31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Always Great When They Had Robert. ., February 28, 2000
This review is from: Virtually (Audio CD)
This CD is without a doubt the best live album ever released featuring The "original" 4-man line-up of The Softs. Collectors and afficienados know all too well that the available live recorded output from this legendary unit - while seemingly endless - suffers greatly from everything from bad hall acoustics to poor instrument miking onstage. Even the "live" version of "Facelift" included on their stunning release "Third" is actually a pieced together (hence the name) amalgamation from two different shows. THIS CD contains the live material that should have been used on "Third" to make the live side equal to the brilliant studio compostions contained therein. And last but not least, this CD features the multi-talented Mr Wyatt on drums - always the Heart and Soul of this truely great and innovative band. And unlike the live side on "Third", Roberts drums are beautifully recorded as are the other instruments. Elton Deans saxello sounds like a sax *not* a hamster being set on fire. Once they lost Wyatt and aquired Marshall on drums they becasme just another fusion band albeit one with *great* melodies. . .
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the better Ones, May 13, 2005
This review is from: Virtually (Audio CD)
I love Soft Machine. This live recording from 1971 is one of the last gigs with Robert Wyatt in the band, and it is a beauty. It is especially interesting to me because this CD has the only live recording(s) of Teeth (SM4), All White (SM5 and Pigling Bland (I believe SM5), Kings and Queens (SM4, 5 or 6). plus several songs that were never recorded in the studio [ Neo-Caliban Grides, Eammon Andrews]. The playing in general shows The Soft Machine at the top of their game.
Robert does more of his vocal improv on this recording than on Noisette. He does this in two sections: one is a really very different scat style for him and really plays well into the mood of the recording.
But the most notable piece for me on this CD is actually the opening cut of Hugh Hopper's Facelift.
The previous reviewer is correct on how Robert's departure from the band made them less extraordinary, however I personally do not think they ever sounded like the typical fusion band of the 1970's era. Heck, they created it in a way! They have always maintained the Soft Machine signature sound. This is the quartet version of the band; I personally like Cuneiform's making of Noisette better because there were 7 band members with the addition of the horn & reed players and the septet was Ratledge's dream band. But they are different records. Both are superb spins!
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