The grand daddies of the Canterbury Scene, Soft Machine is one of the most important and influential bands of all time. So let’s rank their discography, shall we?
@@TheProgCorner totally excellent channel pleased to see someone giving due credit to vol2 definitely not one of the most mentioned but in my opinion one of their best
As a Soft Machine nerd, I kind of view their discography after Seven more as a song writing guild, kind of like GBV in the old days. The sweet spot for me is also Volume Two and Third(and I absolutely love the lo-fi patchwork of Facelift, just brilliant!) I rank the debut higher, in fact the Robert Wyatt era takes the cake. His drumming on Fourth is the best studio drumming ever for me. Fifth is also higher for me as I'm a huge fan of Phil Howard's batshit drumming. Not to mention that chilling closer Bone, which recreates the sax opening of the album. Check out the BBC sessions with Howard, just killer. Speaking of BBC sessions, they also include a pre-Holdsworth version of Hazard Profile that I actually prefer over the album version, with badass Ratledge keys stealing the show. Some of my absolute favorite performances come from quintet recordings, like on Facelift: France and Holland. The show of the '69 trio in Holland is also killer, with a great solo from Wyatt. I also dig the Jet Propelled Photographs recordings with Daevid Allen. A lot of fans rank Bundles pretty high and I like the album enough, but I just find their guitarless outings from '68 to '71 particularly genius.
Being a guitar player (and Holdsworth fan) made Bundles a real joy for me. I like the GbV comparison!!!! Only on The Prog Corner can we make those connections!!!!
I agree with @mordantfilms ' preferences. I'm also a SM nerd, to a *huge* degree. Anyway, from that perspective, their studio albums are not their best (but if you've to choose, I'd go with 3rd, 2nd, and 4th; that said, I also like their more proper jazz-rock albums such as Bundles).... their live albums are. Most of them have been released > 2000 via Cuneiform records. I'd go with "Backwards", "Noisette", "Virtually", "Breda Reactor", "Grides", "BBC Radio 1967-1971". The band was good on studio, but were *amazing* live, especially the 69 (including a septet) to 71.
My nostalgic FAVORITE is 'SOFTS' with Etheridge. I just ADORE this lovely album! It seques, flows and blends so fluidly, as if a Concept Album. Much less forced Jazz and more Fusion Prog melodic & linear with some incredible guitar work throughout
Hi Professor 🤗 been out and about!!! I missed you Scot 😁 but I am in your class 🙋♀️ Lisa wants to learn today from her Prog Professor, who ❤️s 🎶 as much as you, YES 😉 I DO!! ❤️🎸🎶🎶
Great video Scott. Love Soft Machine and the Canterbury scene. My Top five: 1.Volume 2 2. Third 3.Bundles. 4.Volume 5 (their most underrated imo) 5.Volume 4 BTW, I heard it was stipulated in John Marshall's contract that he was allowed a drum solo on every Soft Machine album he was on.
Hey Scott ! JT here.. Don't know how I did not subscribe to you.. Until now ! I loved your rundown of American Prog Rock bands.. Very very cool, and Kansas does win that accolade, for sure !
You left out "Alive and Well - Recorded in Paris", released in '78, which was somewhat ironic since the band ceased as a unit shortly after its release. Karl Jenkins did lead this, John Etheridge was on guitar, John Marshall on drums, Ric Sanders on electric violin, and Steve Cook on bass. A 2010 reissue also included some studio tracks with Roy Babbington on bass and Alan Wakeman on sax. You also left out their earliest album which was meant to be a demo, called either "Jet Propelled Photographs" or "Shooting at the Moon" released in '67. Daevid Allen is on this, along with Kevin Ayers (bass) Robert Wyatt (vocal, drums) and Mike Ratledge (organ). This is mostly song oriented, with some from Ayers, Wyatt, and Brian and Hugh Hopper. While this was put out by their then-manager Giorgio Gomelsky against their will, it does have quite a few good moments, and is a good lead in to Volume 1. Parts of this show up later, incorporated in Robert Wyatt's "Moon in June" on Volume 3.
