Curtis Ensler's Collection
Soft Machine 10/05/1969
Lyceum, London, UK
| Media | CDR 1 disc |
| J-Card Comment | REMASTER Soft Machine -------------- Lyceum, London, England 5th October 1969 ----------------- Source: Dime post by brainodrain - thanks !! http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=132176 Lineage: Mono Cassette>Grundig Reel to Reel>Cassette>PC Soundcard>Audition>SoundBooth Beta>FLAC Frontend Level 6, NR and Compression applied in Audition Changes made (Nero 7): Selected better sounding Right Channel to restore back to the original mono Applied bass and treble EQ, drums and organ are clearer Added track markers, closely match info supplied by 'urich21' Fixed glitches at 6.49 (track04), 0.03 (track08), 0.24 & 0.26min (track09) Mike Ratledge – Lowery Organ, Piano Robert Wyatt – Drums, Vocals Hugh Hopper – Bass (Fuzz Bass) Quality: B+ for the recording, A++ for the rare performance ----------------------------------------------------------------- This a recording of a sadly under-represented period when the trio are moving to the Three material, but without the horns, so it is very rare (to me) and any such recording merits making the very best of whatever is available. I did the editing above and discussed the set list with the expert 'urich21' so here it is now, still slightly rough, in the best quality I can manage and with the encouragement of original poster (brainodrain)... ...Enjoy !! Set List (55.59) ----------------- 17.45 Moon in June 04.43 Facelift 05.57 Eamonn Andrews 07.16 Mousetrap > Noisette (quiet) > Backwards > Mousetrap (reprise) 11.27 Esther's Nose Job 03.50 Facelift (Spaced) * 00.21 Dedicated To You But You Weren't Listening 03.39 We Did it Again 00.56 Noisette (loud) * My title, agreed with 'urich21' Thanks again to 'brainodrain' for his great post and encouragement ! Original (updated) info with additional comments from 'urich21': ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This is Soft Machine 7 ½ or a brief return to 6 (that's the version of the band not their albums; see the Soft Machine Family Tree in Graham Bennett’s awesome biography of the Softs ‘Out-Bloody-Rageous’, I hope he finds a copy of this recording as I think he would enjoy it). This version of the Softs was a momentary return to the trio of earlier that year. This is their one and only gig after Brian Hopper left the band and before the short lived Septet appeared. The trio for the night at the Lyceum was: Mike Ratledge – Lowery Organ, Piano Robert Wyatt – Drums, Vocals Hugh Hopper – Bass (Fuzz Bass) The sound quality is perhaps typical for an audience recording from the period, but NR and compression have improved it considerably, and there are many places where the searing power of Ratledge’s Lowrey organ and Hopper’s Fuzz bass break through to give some breathtaking glimpses of what was a rare and wonderful sound to behold. This recording has never seen the light of day before. I just dug it out of my collection of vintage tapings and this is it’s first release. Duration: 55 minutes. Setlist/edit points and comment thanks to urich21: 1. Moon In June (17:45) 2. Facelift (4:49) 3. Eamonn Andrews (5:53) 4. Mousetrap (3:42) 5. Noisette (quiet) (0:35) 6. Backwards (2:03) 7. Mousetrap reprise (0:52) 8. Esther's Nosejob (11:35) 9. improv / Facelift middle section reprise (3:42) 10. Dedicated To You But You Weren't Listening (0:21) 11. We Did It Again (3:38) 12. Noisette (loud) (0:56) The closing medley (9-12) is something I hadn't heard the like of before. The (instrumental) quote of "Dedicated..." in particular is absolutely unique. Also rare is the abandoned coda for "Facelift", which doesn't quite fit in - it was still played at Amougies with the septet. Further comment from stereom: Actually, I've always viewed that bit (which does sound a bit clumsy on this date, but more fully realized with a beautiful cornet solo on Amougies date) as an abandoned intro to "Eamonn Andrews" more than anything. The last riff in C-minor is pretty much an "Eamonn Andrews" melody, sort of, it was also used as a segue link from "Facelift" to truncated "Moon In June" in 1970. Also, after "Dedicated" melody and that loud organ swell and the introductory drum fill, there seems to be an edit into some loud organ-based music which I can't identify at all. Sounds similar to "Noisette" coda, but it isn't exactly like that. And then it cuts into "We Did It Again". BTW, this isn't probably the final power trio gig. According to the Soft Machine chronology on Calyx.club.fr, there was one more gig: November [08] London, Regent St. Polytechnic [trio gig] Even so, here the fusion elements really have started to seep in, as Ratledge now uses electric piano, though a bit more scarcely than he would wind up using. And the arrangement of "Mousetrap"/"Esther's Nosejob" is essentially as on "Peel Sessions", sans horns, except that the recording confirms "Pigling Bland" didn't find its way to the band's setlist until the horns joined. They play "Eamonn Andrews" too. The closing medley is indeed great and it blends their fusion leanings and psychedelic/prog flavour quite well. "Facelift" improv really sounds more like "Spaced Two" on "Spaced" (1996), but performed live rather than with tape loops, "Dedicated" quote is unique, "We Did It Again" is rousing and it was nice they started playing that tune again in 1969, and to blast it off with dangerous "Noisette", great idea. This is really a transitional concert, from "Live At the Paradiso"/June 1969 Peel Session sound they show their first signs of their Fusion era right around the corner. |
| Trades Allowed | Yes |
Owned by Curtis Ensler
· Last Updated May 23, 2023
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