Release Date 30th October 2026
One of the most influential progressive rock bands of the late ‘60s / early ‘70s, Soft Machine’s initial line-up was Robert Wyatt (drums, vocals), Kevin Ayers (bass, guitar, vocals), Daevid Allen (guitar) and Mike Ratledge (organ). They emerged from the UK underground in 1967, featuring prominently at epoch-making London venues such as the UFO Club and Middle Earth to establish a powerful reputation over the next decade with a series of accomplished albums and some innovative concert performances (notably in the UK and France) and with a support slot on the Jimi Hendrix Experience US tours throughout 1968.
After two albums for ABC/Probe – The Soft Machine and Volume Two – they signed to CBS/Columbia with a line-up consisting of Wyatt, Ratledge, saxophonist Elton Dean and bassist Hugh Hopper, releasing their most successful long player, Third, in 1970. This was followed by four more albums during a period of significant acclaim across Europe, and a frequently evolving line-up.
Soft Machine disbanded in 1978, apart from the occasional reunion, before being relaunched as Soft Machine Legacy in 2004, touring extensively and making many more albums. Since 2016 they have been known simply as Soft Machine and in March this year the current line-up issued their latest album, Thirteen. They will be playing live across the UK and Europe for the rest of the year and well into 2027, including festivals and club dates in Italy, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Hungary.
This extensive boxed set presents the story of the most vital, influential period in the Soft Machine story. Centred around their five CBS albums, all remastered from the original ¼” tapes and including the discovery of an entirely different and previously unreleased set of recordings of their Fifth album, it also contains all of their extant BBC sessions (some have been released before, decades ago, these are the complete performances for the first time) and a significant amount of previously unavailable audio-visual, full concert recordings from Europe (UK/France/Belgium/Germany).
Packaged in a sturdy 12” x 12” slipcase, with a hardback book featuring many rare photographs and extensive notes by journalist and author Sid Smith, progressive rock fans (who buy detailed boxed sets like this in large quantities), will delight in this comprehensive examination of one the great names in the genre.
Tracklisting
CD 1:
“Third”
Released in June 1970
Facelift
Slightly All the Time
Moon in June
Out-Bloody-Rageous
CD 2:
London – May 1970
Facelift
Moon in June
Esther’s Nose Job
CD 3:
BBC Radio Sessions 1970
Slightly All the Time
Out-Bloody-Rageous
Eamonn Andrews
BBC Session - 4th May 1970
Facelift
Esther’s Nose Job
BBC Radio 1 “In Concert” – 31st May 1970
Virtually
Fletcher’s Blemish
BBC Radio 1 session – 15th December 1970
CD 4:
The Promenade Concert
Royal Albert Hall 13th August 1970
Recorded and broadcast by BBC Radio Three
Out-Bloody-Rageous
Facelift
Esther’s Nose Job
Pig
Orange Skin Food
A Door Opens and Closes
Pigling Bland
10:30 Returns to the Bedroom
CD 5:
“Fourth”
Released in February 1971
Teeth
Kings and Queens
Fletcher’s Blemish
Virtually Part 1
Virtually Part 2
Virtually Part 3
Virtually Part 4
CD 6:
BBC Radio 1 In Concert
11th March 1971
Blind Badger
Neo Caliban Grides
Out-Bloody-Rageous
Eamonn Andrews
All White
Kings and Queens
Teeth
Pigling Bland
Returns to the Bedroom
Slightly All the Time
Noisette
CD 7:
Gondel Filmkunsttheater, Bremen, Germany
23rd March 1971
Radio Bremen concert
License from Radio Bremen / Studio Hamburg – OneGate Media
Facelift
Virtually
Slightly All the Time
Fletcher’s Blemish
Neo-Caliban Grides
Out-Bloody-Rageous
Eamonn Andrews
All White
Kings and Queens
Teeth
Pigling Bland
CD 8:
BBC Radio sessions 1971
BBC Radio 1 session – 1st June 1971
Neo-Caliban Grides
Dedicated to You But You Weren’t Listening
Eamonn Andrews / All White
BBC Radio 1 session – 15th November 1971
As If
Drop
Welcome to Frillsville
BBC Radio 1 session – 11th July 1972
Fanfare
All White
M C
Drop
CD 9:
“Fifth”
Released in July 1972
All White
Drop
M C
As If
L B O
Pigling Bland
Bone
Bonus tracks
The Alternative Fifth Sessions
As If
Untitled Blow
Pigling Bland
(coda) Esther’s Nose Job
All White (Take Two)
As If
Drum Solo
Pigling Bland
CD 10
BBC Radio 1 In Concert
20 July 1972
Fanfare
All White
Slightly All the Time
M C
Drop
Stumble
L.B.O.