Scot I’m in my 50’s and I just discovered Soft Machine last year. I knew of them,but I never bothered to purchase any of their albums. But now, because of Spotify, and having all of their albums right there in front of me….I jumped in! I looked at All Music and got their highest ranked albums and made a playlist. I’m really digging them. But they are definitely a required taste. Hope you have a happier day tomorrow ….and like Robert Plant said…. “Upon us all a little rain must fall” chin up,music friend. ✌️❤️🇨🇦
Well, this is a band that I’d like to grow deeper into. I have a copy of Bundles and I do like it, but ‘ Thirds ‘ is definitely something I need to acquire. Besides, I need to expand my collection from the Canterbury circuit. Just the other day, I listened to Kahn’s Space Shanty. That one is growing on me more by the day.
Other Doors is an excellent album and I saw them live here in the UK quite recently. John Etheridge is as wonderful as ever and when he and Theo Travis let rip, you really need to dive for cover. Id like to see another live album from the current lineup, if only for the final medley.
Ranking the records I've listened to, I enjoy all of these (especially the top 5): 8. Seven 7. Bundles 6. Six 5. The Soft Machine 4. Fifth 3. Volume 2 2. Fourth 1. Third
Sorry to hear you're in a bad mood! Hope you're feeling better, work can be quite overwhelming sometimes. Great video nonetheless, I need to get in to Soft Machine more, I only remember having listened to Third and really liking it.
I flip flop between Third and Bundles as my favorite. I love Facelift and Out Bloody Rageous but I also love Allan Holdsworth. Maybe it'll just be a tie.
Hey Scot , think apart from Third , which is a no-brainer , my favourite is Bundles , just enjoy it from beginning to end... Holdsworth , wow incredible. Great rundown. A complete enigma this band. Cheers Scot. 😍
1. Third 2. Bundles 3. Six 4. Volume 2 5. Hidden Details - I'm proud that the top 5 includes a record from each of the five different stages (you could claim that there's more than five and I wouldn't argue - how many different line-ups have there been?) It's great how wide the range of styles are available throughout the career and I do like nearly all of the styles (though Land of Cockayne is a little disappointing) Third is the masterpiece though. (And Facelift is the highlight! Yes it's a live Frankenstein of a song but that's its charm)
Also check out the Soft Heap album "Rogue Element". Debut album should be ranked much higher. Not well engineered but the playing of Ratledge and Wyatt is amazing. There are the "Rock Generation" demo recordings with Daevid Allen released under different names over the years. The compilation album "Triple Echo" is very good. Probably only released on vinyl once. There are tons of excellent live recordings. I keep wishing "Third" would be sonically cleaned up. The studio recordings are muddy. "Third" and "Volume 2" are tied for my favorite. "Seven" is very underrated.
I'm only familiar with third. I've got mixed feelings of it and I never went any further in their discography but I look forward to changing that soon!
great list!, Soft Machine is one of my favorite bands. Third and Seven, despite they're so different,are my absolute favorites. Haven't you heard Spaced? a very obscure album, but worth a listen
Pretty amazing that Columbia let them release Third as a double LP, being their first for the label, but Chicago released three doubles in a row (CTA, II, and III), all good albums when they had Terry Kath. I guess Third is considered a Lo-Fi album, but of course that's part of its charm.
Third was my introduction to Soft Machine. I bought it because it was a double album for the price of a single album. I only listened to it a few times. I still have it and it is in great shape. I have the Second and Fourth. I do want the debut. I may have to give up getting an original and get a reissue. By Fourth they are a Jazz band. I didn’t care for Fifth and I haven’t heard anything after that.
One of my favorite bands ever, this is my top 10: 10.Volume Two 9.Hidden Details 8.Other Doors 7.Softs 6.Six 5.Seven 4.Bundles 3.Fifth 2.Fourth 1.Third
Originality is a bit of a curse though (which he knew as well)... I think the best way to honor him is to never punish originality, especially when extreme skill is in effect too.
When you play Soft Machine 3 with a reasonably decent vinyl platine, the sound is not so bad and the poor production has been quite exageratted. Problem is there are so many scratches that it almost ruins the experience. I particularly appreciate Moon In June, with the voice of Wyatt and also the canterbury keyboards of Ratledge. A strange masterpiece that should be more listened to.
