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Hand picked records important to the history of Soul Strut.

The Soft Machine - The Soft Machine

  • The Soft Machine

    The Soft Machine LP (1968)

    Probe

Ranked #190 in the Soul Strut 200

The Soft Machine's debut was an ambitious blend of jazz-rock and psych pop. Hailing from the UK underground scene, similar to Pink Floyd's upbringing, they were behind the eight ball with their debut after losing guitarist David Allen to visa issues.  They recorded 1968's The Soft Machine as a trio; organ, bass, and drummer phenom Robert Wyatt on vocals (be sure to check his solo releases).  The album has long been considered a prog / psych masterpiece even if there were no real standout singles.  This later became a sought after record for crate diggers and sampling hip hop producers looking for something interesting that was not James Brown.  Check the wah drenched "Joy of a Toy," the fuzz organ of "Save Yourself" with Wyatt's signature soulfully white vocals, and the most popular track "Why Are We Sleeping?".   Their next album 2 would become at lot more pop focused and introduced the great Hugh Hopper on bass.   For me, though, their debut stands out more with its raw power and experimentation.  Consider this a no-brainer $20 album that you should cop and file.


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