The Soft Machine - Volume One (Big Beat Records 80' ) Vinyl rip in 24-bit/96kHz

A wild, freewheeling, and ultimately successful attempt to merge psychedelia with jazz-rock, Soft Machine's debut ranges between lovingly performed oblique pop songs and deranged ensemble playing from drummer/vocalist Robert Wyatt and organist Mike Ratledge. With only one real break (at the end of side one), the songs merge into each other – not always smoothly, but always with a sense of flair that rescues any potential miscues. Wyatt takes most of the vocals, and proves himself a surprisingly evocative singer despite his lack of range. Like Pink Floyd's The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, Volume One was one of the few over-ambitious records of the psychedelic era that actually delivered on all its incredible promise. John Bush

Track listing

Side one

1. "Hope for Happiness" (Brian Hopper, arr. Robert Wyatt / Mike Ratledge / Kevin Ayers) – 4:21
2. "Joy of a Toy" (Ayers / Ratledge) – 2:49
3. "Hope for Happiness (reprise)" (B. Hopper, arr. Wyatt / Ratledge / Ayers) – 1:38
4. "Why Am I So Short?" (Hugh Hopper / Wyatt) – 1:39
5. "So Boot If At All" (Ratlege / Ayers / Wyatt) – 7:25
6. "A Certain Kind" (H. Hopper) – 4:11

Side two

1. "Save Yourself" (Wyatt) – 2:26
2. "Priscilla" (Ayers / Ratledge / Wyatt) – 1:03
3. "Lullabye Letter" (Ayers) – 4:32
4. "We Did It Again" (Ayers) – 3:46
5. "Plus Belle qu'une Poubelle" (Ayers) – 1:03
6. "Why Are We Sleeping?" (Ayers / Ratledge / Wyatt) – 5:30
7. "Box 25/4 Lid" (Ratledge / H. Hopper) – 0:49

Personnel

* Robert Wyatt – drums, lead vocals
* Mike Ratledge – Lowrey Holiday De Luxe organ, piano (on 13)
* Kevin Ayers – bass, lead vocals (on 10 and 11), backing vocals (on 7 and 9), piano (on 5)

with

* Hugh Hopper – bass (on 13)
* The Cake – backing vocals (on 12)


Ripping Equipment:

TT: Technics SL 120 with SME 3009 tonearm
Cartridge: Ortofon Concorde OM 30 MM
Phono amp: Pro-Ject Tube Box II with 2X JAN 12AX 7WA (General Electric)
Cables: Wire World Solstice 5.2
Computer: Sony Vaio Laptop
ADC: Tascam US-144 external USB 2.0 Audiointerface
Software: Audacity, ClickRepair