The Soft Machine (Soft Machine album)

The Soft Machine
Studio album by The Soft Machine
Released	December 1968
Recorded	April 1968 at Record Plant Studios, New York City
Genre	Psychedelic rock, progressive rock, canterbury scene
Length	41.30
Label	USA: ABC Probe CPLP 4500 France: Barclay
Producer	Chas Chandler, Tom Wilson
The Soft Machine chronology
The Soft Machine (1968) Volume Two (1969)
Singles from The Soft Machine
"Joy of a Toy" b/w "Why Are We Sleeping?" Released: November 1968

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The Soft Machine, as reissue also titled "Volume One", is the debut album by the British psychedelic rock band Soft Machine, one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene. The band, founded in 1966, recorded and released this studio album during their 1968 tour of the USA. It was produced by Chas Chandler and Tom Wilson.

The song "Joy of a Toy" is one of the first compositions to feature a bass guitar melody played through a Wah-wah pedal.^{[citation needed]}

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" (Ratledge / 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

Live performances of We Did It Again were sometimes as long as 45 minutes.

The 2009 Remastered Edition includes as bonus tracks also "Love Makes Sweet Music" and "Feelin' Reelin' Squeelin'", respectively Side A and Side B of their first single, issued in 1967.

Personnel

• Robert Wyatt – drums, lead vocals
• Mike Ratledge – Lowrey Holiday De Luxe organ, piano (on 2.7)
• Kevin Ayers – bass, lead vocals (on 2.4 and 2.5), backing vocals (on 2.1 and 2.3), piano (on 1.5)

Additional personnel

• Hugh Hopper – bass (on 2.7)
• The Cake – backing vocals (on 2.6)

Sales chart performance

Year	Chart	Position
1969	Billboard 200	160