THE SOFT MACHINE

3.5 stars really! This should have been actually the second album they recorded as their first recordings had Daevid Allen on guitar and was called Jet Propelled Photograph. If I talk of that album here , it is because of Daevid's definite influence on the songwriting of these first two Machine albums.

These are pop songs like only Allen can write (and Ayers and Wyatt learned later) but the very singular touches of these songs are pre-figuring of Canterbury-style rock. When compared to later albums, the musicianship, I would say, is still approximative - Ayers cannot be considered as virtuosity-minded as such because of his own admittance he was too lazy and aspired to spend three quarter of the year in Ibiza - something he will do after leaving for a solo career. However this musicianship issue is quickly dispelled by the sheer innovation/inspiration of the songwriting.

This album is definitely psychadelic rock but can be regarding as a link towards prog (as with the Nice's and Caravan's debuts) by the sheer adventurous nature of their music. Of historical importance.

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