Soft Machine | The Soft Machine | Album

Soft Machine "The Soft Machine"

LP (NEW) - Vinyl, Elemental Music, Spain, 2023, 700198, 0600753975503, 180g Vinyl, Limited Edition, Reissue, Gatefold Sleeve

Soft Machine's self-titled debut album (1968), also known as Volume One, is widely regarded as a cornerstone of the Canterbury scene. It is celebrated for its unique, freewheeling blend of psychedelia, jazz-rock, and absurdist British humour. Retrospective reviews are overwhelmingly positive, though contemporary reactions were more mixed due to the album's experimental nature. AllMusic describes it as a "wild, freewheeling" and "ultimately successful" attempt to merge psych-rock with jazz. Prog Archives contributors frequently label it a "masterpiece" and "Canterbury's Ground Zero," citing its historical importance in the birth of progressive rock.

The original 1968 sleeve of The Soft Machine had a circular die-cut sleeve, revealing a rotating 'clockwork' card insert through which the band members can be viewed on a colour backing sheet. Uncensored images of a nude girl appeared on the inside and back of the gatefold and under the clock insert. An added 'bikini bottom' was used to censor these images on the US version of the album.

Artist Website: softmachine.org

More by Artist: Soft Machine

Related Artists: Daevid Allen, Kevin Ayers, Robert Wyatt, Hugh Hopper

Collections: Artful Albums, UK Psych