Land of Cockayne is the easiest SM album on the ear and it's great have playing while I'm cooking. Not being a hardcore SM fan, my faves are the Harvest albums, Bundles and Softs, and the live album, Floating World. I LOVE John Marshall's drumming but, yeah, those studio drum solos are dead space.
@@jasonpp1973 My guess is that he was so keen to play his boring solos that the others just went along with it and, as they say, gave the drummer some. And, after all, he did such a great job all the rest of the time. I only saw him play live with Eberhart Weber, and he was a joy to watch and listen to. Great sound, great energy, great ears.
Guess we both have nasty attitudes today! Slumlord hasn't cut the grass yet the entire Spring! Looks terrible. Almost taller than the bushes which have 5 foot weeds growing out of them! Sick of this crap!!! God save us all!!!!!🔈🔉🔊😎😎😎
I don’t have many “bad” days but today is definitely one of them!!! I even messed up the editing on this one. RULE #1: Never shoot a video when I’m in a bad mood. (I won’t do it again…I’ll go dark until I’m feeling better next time!!!! I almost deleted this video in disgust…)
Alan Wakeman is Ricks cousin just mentioning
Yeah, I just found that out. I’m an idiot.
@@TheProgCorner totally excellent channel pleased to see someone giving due credit to vol2 definitely not one of the most mentioned but in my opinion one of their best
Absolutely!!!!
Even when life kicks you and you're in a bad mood, your videos are fun. Don't let the gits grind you down, Scot. You're worth a hundred of them.
Thank you so much!!!
@@TheProgCornerCertainly.
As a Soft Machine nerd, I kind of view their discography after Seven more as a song writing guild, kind of like GBV in the old days. The sweet spot for me is also Volume Two and Third(and I absolutely love the lo-fi patchwork of Facelift, just brilliant!) I rank the debut higher, in fact the Robert Wyatt era takes the cake. His drumming on Fourth is the best studio drumming ever for me. Fifth is also higher for me as I'm a huge fan of Phil Howard's batshit drumming. Not to mention that chilling closer Bone, which recreates the sax opening of the album. Check out the BBC sessions with Howard, just killer. Speaking of BBC sessions, they also include a pre-Holdsworth version of Hazard Profile that I actually prefer over the album version, with badass Ratledge keys stealing the show. Some of my absolute favorite performances come from quintet recordings, like on Facelift: France and Holland. The show of the '69 trio in Holland is also killer, with a great solo from Wyatt. I also dig the Jet Propelled Photographs recordings with Daevid Allen. A lot of fans rank Bundles pretty high and I like the album enough, but I just find their guitarless outings from '68 to '71 particularly genius.
Being a guitar player (and Holdsworth fan) made Bundles a real joy for me. I like the GbV comparison!!!! Only on The Prog Corner can we make those connections!!!!
I agree with @mordantfilms ' preferences. I'm also a SM nerd, to a *huge* degree. Anyway, from that perspective, their studio albums are not their best (but if you've to choose, I'd go with 3rd, 2nd, and 4th; that said, I also like their more proper jazz-rock albums such as Bundles).... their live albums are. Most of them have been released > 2000 via Cuneiform records. I'd go with "Backwards", "Noisette", "Virtually", "Breda Reactor", "Grides", "BBC Radio 1967-1971". The band was good on studio, but were *amazing* live, especially the 69 (including a septet) to 71.
My nostalgic FAVORITE is 'SOFTS' with Etheridge. I just ADORE this lovely album! It seques, flows and blends so fluidly, as if a Concept Album. Much less forced Jazz and more Fusion Prog melodic & linear with some incredible guitar work throughout
Great video Scot!
Your chanel is amazing. I have discovered wonderful music here 😊
Thank you!!!! 👍👍👍❤️❤️❤️
Hi Professor 🤗 been out and about!!! I missed you Scot 😁 but I am in your class 🙋♀️ Lisa wants to learn today from her Prog Professor, who ❤️s 🎶 as much as you, YES 😉 I DO!! ❤️🎸🎶🎶
Class is in session!!!!
