ORIG 1968 SOFT MACHINE VOL 2 Fuzz Organ PROG PSYCH

$

128

1968 ORIGINAL FIRST PRESSING                  

 UK PSYCH CLASSIC!                                                

                          T h e   S O F T   M A C H I N E

            Volume TWO

                           USA - PROBE  Records - CPLP 4505

Original 1968 first pressing in thick gatefold cover...the even more 2nd SOFT MACHINE album...

The second album from The Soft Machine just called Volume Two continues the intellectual psychadelic late sixties prog rock style from their first album. By this Lp, Kevin Ayers has left the band to be replaced by former roadie for the band Hugh Hopper. The change is instantly heard as the distorted bass from Hugh Hopper is heard for the first time. It must have been quite a revolution to hear a bass so heavily distorted as this one in 1969. Hugh Hopper´s dominant distorted bass along with Mike Ratledge's fuzz-box infected organ is one of the great things about this album.

Overall the style of the music is pretty much a continuation of the style Soft Machine introduced on the debut. Witful lyrics and cool psychedelic rock songs with exciting twists. There are lots of small interludes between the longer tracks which works as bridges between those songs. It means that Volume two sometimes has a kind of concept feeling to it.

The instrumentation is keyboards, bass, drums and vocals. Since Daevid Allen ( Gong) wasn´t admitted entrance into Britain after a vacation, and had to leave the band because of that, there hadn´t been a guitarist in the band. There is, in fact, sporadic guitar playing, but no one is credited for playing the guitar. You don´t miss the guitar though as Mike Ratledge is very good at filling out any empty space with his keyboards and both the bass and the drums are very dominant too. The vocals from Robert Wyatt are very good on this album. Really enjoyable.

The production is pretty similar to the one on the debut album which means a good sixties sound quality.

Volume Two is an excellent canterbury scene grooves. Even though there are similarities between volume one and two it is arguable that Volume two is a bit better than the debut.

In VOLUME TWO the band reached the highest heights of psychedelics, especially with the gorgeous suite on the album's original A- side. Although instrumentation is minimal (bass, drums and keyboards), there are good tunes aplenty. Some have the bass as lead instrument, some the piano or the organ (both with and without fuzz-box), and Wyatt's drumming is bouncier than ever. This is essentially good-humoured music: most of the lyrics are about partying, having sex, or recording in a New York studio - impossible to listen to without a smile on your face and a groove in your head. Particularly charming are the bits where Robert starts crooning in Spanish (he seems to have spent a lot of time in Majorca, with Kevin Ayers), and when he expresses his heartfelt thanks to the members of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, with whom the Soft Machine had been on tour.

Side Two contains more tunes  that are both unforgettable and irresistibleis in "Dedicated to You" and "Pig". The album as a whole is a must for anyone who's even remotely interested in the Canterbury Scene. Highly recommendable.

    Rivmic Melodies
1. Pataphysical Introduction Pt. I (1:00)
2. A Concise British Alphabet Pt. I (0:10)
3. Hibou, Anemone and Bear (5:58)
4. A Concise British Alphabet Pt. II (0:12)
5. Hulloder (0:52)
6. Dada Was Here (3:25)
7. Thank You Pierrot Lunaire (0:47)
8. Have You Ever Bean Green? (1:23)
9. Pataphysical Introduction Pt. II (0:50)
10. Out Of Tunes (2:30)
Esther's Nose Job
11. As Long As He Lies Perfectly Still (2:30)
12. Dedicated To You But You Weren't Listening (2:30)
13. Fire Engine Passing With Bells Clanging (1:50)
14. Pig (2:08)
15. Orange Skin Food (1:52)
16. A Door Opens And Closes (1:09)
17. 10.30 Returns To The Bedroom (4:14)                   

CONDITION: The gatefold cover is stiff and sharp, front cover nice "EX" (excellent) back cover one of those that are near impossible to find clean, this back cover with the usual light shelf wear, but again the front is nicely clean asnd there are no spit seams, no bends and no writing.

The vinyl is real nice M- clean and plays clear...

      A cool addition to anyone's music library!

SEE: SELLERS OTher items for similar cool sounds for "head" people...

EFFICIENT/CAREFUL GRADING

All imperfections are noted both cover & record