Soft Machine were
an English rock band from Canterbury, named after the book The Soft
Machine by William S. Burroughs. They were one of the central bands in
the Canterbury scene, and helped pioneer the progressive rock genre.
Though they achieved little commercial success, they are considered by
Allmusic to be "one of the more influential bands of their era, and
certainly one of the most influential underground ones."Soft Machine (billed as The Soft Machine up to 1969) were formed in mid-1966 by Robert Wyatt (drums, vocals), Kevin Ayers (bass, guitar, vocals), Daevid Allen (guitar) and Mike Ratledge (organ) plus, for the first few gigs only, American guitarist Larry Nowlin. Allen, Wyatt and future bassist Hugh Hopper had first played together in the Daevid Allen Trio in 1963, occasionally accompanied by Ratledge. Wyatt, Ayers and Hopper had been founding members of the Wilde Flowers, later incarnations of which would include future members of another Canterbury band, Caravan...
Studio
1968 - The Soft Machine [1990, MCAD-22064]
1969 - Volume Two [1990, MCAD-22065]
1970 - Third [1991, Columbia, CGK 30339]
1971 - Fourth [1991, ESCA 5417]
1972 - Fifth [1991, ESCA 5418]
1973 - Seven [1995, A 26256]
1973 - Six [1999, 494981 2]
1975 - Bundles [1990, SEECD 283]
1976 - Softs [1990, SEECD 285]
1981 - Land of Cockayne [2007, 081]
2018 - Hidden Details
Studio remastered
1968 - The Soft Machine [2009, 532 050-5]
1969 - Volume Two [2009, 532 050-6]
1970 - Third [2007, 82876872932]
1971 - Fourth [2007, 82876872912]
1972 - Fifth [2007, 82876872902]
1973 - Seven [2007, 82876872922]
1973 - Six [2010, 88697781442CD4]
1975 - Bundles [2010, ECLEC2196]
1976 - Softs [2010, ECLEC2002]
Live
1978 - Alive and Well [1990, SEECD 290]
1988 - Live at the Proms 1970 [1988, CD RECK 5]
1990 - The Peel Sessions [SFRCD201]
1994 - Rubber Riff [VP190CD]
1995 - Live at the Paradiso 1969 [VP139CD]
1995 - Live in Paris, May 2nd, 1972 [2004, Rune 195~6]
1996 - Spaced [Rune 90]
1998 - Live 1970 [BP290CD]
1998 - Virtually [Rune 100]
2000 - Noisette [Rune 130]
2001 - Turns on Volume 1 [VP231CD]
2001 - Turns on Volume 2 [VP234CD]
2002 - Backwards [Rune 170]
2004 - Breda Reactor [VP345CD]
2004 - Somewhere in Soho [VP262CD]
2005 - BBC in Concert 1971 (& Heavy Friends) [HUX 067]
2005 - British Tour '75 [MLP10CD]
2005 - Softstage BBC in Concert 1972 [HUX 070]
2006 - Floating World Live [MJR007]
2006 - Grides [Rune 230]
2009 - Drop [MJR023]
2009 - Live at Henie Onstad Art Centre 1971 [RR014~5]
2010 - NDR Jazz Workshop - Hamburg, Germany 1973 [Rune 305~6]
2015 - Switzerland 1974
Compilations
1989 - Jet-Propelled Photographs [CD CHARLY 197]
2003 - BBC Radio 1967-1971 [HUX 037]
2003 - BBC Radio 1971-1974 [HUX 047]
2003 - Kings of Canterbury 1969-1970 [SMDCD456]
2005 - Orange Skin Food [223135-311]
