Virtually

by Soft Machine

Overview

Recorded on March 23, 1971 for Radio Bremen, during the band's final European tour with Robert Wyatt in the lineup, this is a good (and very well-recorded) document of their early-'70s sound. At this point the band, having doubled in size around the Third era, had contracted to a quartet with Wyatt, Mike Ratledge, Hugh Hopper, and saxophonist Elton Dean. Over the course of the 77-minute disc, they run through all of the material from Fourth, and much of Third: the music that found them tilting toward jazz, rather than rock. Those who are attracted to the band because of Wyatt may thus be disappointed; his drumming is here in force, but he contributes no original compositions, and his vocals are limited to a few processed scats. It's challenging, at times demanding listening, especially when Dean goes off into improv territory; numbers highlighting Ratledge's Lowrey organ hit grooves that are more accessible to rock listeners, but not much. It's certainly better, from both audio and performance aspects, than the Live at the Proms 1970 release, which features the same personnel. ~ Richie Unterberger

Product Details

Release Date:	02/28/2020
Label:	Cuneiform Records
UPC:	0045775010021
Rank:	107687

Tracks

1. Facelift
2. Virtually
3. Slightly All the Time
4. Fletcher's Blemish
5. Neo Caliban Grides
6. Out-Bloody-Rageous
7. Eamonn Andrews
8. All White
9. Kings and Queens
10. Teeth
11. Pigling Bland

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Soft Machine   Primary Artist
Mike Ratledge   Organ,Piano (Electric)
Robert Wyatt   Vocals,Drums
Hugh Hopper   Bass
Elton Dean   Piano (Electric),Sax (Alto),Saxello

Technical Credits

Peter Schulze   Producer
Robert Friedrich   Engineer
Mike Ratledge   Composer
Hugh Hopper   Composer
Elton Dean   Composer