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Soft Machine — Facelift
(Voiceprint VP233CD, 1970/2002, 2CD)

by Jeff Melton, Published 2003-02-01

Facelift Cover art

The live exploits of Soft Machine have been diligently mined by both the Cuneiform and Voiceprint labels to impose a magnifying-glass perspective of what the band was really like live. Facelift is the first archival release to give an accurate record at the full scope of a Soft Machine gig during the quartet’s peak period. Brian Hopper again is largely responsible for this bootleg quality audience tape as it’s supposedly the only complete live recording from the classic quartet. The soundboard source for this concert from the Fairfield Hall in Croyden was severely edited to create the studio version of “Facelift” which appears on Third, and this disc contains the real performance. Other high points for this recording are the opening track "Slightly All the Time" that drifts into an altogether different space with Elton Dean injecting a keen lyrical quality for this gig. Marked by a high degree of improvisation, there is a spontaneity that characterizes any magic band (in particular, Mike Ratledge’s organ playing on “Moon in June”). “Pigling Bland” is heard in a context relative to its location in the set (after “Esther’s Nose Job” and before Wyatt’s solo vocal performance). Robert Wyatt’s singing on Hugh Hopper’s song “I Should’ve Known” has a strictly sad appeal for this performance that leads into a rumbly drum solo. No doubt the recording and release of this album have met with complaints surrounding the audio quality, but given the significance of the capabilities of the group, this performance stands as distinct evidence of a unit at the high peaks of performance level.

Filed under: New releases, Issue 26, 2002 releases, 1970 recordings

Related artist(s): Elton Dean, Hugh Hopper, Soft Machine, Robert Wyatt

More info
http://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/track/facelift-11

 

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