Soft Machine
Jet-Propelled Photographs

Once upon a time, in the swinging London of 1967, there were the Soft Machine, a band competing for the attention of the psychedelic audience with some young guys called Pink Floyd, but which did not achieve the fame of the latter despite having equivalent (or superior?) inventiveness and technical skills.

This album collects their very first works (thus predating the first official LP, "Volume One"). Without the strange tempo changes of the title track, and the rapid and fresh percussions of "I Should've Known" supporting Allen's long improvisation, it is hard to believe that this group would become one of the leading exponents of progressive rock, alongside King Crimson, a few years later. In fact, the other songs rightfully belong to the realm of psychedelia, albeit revealing the most diverse influences.

In "Save Yourself" and "Memories," we hear hints close to soul, even though the acid sounds of Allen's guitar, very close to those of his colleague Barrett, are present; however, it is the delightful (and sometimes unsettling) digressions of the brilliant Ratledge on the Hammond organ (in "Memories" and "When I Don't Want You") and on the piano ("That's How Much I Need you," the first embryo of the future "Moon in June") that most draw attention. The second, more evident influence is that of free jazz, a remnant from the period when the group was still playing with the future Caravan. The last is the pop of the British Invasion, the one from the early sixties, adapted to the genre by Allen's solos (as in "She's Gone" and "I'd Rather Be With You"), somewhat like what was happening in the USA at that time thanks to the Doors. Constantly supporting everything on stage are the splendid percussions and the alluring voice of the genius Wyatt.

Perhaps this album is not a masterpiece, perhaps it's not as innovative as the contemporary "The Piper At The Gates of Dawn," but it remains nonetheless a collection of incredibly interesting songs.

MUSICIANS: Allen (guitar), Ayers (bass), Ratledge (keyboards), Wyatt (drums, vocals)