Absolutely fantastic have a wonderful day Scot ❤😊
Thank you!!!!! 👍❤️👍❤️
I actually really enjoy Karl Jenkins solo albums "Imagined Oceans" and "Armed Man: A Mass for Peace", as well as his project called Adiemus.
I need to check those out!!!!
Great video Scott. Love Soft Machine and the Canterbury scene.
My Top five:
1.Volume 2
2. Third
3.Bundles.
4.Volume 5 (their most underrated imo)
5.Volume 4
BTW, I heard it was stipulated in John Marshall's contract that he was allowed a drum solo on every Soft Machine album he was on.
That explains a lot!!!!!!
Also gave Marshall a writing credit.
Hey Scott ! JT here.. Don't know how I did not subscribe to you.. Until now ! I loved your rundown of American Prog Rock bands.. Very very cool, and Kansas does win that accolade, for sure !
Thank you!!! I appreciate that. You know how it works…
Haha.. I do ! I will see you again on yours. Cheers from Nevada and Thailand ✌
You left out "Alive and Well - Recorded in Paris", released in '78, which was somewhat ironic since the band ceased as a unit shortly after its release. Karl Jenkins did lead this, John Etheridge was on guitar, John Marshall on drums, Ric Sanders on electric violin, and Steve Cook on bass. A 2010 reissue also included some studio tracks with Roy Babbington on bass and Alan Wakeman on sax. You also left out their earliest album which was meant to be a demo, called either "Jet Propelled Photographs" or "Shooting at the Moon" released in '67. Daevid Allen is on this, along with Kevin Ayers (bass) Robert Wyatt (vocal, drums) and Mike Ratledge (organ). This is mostly song oriented, with some from Ayers, Wyatt, and Brian and Hugh Hopper. While this was put out by their then-manager Giorgio Gomelsky against their will, it does have quite a few good moments, and is a good lead in to Volume 1. Parts of this show up later, incorporated in Robert Wyatt's "Moon in June" on Volume 3.
Your top 3 Scott is bang on 🥁
Ground breaking.
Scot I’m in my 50’s and I just discovered Soft Machine last year. I knew of them,but I never bothered to purchase any of their albums. But now, because of Spotify, and having all of their albums right there in front of me….I jumped in! I looked at All Music and got their highest ranked albums and made a playlist. I’m really digging them. But they are definitely a required taste.
Hope you have a happier day tomorrow ….and like Robert Plant said…. “Upon us all a little rain must fall” chin up,music friend. ✌️❤️🇨🇦
That’s right!!!! 👍👍
Well, this is a band that I’d like to grow deeper into. I have a copy of Bundles and I do like it, but ‘ Thirds ‘ is definitely something I need to acquire. Besides, I need to expand my collection from the Canterbury circuit. Just the other day, I listened to Kahn’s Space Shanty. That one is growing on me more by the day.
Space Shanty!!!! What a record!!!
Other Doors is an excellent album and I saw them live here in the UK quite recently. John Etheridge is as wonderful as ever and when he and Theo Travis let rip, you really need to dive for cover. Id like to see another live album from the current lineup, if only for the final medley.
👍👍👍
Ranking the records I've listened to, I enjoy all of these (especially the top 5):
8. Seven
7. Bundles
6. Six
5. The Soft Machine
4. Fifth
3. Volume 2
2. Fourth
1. Third
👍👍👍
Let's hear it for Love Makes Sweet Music b/w Feeling Reeling Squealing, the 1st (and probably only) single by The Soft Machine.
Third is #1! 😮 I have a Soft Machine live album, that you didn't mention...
Oh, they have some GREAT live recordings. What a band!!!
Soft Machine is awesome ! I need to give a few of their LP's a recent listen. I agree with your 1 2 and 3 ranking ! I do like "Bundles" 😉
Yeah!!! What a great band!!!!
Absolutely.. Caravan, Camel, Nektar are a few that I listen to lately. I started with Jethro Tull, Yes and ELP back in the ancient times ! 🌘
Sorry to hear you're in a bad mood! Hope you're feeling better, work can be quite overwhelming sometimes. Great video nonetheless, I need to get in to Soft Machine more, I only remember having listened to Third and really liking it.