As If
Riff
Gesolreut
CD 11:
“Six”
Released in February 1973
The live record:
Fanfare
All White
Between
Riff I
37 ½
Gesolreut
E.P.V.
Lefty
Stumble
5 from 13 (for Phil Seamen with Love & Thanks)
Riff II
The studio record:
The Soft Weed Factor
Stanley Stamp’s Gibbon Album (for B.O.)
Chloe and the Pirates
1983
CD 12:
“Seven”
Released in October 1973
Nettle Bed
Carol Ann
Day’s Eye
Bone Fire
Tarabos
D.I.S.
Snodland
Penny Hitch
Block
Down the Road
The German Lesson
The French Lesson
CD 13:
BBC Sessions 1973 – 1974
BBC Radio 1 John Peel session – 20th November 1973
Stanley Stamps Gibbon Album
Hazard Profile (Part 1)
Sinepost
Down the Road
BBC Radio 3 Jazz in Britain session – 26th August 1974
North Point
The Man Who Waved at Trains
Hazard Profile (Parts 1 – 4)
CD 14:
Montreux Festival
4th July 1974
Hazard Profile
The Floating World
Ealing Comedy
Bundles
Land of the Bag Snake
Joint
The Man Who Waved at Trains
Peff
The Man Who Waved at Trains (reprise)
LBO
Riff II
Lefty
Penny Hitch (coda)
Disc 15 – Blu-ray video
The Video vaults 1970 - 1971
Theatre de la Musique, Paris
2nd March 1970
Recorded for French television – LICENSED FROM INA FRANCE
Eamonn Andrews
Backwards
Mousetrap
Out-Bloody-Rageous
Facelift
Vocal improvisation
Esther’s Nose Job / Pigling Bland
Pop Deux
12 December 1970
The Recording of Soft Machine Fourth - LICENSED FROM INA
BBC TV – Anatomy of Pop
10th January 1971
Neo-Caliban Grides
Theatre 140, Brussels
14th January 1971
Filmed for “Pop Shop” – Belgian TV – LICENSED FROM SONUMA BELGIUM
Improvisation
Neo-Caliban Grides
Out-Bloody-Rageous
Kings and Queens
Teeth
Pigling Bland
Esther’s Nose Job (excerpt)
….It’s Nothing
Mousetrap
Noisette
Disc 16 – Blu-ray video
The Video vaults 1971 – 1975
‘Beat Club’ Radio Bremen TV Session
23rd March 1971
Licensed from Radio Bremen / Studio Hamburg – OneGate Media
Neo-Caliban Grides
Out-Bloody-Rageous
Vocal improvisation
Eamonn Andrews / All White
Berliner Jazztage Philharmonichalle, West Berlin
7th November 1971
Licensed from ARDPLus GmbH
Neo Caliban Grides
Slightly All The Time
Drop
M C
Out-Bloody-Rageous
As If
Dark Swing
Pigling Bland
Esther’s Nose Job (Outro)
Filmed 5th November 1972 at CBS Studios, London
for “Emission Rockenstock”
Broadcast 30th January 1973 ORTF French Television
Licensed from INA
The Soft Weed Factor
LBO
Gesolreut
BBC TV – FULL HOUSE
17th February 1973
Soft Machine interviews and the band perform
Gesolreut
Fanfare / All White
Disc 17 – Blu-ray video
The Video Vaults 1973 – 1974
Soft Machine & Friends ‘Jazz Workshop’
Congresszentrum, Hamburg, Germany on May 17, 1973
Licensed from Radio Bremen / Studio Hamburg – OneGate Media
Fanfare
All White
Link 1
The Soft Weed Factor
Link 2
37 ½
Link 3
Riff
Stanley Stamps Gibbon Album
Chloe and the Pirates
Gesolreut
E.P.V.
Link 4
Stumble
One Across
Riff II
Bataclan, Paris
29th May 1973
Broadcast on “Pop Deux” – French TV 30th June 1973
Licensed from INA
Riff / Down The Road
Gesolreut / Chloe And The Pirates
Montreux Jazz Festival
4th July 1974
Licensed from Universal Music Operations
Hazard Profile
The Floating World
Ealing Comedy
Bundles
Land of the Bag Snake
Joint
The Man Who Waved at Trains
Peff
The Man Who Waved at Trains (reprise)
LBO
Riff II
Lefty
Penny Hitch (coda)
