Wyatt, Robert: 68

As a 15-year-old attending only his second rock concert ever (the first being the legendary concert featuring the Who and the Ted Nugent-led Amboy Dukes at Southfield High School Auditorium in Southfield, MI), I was ecstatic at being able to see the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Opening for Hendrix were two locals bands, one (TIME) that never went anywhere and the other (MC5) who became legendary; also, there was yet another band on the bill I had not heard of (this being 1968) called Soft Machine. While I recall how phenomenal Hendrix was, it was Soft Machine that stuck with me. And what I remember most about seeing them (and hearing songs like "Lullabye Letter" and "Why Are We Sleeping") was not Mike Ratledge stooped over his organ, but the drummer, a fellow named Robert Wyatt, who had charisma, chops and great vocals. I remember getting the first Soft machine record, with its rotating inner piece, and then the second, with its great suite of songs. I remember later seeing the band not long after Robert had suffered the injury that left him paralyzed, and having a chance to briefly chat with Mike Ratledge about how he was doing; those were the days when you could easily talk to musicians after they finished playing- after all, that time I was seeing the Machine in a local bar in E. Lansing.

It may be the only band I love more than Soft Machine is Magma, and with them I have heard virtually everything they have ever played and then some. There is a ton of Soft Machine product out there, from the many Cuneiform releases to online streams and youtube clips, but suffice it to say what we have here is truly an original and new find. Some of this has never been heard before, and some of it is progenitor to songs we have heard many times before. It is a revelation. It shows Wyatt at the height of his early powers, working out tunes that later became part of the repertoire. They are different, use different instrumentation, most of which is simply played by Wyatt himself, and they still flow with his trademark whimsy and craftsmanship. I should also note that one person who also plays on this recording is a fellow named Jimi Hendrix, who plays bass on the tune "Slow Walkin' Talk," just saying.

The disc has 4 songs on it, two that are relatively brief and two extended pieces. It begins with "Chelsa," which was later modified into the song "Signed Curtain" for Matching Mole. "Chelsa " sounds like it would not be out of place on the longer suites that comprise the bulk of the Soft machine record "Third." It has Wyatt singing over a church-ish organ, using minor key turns and twists, very much of a kind with early work from the band. "Rivimic Melodies" is well known to aficionados, featuring as it does on the second record the band released. But this earlier version is intriguing in many ways. It is longer, has a lot more vocals related to reciting and singing the alphabet, and will make you smile in recognition. There is more to the song than just the extended alphabet, and much of this would end up comprising most of the first side of the second album. "Slow Walkin' Talk" is a weird psychedelic walking blues song. It has a nice bluesy organ solo in its middle section. And what can I say about "Moon in June?" It remains a classic, and this early version is slower, flowier, and a bit somber, but it has all the charms that we hear on the version on Third. The organ solo is just as driving on this as on Third, the drumming skitters along madly, and overall it rocks like crazy.

The release also has an extended interview of Wyatt by Aymeric Leroy, and a booklet with many pictures in it. It will be released as both CD and LP. It is an essential purchase.

Track Listing

1. Chelsa
2. Rivmic Melodies
3. Slow Walkin' Talk
4. Moon in June

Added: February 14th 2014
Reviewer: Dana Lawrence
Score:
Related Link: Artist @ Bandcamp
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Language: english

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