They are such a weird and wild beast!!!!
You Rock Scot!! Soft Machine….yes!!
What a twisted band…
I flip flop between Third and Bundles as my favorite. I love Facelift and Out Bloody Rageous but I also love Allan Holdsworth. Maybe it'll just be a tie.
There you go!!!!
Hey Scot , think apart from Third , which is a no-brainer , my favourite is Bundles , just enjoy it from beginning to end... Holdsworth , wow incredible. Great rundown. A complete enigma this band. Cheers Scot. 😍
They really are. I mean, look at Rutledge on the cover of 4 - that’s a Rock Star!!!
@@TheProgCorner Cool as.
Third is my favourite prog rock album of all time, anyway:
1. Third
2. Volume Two
3. Debut
4. Fourth
5. Six
6. Seven
7. Bundles
8. Fifth
9. Softs
Nice!!!!!
1. Third 2. Bundles 3. Six 4. Volume 2 5. Hidden Details - I'm proud that the top 5 includes a record from each of the five different stages (you could claim that there's more than five and I wouldn't argue - how many different line-ups have there been?) It's great how wide the range of styles are available throughout the career and I do like nearly all of the styles (though Land of Cockayne is a little disappointing) Third is the masterpiece though. (And Facelift is the highlight! Yes it's a live Frankenstein of a song but that's its charm)
Exactly right about Facelift!!!! Amazing. The first song I ever heard my them!!!
Moon In June is a masterpiece, that blew my socks off when I first heard it late at night. What a trip! 🌙
Third is an absolute masterpiece.
Also check out the Soft Heap album "Rogue Element".
Debut album should be ranked much higher. Not well engineered but the playing of Ratledge and Wyatt is amazing.
There are the "Rock Generation" demo recordings with Daevid Allen released under different names over the years.
The compilation album "Triple Echo" is very good. Probably only released on vinyl once.
There are tons of excellent live recordings.
I keep wishing "Third" would be sonically cleaned up. The studio recordings are muddy.
"Third" and "Volume 2" are tied for my favorite. "Seven" is very underrated.
I think that is Soft Head, but it is an excellent album
1- Third
2- Fourth
3- Bundles
4- Two
5- Five
6- Seven
7- Softs
8- Six
9- One
10- Land
Fantastic!!!!
Third is a classic. It's 1 of those albums that you think might meander and get boring, but for some reason it doesn't.
Exactly!!!! That’s it right there.
Volume Two was one of the very first albums I every bought. Love it!🤩
Fantastic!!!
The Hulk Hogan of the VC.
Oh, I like that!!!! 👍👍👍
I'm only familiar with third. I've got mixed feelings of it and I never went any further in their discography but I look forward to changing that soon!
What a bizarre and wonderful band.
Out of everything I know
9. 7
8. Softs
7. Six
6. Bundles
5. Fifth
4. Soft Machine
3. Fourth
2. Volume 2
1. Third
Like like that!!!
great list!, Soft Machine is one of my favorite bands. Third and Seven, despite they're so different,are my absolute favorites. Haven't you heard Spaced? a very obscure album, but worth a listen
I have NOT heard it!!!
A bit of Spaced Two was used to link performances on Facelift on Third.
Pretty amazing that Columbia let them release Third as a double LP, being their first for the label, but Chicago released three doubles in a row (CTA, II, and III), all good albums when they had Terry Kath.
I guess Third is considered a Lo-Fi album, but of course that's part of its charm.
It is part of the charm. And I think you’re right: Chicago were selling millions so why not??!!!
@@TheProgCorner The Kath era Chicago is one of my favorite bands, when Kath passed, Chicago started going downhill.
Soft Machine - Live At The Paradiso, their best album.
👍👍👍
Yes!!! SOFT MACHINE!!! ❤
Curved Air soon, pretty please 😊
Nice!!!! Still haven’t done them yet!!!!
That's a pretty fair ranking, I love Soft Machine but the top 4 or 5 are way better than the rest.
That’s for sure!!!
