horrid' noises coming from my room and he opened the door to make a joke to me about what I was listening to.

But when he opened the door and saw my closed eyes and the beautific smile on my face as the squall played, he decided that perhaps I knew what I was doing and he decided not to disturb me and quietly shut the door.

I thanked him for telling me that great story and - to myself - I immediately knew that I must have been listening to 'Facelift'....



p.s. god bless my tolerant parents. And tolerant parents everywhere.

[smcfee]

My folks suffered greatly during my undergrad as well :-D

[Zappathustra]

I was being dry in my humor.

My father told me about 10 years ago that many, many years ago, when I was still living at home, that there was 'extra special horrid' noises coming from my room and he opened the door to make a joke to me about what I was listening to.

But when he opened the door and saw my closed eyes and the beautific smile on my face as the squall played, he decided that perhaps I knew what I was doing and he decided not to disturb me and quietly shut the door.

I thanked him for telling me that great story and - to myself - I immediately knew that I must have been listening to 'Facelift'....



p.s. god bless my tolerant parents.

Yes, god bless all of them!

To your point though, the first minutes of Facelift do sound awful, if one takes into account the horrible sound of the whole album. In the middle of these first minutes in my CD it sounds like someone enters the studio and urinates for a couple of minutes (I am not joking, that's how it sounds in my CD). Third could be the worst recording of all time in terms of sound quality. And this still couldn't affect at all the final result. I would have Third in my top 20 albums list of all time.

[alanterrill]

I am hearing Soft Machine right now for the first time. I thought I should start with Third which I am hearing now. I cannot believe how much this sounds like Caravan. I just checked both bands on Wikipedia and apparently the two bands have no musicians in common. But there are parts where I could swear I am hearing Nine Feet Underground Part 2.

Overall, I am quite impressed with the album but I have to say there are some parts of it that are pretty awful, especially the first few minutes of side one. I love side two, though.

The first track I ever heard by Caravan was their version of Soft Machine's 'Feelin, Reelin, Squeelin' which I thought was great and it lured me in to Caravan - I didn't hear the Softs version until many years later, being unaware it was hidden away on the b-side of a long unavaialble single. I quite like the mad organ solo on Facelift although I can see why anyone new to the band would be horrified. For me, the last three minutes of Moon in June grate more -that awful sliding violin that goes on and on to no apparent purpose.

[Steve F.]

Third could be the worst recording of all time in terms of sound quality.

It is. But Facelift is by far the best recorded piece on that album. IMO. YMMV

It sounds basically exactly like what they sounded like live at the time.

[Dave (in MA)]

Steve's anecdote is not unlike mine, when the Paradiso show came up on the car stereo, the Missus asked "What's this shit?", and, when informed that it was Soft Machine, replied: "Sounds like the machine is broken."

[pb2015]

and yes. The first few minutes of Facelift are awful!

So awful there is a CD on Cuneiform of the rest of the gig.

[Munster]

Plus the excellent Rune 90 and Rune 104

[Steve F.]

So awful there is a CD on Cuneiform of the rest of the gig.

as my dad said, "it's extra special horrid"....

[Dana5140]

That SM 3rd is one of the greates records I have listened to in my life. On my list of best ever. Saw them live twice, met Mike Ratledge, and that first time was them opening for Hendrix. (Second time was with John Marshall, Roy Babbitt and Alan Holdworth with MR. In a bar, in E. Lansing, MI).

[llanwydd]

Backwards from Slightly All The Time has been played by Caravan in (I believe) For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night. They did not have members in common but they were very well aware of each other, and I am quite sure that members have played in future projects together, or have appeared as guests (Matching Mole for example teams up Dave Sinclair with Robert Wyatt). The influence is more from Soft Machine towards Caravan than the other way around, it is Mike Ratledge who is credited for the Canterbury trademark use of heavy fuzz organ.

I am sure more knowledgeable people than me have more to add on the issue.

You mentioned fuzz organ and it occurred to me that that is probably what reminded me of Caravan. The opening of Nine Feet Underground has this organ sound and it seems appropriate that it would be called fuzz organ. But also the construction and the approach to the material and even the vocals on side two sound like Caravan.

[per anporth]

So awful there is a CD on Cuneiform of the rest of the gig.

My absolute favourite Softs [live] record!

[alanterrill]

There was a cameraderie between these early bands that show up in the lyrics- on 'Moon in June' (radio version), Robert sings 'To all our mates like Kevin; Caravan; the old Pink Floyd' and on Caravan's 'Magic Man' Pye sings ' Soft Machines, Hearts Club Bands and all, are welcome here with me'

[Lebofsky]

This album has a weird little place in my heart. I always dreamed of doing a solo album and for the cover art recreating that band photo from the Soft Machine 3rd cover of the four of them (and the mysterious half of a fifth person) lounging around the room in varying states of ennui but with me doing all those same various individual poses.

- Matt

[Mister Triscuits]

This album has a weird little place in my heart. I always dreamed of doing a solo album and for the cover art recreating that band photo from the Soft Machine 3rd cover of the four of them (and the mysterious half of a fifth person) lounging around the room in varying states of ennui but with me doing all those same various individual poses.

Orchestra of the Upper Atmosphere just came out with an homage to that photo quite recently.

[Lebofsky]

Orchestra of the Upper Atmosphere just came out with an homage to that photo quite recently.

Ha HA! I just knew I couldn't have been the only person with this idea. Now I'm glad somebody else did it so now I don't have bother doing it myself!

[oddly normal]

“Awfu”. No way… that is what my bloody ex wife said when she walked out on a Softs 3rd/4th shows years ago. That opening is a statement…listen and evolve.

[Trane]

I am hearing Soft Machine right now for the first time. I thought I should start with Third which I am hearing now. I cannot believe how much this sounds like Caravan. I just checked both bands on Wikipedia and apparently the two bands have no musicians in common. But there are parts where I could swear I am hearing Nine Feet Underground Part 2.

Overall, I am quite impressed with the album but I have to say there are some parts of it that are pretty awful, especially the first few minutes of side one. I love side two, though.

Odd that you've been here so long (before PE 2.0, if memory serves) and had never heard the Softs before.

Odd choice to start with Third (it's probably the best-rated on all rating sites ), but IMHO, the debut and Volume 2 sound more Caravan-ish (but definitely more whacked-out) than third, which in a way announces the JR/F future of the band.

[llanwydd]

Odd that you've been so long (before PE 2.0, if memory serves) and had never heard the Softs before.

Odd choice to start with Third (it's probably the best-rated on all rating sites ), but IMHO, the debut and Volume 2 sound more Caravan-ish (but definitely more whacked-out) than third, which in a way announces the JR/F future of the band.

Odd that you find it odd.