Softs (album)

Softs
Studio album by Soft Machine
Released	June 1976
Recorded	January to March, 1976 at EMI Abbey Road Studios, London
Genre	Jazz rock[1]
Length	44:55
Label	Harvest
Producer	Soft Machine
Soft Machine chronology
Bundles (1975) Softs (1976) Alive & Well: Recorded in Paris (1978)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]

Softs is the ninth studio album by the Canterbury associated band Soft Machine, released in 1976.

Overview

John Etheridge replaced Allan Holdsworth on guitar shortly after the release of the previous album, Bundles, and Alan Wakeman, cousin of keyboardist Rick Wakeman, took over saxophone duties from Karl Jenkins. Karl would play keyboards exclusively from this point onward. This change was necessitated by the departure of the group's last founding member, Mike Ratledge, who left in March 1976 before the sessions were completed, and can be heard on two tracks, but is not credited as a member of the group. Wakeman and bassist Roy Babbington left the group not long after the album was released, Wakeman having been a member for less than six months.^[3]

Track listing

All compositions by Karl Jenkins except where indicated.

Side one

1. "Aubade" – 1:49
2. "The Tale of Taliesin" – 7:15
3. "Ban-Ban Caliban" – 9:19
4. "Song of Aeolus" – 4:29

Side two

1. "Out of Season" – 5:30
2. "Second Bundle" – 2:35
3. "Kayoo" (John Marshall) – 3:25
4. "The Camden Tandem" (John Etheridge, John Marshall) – 1:50
5. "Nexus" – 0:47
6. "One Over the Eight" (Karl Jenkins, John Marshall, John Etheridge, Alan Wakeman, Roy Babbington) – 5:26
7. "Etika" – 2:21 (John Etheridge)

Personnel

• Roy Babbington – bass guitar
• John Etheridge – acoustic and electric guitars
• John Marshall – drums, percussion
• Alan Wakeman – soprano and tenor saxophones
• Karl Jenkins – piano, electric piano, pianette, string and Mini-Moog synthesizers, orchestrations

Additional personnel

• Mike Ratledge – synthesizer on (3, 4)

References

1. http://www.allmusic.com/album/softs-mw0000278702
2. Lynch, Dave. "Softs - Soft Machine | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
3. Calyx band profile

External links

• Discography at calyx.club.fr