Third was my introduction to Soft Machine. I bought it because it was a double album for the price of a single album. I only listened to it a few times. I still have it and it is in great shape. I have the Second and Fourth. I do want the debut. I may have to give up getting an original and get a reissue. By Fourth they are a Jazz band. I didn’t care for Fifth and I haven’t heard anything after that.
5 left me cold!!! But 6 and 7 were more interesting to me. A little less frantic…
One of my favorite bands ever, this is my top 10:
10.Volume Two
9.Hidden Details
8.Other Doors
7.Softs
6.Six
5.Seven
4.Bundles
3.Fifth
2.Fourth
1.Third
I need to give 5 another shot. It didn’t do it for me!!!!
Holdsworth is like no one else, even invented his own type of musical theory... his entire musical grammar is original.
We are not worthy!!!
Originality is a bit of a curse though (which he knew as well)... I think the best way to honor him is to never punish originality, especially when extreme skill is in effect too.
@@Mister_Jahn 👍👍👍
I feel like King Gizzard's Sketches of Brunswick is a spiritual successor to the first two Soft Machine albums...not the sort of album made often.
Good observation!!!
There's a SM album out there, with Daevid Allen and produced by Giorgio Gomelski. Had the vinyl years ago; got lost.
I know there are recordings out there but I’ve never seen or heard them!!!!
Hope you feel better now man.
I’m still angry!!!! The only thing that will help is if this video does well…
(I’m so vain.)
@@TheProgCorner I'm sure it will!
When you play Soft Machine 3 with a reasonably decent vinyl platine, the sound is not so bad and the poor production has been quite exageratted. Problem is there are so many scratches that it almost ruins the experience.
I particularly appreciate Moon In June, with the voice of Wyatt and also the canterbury keyboards of Ratledge. A strange masterpiece that should be more listened to.
Land of Cockayne is the easiest SM album on the ear and it's great have playing while I'm cooking. Not being a hardcore SM fan, my faves are the Harvest albums, Bundles and Softs, and the live album, Floating World. I LOVE John Marshall's drumming but, yeah, those studio drum solos are dead space.
Just weird…
Might have been on Marshall's contract to have drum/percussion solos on each album.
@@jasonpp1973 My guess is that he was so keen to play his boring solos that the others just went along with it and, as they say, gave the drummer some. And, after all, he did such a great job all the rest of the time.
I only saw him play live with Eberhart Weber, and he was a joy to watch and listen to. Great sound, great energy, great ears.
how about the best offshoot bands - Hatfield and the North, National Health etc.
Yes!!!!
This is an important episode for me. I am Canterbury deficient. The closest thing I have are the two Bruford masterpieces.
There you go!!! You are ready!!!
SOFT! ok, for me it's 3,4,5,6,7 ! but i did not hear Two, so i need to.
2 is fantastic!!!
What about Matching Mole?
I love them…
Good program!
Thank you!!!
Hey Scot I have not heard anything from Soft Machine but I want to get into them what should I start with?
I think Third is their masterpiece but it isn’t an easy listen. Maybe Volume Two is the best entry point…
Sixth and as the Prog Guy with the knitted hat proposes 3rd.
What about alive and well and recorded in Paris?
Rick Sanders on violin!!!! Love that album!!!!
Alan Wakeman is a relation, he’s Rick’s cousin
Why did I not know this?????
@@TheProgCorner You must be pissed off!!!😡😡😡😎
It’s been THAT kind of day.
@@TheProgCorner I hear ya!😎
Guess we both have nasty attitudes today! Slumlord hasn't cut the grass yet the entire Spring! Looks terrible. Almost taller than the bushes which have 5 foot weeds growing out of them! Sick of this crap!!! God save us all!!!!!🔈🔉🔊😎😎😎
I don’t have many “bad” days but today is definitely one of them!!! I even messed up the editing on this one.
RULE #1: Never shoot a video when I’m in a bad mood.
(I won’t do it again…I’ll go dark until I’m feeling better next time!!!! I almost deleted this video in disgust…)
The video was great as is! Glad you didn’t delete it.
Thank you!!!!
Karl Jenkins ruined this band.
I love 6th and 3rd.