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Early demos cashed in

J. Powers | Basehor, KS United States | 04/27/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The previous reviewer notes that this CD features no info as to origins of this recording. It is some demos produced by Georgio Gomelsky in early 1967 while Daevid Allen was in the band, some of the only Softs recordings to feature him. After the band got somewhat popular with "Third" and Gong started to take off, Gomelsky first issued them in 1971 as a cash-in, and, much like The Beatles Tony Sheridan tapes, they've been repackaged over and over again. If you are a fan, they are interesting. "That's How Much I Need You Now" could stand on its own (just piano & plaintive Wyatt vocal) but the rest pale in comparison to future recordings. Which you probably should expect."

SOFT MACHINE....the prequel

W. T. Hoffman | Pennsylvania, United States | 07/19/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In a more perfect world, this title would have been recorded JUST a little better, and would have been available a month or so after it was recorded (1967) under the title of SOFT MACHINE Part ONE. Instead, these are "demos" that never were released until 1971. (no, they dont really SOUND like demos, but rather Soft Machine songs with a marginal amount of extra tape hiss....only difference.) Also, people have disparaged this title, since it is so "short" in length, but actually, its just around 30 minutes. The second SOFT MACHINE LP was only 33 minutes long, so you cant say that this was NOT a "real" album, because of the lenght. No, as far as I'm concerned, in every way that truly matters, THIS IS THE FIRST SOFT MACHINE ALBUM. As such, it is absolutely indispensible for fans of their early sound. For one thing, its hard to think of Soft Machine ever becoming the band it was in 1968, when the first album was recorded, without Daevid Allen's involvement. In fact, he had been involved with these guys in one way or another, since 1963, when they played music, while Daevid recited his beat poetry. However, by 1967, when Daevid Allen, Wyatt, Ratledge and Kevin Ayles left Cambridge University, and became the toast of the UFO club, in psychedelic swinging London, SOFT MACHINE had fully developed their sound. This is the way the band sounded, when they headed, along with Pink Floyd, the "13 Hour Technicolor Dream"....the first real psychedelic "BE-IN" in London. And, it is this version of SOFT MACHINE, which were "turned on" by Daevid Allen, their guitar player, and sometimes composer. For me, DAEVID ALLEN ON GUITAR is a major reason to hear these songs, besides the excellent music. Like most SOFT MACHINE albums, some songs connect to form suites. The "Masterpiece" on the album, is SAVE YOURSELF. It merges into I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN, to produce a 10 minute long freak out, where SAVE YOURSELF is reprised, at the end of the 7 minute jam called I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER. Even tho you might think that some of these songs are short, the style of the composistion is so fluid, and involves so many musical transistions, that a 3 minute song, actually SOUNDS like it goes on much longer. There are so many cool surprises on this album. For one thing, Kevin Ayers' voice is fully developed....that raspy, whispered, edgy sound. (Robert Wyatt sings, as does Daevid Allen, but they're these vocalizations, that give depth and texture to the sound. Trippy.) And, tragically, it was THIS VERSION of SOFT MACHINE that were so successful, that they decided to tour FRANCE. And because the band's "acid guru" and resident beatnik poet-freak, Daevid Allen, was an Australian without the proper work visas for the UK, Daevid Allen was not allowed reentry into England. (And thus stuck behind in France, became the man who created the Anglo-French band GONG.) SO, a 3 peice Soft Machine went back to London, wrote some more material, and record the first OFFICIAL album. But, without the guitar work of Daevid Allen. Allen's guitar works is very mature sounding here. He could play jazz guitar vamps, sometimes he'd play minimal 4 note vamps, or these long drone-like sounds. They fit the keyboard work perfectly, and really put the icing on the rhythm section of Wyatt and Aylers (on Bass-I think). Altho it was fortunate for Daevid Allen left the band, for the sake of GONG, I still wish I could have heard him on the first two "psychedelic" SOFT MACHINE LPs. Because I heard the word DEMOS, I bought this CD, only expecting very little. I was SO surprised, at how great these songs are, and how much the band in 1967 sounded like the band, that recorded that first SOFT MACHINE album. (I played this album, and then the first Soft Machine album back to back, and could NOT hear much difference, except for the noticable lack of Daevid's GUITAR.) I personally wish I could give this 5 stars, but it would not be fair, because altho great, it does not match the masterpeices these four guys were going to produce with GONG, MATCHING MOLE, Wyatt's solo and Kevin Ayler's solo work, and Ratledge's jazz SOFT MACHINE sound. It does NEED to be reconsidered as a very important part of the 1967 nascent British psychedelic, avant guard rock sound. Also, the CD insert, has a good essay inside, that sketches out the early story of how the CAMBRIDGE/SOFT MACHINE sound evolved. All in all, well worth EVERY penny."