The Soft Machine Rigmarole

Robert Wyatt, 2017​ After the success of Soft Machine and Friends’ Hyde Park concert, Robert Wyatt continued his solo career, going on to work with the likes of Brian Eno, Henry Cow, Roxy Music, Clara Bley, among others. He also became more politically active, joining the Communist Party of Great Britain in the 80s. The same decade, he would release his first full-length album in 6 years, Born Again Cretin on the Rough Trade label . Born Again Cretin                                           Front Cover                                                                           Back Cover Side A Opium War (Robert Wyatt) ...

  Soft Machine, Jule Tippetts, Nick Mason, and Mongezi Feza, 1975​ The sun rises on the morning of March 28th, 1975. Already at Hyde Park were Robert Wyatt, Nick Mason, Hugh Hopper, some members of Gong (including Daevid Allen and Gilli Smyth), a group of hired staff, Master of Ceremonies John Peel, and the first act of the concert: Tanglewood Tails. “We originally wanted Drury Lane, but we couldn’t really afford it with all the other acts performing.” Robert Wyatt, 1991​ By 10:00 AM, a crowd had already formed at the venue. The crowd’s mood was one of excitement and anticipation. Journalist Mick Farren described the crowd as “A gathering of the UK underground world, everyone from Steve Peregrin Took to Arthur Brown, all to presence the concert.” At exactly 12:29 PM, the park would give applause as John Peel entered the stage, with a microphone in hand. “Right then, good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. When the musicians come on stage, you’ll be surprised and probably impressed to ...

  Robert Wyatt and Nick Mason, 1974​ By the time Robert Wyatt’s accident had occurred and Soft Machine broke up, he had already composed most of the songs that would later appear on his second solo album. He continued to work on the songs at the hospital. Six months later, he was back at work in the recording studio. “I was just relieved that I could do something from a wheelchair. If anything, being a paraplegic helped me with the music because being in hospital left me free to dream, and to really think through the music.” Robert Wyatt, 1991​ Rock Bottom saw the enlistment of musicians including Ivor Cutler, Hugh Hopper, Richard Sinclair, Laurie Allan, Mike Oldfield, and Fred Firth. Producing the album was Pink Floyd drummer, Nick Mason. The record was unlike anything Wyatt had done up to that point, being a very emotional and personal work with intense and often harrowing music, and dense and personal lyrics. It was released on July 26th, 1974 on the Virgin label, to great...

Soft Machine, 1973 After touring the first half of 1972, the band got back together in CBS Studios around the summertime to record their next album. With Robert Fripp at the production helm, the album was conceived as a “musical adaptation of The Little Red Book” .  Robert Fripp, 1973 Originally the double album was set to be titled Soft Machine’s Little Red Records with an accompanying cover parodying a piece of Chinese propaganda artwork. The title and artwork, however, was turned down by Harvest, who feared the potential controversy. “I honestly don’t blame ‘em, I doubt our original cover would have done us any favours in the US, what with the Cold War and Red Terror and all that. Personally I never really cared that much for Rob’s politics either way, so I was sort of unphased by it.” Kevin Ayers, 1980​ Initial cover art for Little Red Records The album was then retitled after one of Ayers’ songs, Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes. Unlike their former record, where most of the song...