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November 22nd, 2008
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More than a legacy

There's new life in the old Soft Machine

By James Scanlon
For The Prague Post
October 3rd, 2007 issue

Soft Machine Legacy

When: Thursday, Oct. 4, at 7:30
Where: Pálac Akropolis
Tickets: 450 Kč, available at the venue

COURTESY PHOTO
Hugh Hopper
John Etheridge
Theo Travis
John Marshall
Reunions never seem like a good idea in today’s shark-infested waters of the music business. But if you’re iconoclastic free-thinkers like Soft Machine Legacy, it’s well worth the effort. Though it could be argued that the “legacy” tag is not really needed, as three members of the current quartet have all previously played in some version of the original Soft Machine.
“This is definitely not a tribute band,” stresses Hugh Hopper, longstanding bass guitarist and loops wizard. “We continue to write and develop music, as Soft Machine always did in the ’60s and ’70s.”
Back then, Soft Machine took the genetic blueprint of progressive jazz-rock and stretched it in all sorts of weird and wonderful directions. And despite the constant reshuffling of band personnel, with each new recruit came a further cross-pollination of styles.
Drummer Robert Wyatt, one of the most off-the-wall lyricists of his generation, formed Soft Machine in 1966 with pals who would often congregate around his parents’ mansion to celebrate offbeat poetry and jazz experimentation. Part of the crew included bass player Kevin Ayers, keyboard player Mike Ratledge and Australian-born guitarist Daevid Allen. The sound was psychedelic with an almost Dadaist slant.
Along with other local bands like Caravan and Egg, they became part of the Canterbury scene before moving to London to make a name for themselves in trendy clubs such as the Roundhouse and UFO. A tour of the States with the Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1968 was another step forward, and while in New York City they recorded their eponymous debut album. Incredibly raw, it still stands today as one of the best prog-rock albums ever.
With Hugh Hopper replacing the wayward Kevin Ayers on the band’s follow-up album, Volume Two, it appeared that the jazz element was going to be pushed a lot further, a move affirmed by becoming a septet with a brass section. But it was a costly venture, and soon three of the horn players had departed, with only saxophonist Elton Dean staying on. Following 1970’s Third album, the band decided to cut out all the vocals and become strictly an instrumental outfit. Understandably Wyatt felt as if he’d been made obsolete, and left to form Matching Mole.
The band went through multiple lineup changes until it finally dissolved in 1984. It wasn’t until 2002 that manager Leonardo Pavkovic got the notion of reviving Soft Machine.
“He was a long-term fan of Softs and other prog-area music,” Hopper says. “He wanted to start some kind of Soft Machine revisited, at first with Allan Holdsworth, Elton Dean, John Marshall and myself called Soft Works. We, the musicians, would never have thought of doing it. We were all doing different projects and Soft Machine was in the distant past for us. But Leonardo arranged some good record deals and tours, so we went along with it.”
As the project built up momentum, they became Soft Machine Legacy. But, with Holdsworth Stateside concentrating on his own group, a new place was found for ex-Soft guitarist John Etheridge.
It would be easy for Soft Machine Legacy to simply live off its past, but that’s not what the band does. Every year they tour Europe and Japan, and put out challenging new records, like last year’s critically acclaimed Steam. In addition, all four members still find time for their own projects.
SM Legacy’s Prague debut will feature Hopper, Etheridge, John Marshall on drums and, with the untimely death of Elton Dean last year, his replacement on horns and loops, Theo Travis.
“Elton was at heart a jazz man,” Hopper says. “But Theo, as well having a solid jazz background, incorporates loops and freaky sounds on flute and sax. In some ways he is almost more appropriate to the early history of Soft Machine.”
As for the show itself, Hopper promises, “Some legendary musicians still playing whole-heartedly powerful electric jazz with a couple of old Soft Machine tunes, but mostly new material and vibrant in-your-face creativity.”
In other words, he recommends you attend.

James Scanlon can be reached at features@praguepost.com


Other articles in Night & Day (3/10/2007):

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