Slightly All The Time – Recordings 1970-1974

One of the most influential progressive rock bands of the late ‘60s / early ‘70s, Soft Machine’s initial line-up was Robert Wyatt (drums, vocals), Kevin Ayers (bass, guitar, vocals), Daevid Allen (guitar) and Mike Ratledge (organ). They emerged from the UK underground in 1967, featuring prominently at epoch-making London venues such as the UFO Club and Middle Earth to establish a powerful reputation over the next decade with a series of accomplished albums and some innovative concert performances (notably in the UK and France) and with a support slot on the Jimi Hendrix Experience US tours throughout 1968.

After two albums for ABC/Probe – The Soft Machine and Volume Two – they signed to CBS/Columbia with a line-up consisting of Wyatt, Ratledge, saxophonist Elton Dean and bassist Hugh Hopper, releasing their most successful long player, Third, in 1970. This was followed by four more albums during a period of significant acclaim across Europe, and a frequently evolving line-up. 

Soft Machine disbanded in 1978, apart from the occasional reunion, before being relaunched as Soft Machine Legacy in 2004, touring extensively and making many more albums. Since 2016 they have been known simply as Soft Machine and in March this year the current line-up issued their latest album, Thirteen. They will be playing live across the UK and Europe for the rest of the year and well into 2027, including festivals and club dates in Italy, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Hungary.

This extensive boxed set presents the story of the most vital, influential period in the Soft Machine story. Centred around their five CBS albums, all remastered from the original ¼” tapes and including the discovery of an entirely different and previously unreleased set of recordings of their Fifth album, it also contains all of their extant BBC sessions (some have been released before, decades ago, these are the complete performances for the first time) and a significant amount of previously unavailable audio-visual, full concert recordings from Europe (UK/France/Belgium/Germany).

Packaged in a sturdy 12” x 12” slipcase, with a hardback book featuring many rare photographs and extensive notes by journalist and author Sid Smith, progressive rock fans (who buy detailed boxed sets like this in large quantities), will delight in this comprehensive examination of one the great names in the genre.

17xCD - Boxset

CD 1:
“Third”
Released in June 1970

Facelift
Slightly All the Time
Moon in June
Out-Bloody-Rageous


CD 2:
London – May 1970

Facelift
Moon in June
Esther’s Nose Job


CD 3:
BBC Radio Sessions 1970

Slightly All the Time
Out-Bloody-Rageous
Eamonn Andrews

BBC Session - 4th May 1970

Facelift
Esther’s Nose Job

BBC Radio 1 “In Concert” – 31st May 1970

Virtually
Fletcher’s Blemish

BBC Radio 1 session – 15th December 1970


CD 4:
The Promenade Concert
Royal Albert Hall 13th August 1970
Recorded and broadcast by BBC Radio Three

Out-Bloody-Rageous
Facelift
Esther’s Nose Job
Pig
Orange Skin Food
A Door Opens and Closes
Pigling Bland
10:30 Returns to the Bedroom


CD 5:
“Fourth”
Released in February 1971

Teeth
Kings and Queens
Fletcher’s Blemish
Virtually Part 1
Virtually Part 2
Virtually Part 3
Virtually Part 4


CD 6:
BBC Radio 1 In Concert
11th March 1971

Blind Badger
Neo Caliban Grides
Out-Bloody-Rageous
Eamonn Andrews

All White

Kings and Queens

Teeth

Pigling Bland

Returns to the Bedroom

Slightly All the Time
Noisette


CD 7:

Gondel Filmkunsttheater, Bremen, Germany

23rd March 1971

Radio Bremen concert

License from Radio Bremen / Studio Hamburg – OneGate Media



Facelift
Virtually
Slightly All the Time
Fletcher’s Blemish
Neo-Caliban Grides
Out-Bloody-Rageous
Eamonn Andrews
All White
Kings and Queens
Teeth
Pigling Bland


CD 8:

BBC Radio sessions 1971



BBC Radio 1 session – 1st June 1971



Neo-Caliban Grides
Dedicated to You But You Weren’t Listening
Eamonn Andrews / All White


BBC Radio 1 session – 15th November 1971



As If
Drop
Welcome to Frillsville


BBC Radio 1 session – 11th July 1972



Fanfare
All White
M C
Drop


CD 9:

“Fifth”

Released in July 1972



All White
Drop
M C
As If
L B O
Pigling Bland
Bone


Bonus tracks

The Alternative Fifth Sessions



As If
Untitled Blow
Pigling Bland
(coda) Esther’s Nose Job
All White (Take Two)
As If
Drum Solo
Pigling Bland


CD 10

BBC Radio 1 In Concert

20 July 1972



Fanfare
All White
Slightly All the Time
M C
Drop
Stumble
L.B.O.
As If
Riff
Gesolreut


CD 11:

“Six”

Released in February 1973



The live record:



Fanfare
All White
Between
Riff I
37 ½
Gesolreut
E.P.V.
Lefty
Stumble
5 from 13 (for Phil Seamen with Love & Thanks)
Riff II


The studio record:



The Soft Weed Factor
Stanley Stamp’s Gibbon Album (for B.O.)
Chloe and the Pirates
1983



CD 12:

“Seven”

Released in October 1973



Nettle Bed
Carol Ann
Day’s Eye
Bone Fire
Tarabos
D.I.S.
Snodland
Penny Hitch
Block
Down the Road
The German Lesson
The French Lesson


CD 13:

BBC Sessions 1973 – 1974



BBC Radio 1 John Peel session – 20th November 1973



Stanley Stamps Gibbon Album
Hazard Profile (Part 1)
Sinepost
Down the Road




BBC Radio 3 Jazz in Britain session – 26th August 1974





North Point
The Man Who Waved at Trains
Hazard Profile (Parts 1 – 4)


CD 14:

Montreux Festival

4th July 1974



Hazard Profile
The Floating World
Ealing Comedy
Bundles
Land of the Bag Snake
Joint
The Man Who Waved at Trains
Peff
The Man Who Waved at Trains (reprise)
LBO
Riff II
Lefty
Penny Hitch (coda)


Disc 15 – Blu-ray video

The Video vaults 1970 - 1971



Theatre de la Musique, Paris

2nd March 1970

Recorded for French television – LICENSED FROM INA FRANCE



Eamonn Andrews
Backwards
Mousetrap
Out-Bloody-Rageous
Facelift
Vocal improvisation
Esther’s Nose Job / Pigling Bland




Pop Deux

12 December 1970



The Recording of Soft Machine Fourth - LICENSED FROM INA





BBC TV – Anatomy of Pop

10th January 1971



Neo-Caliban Grides


Theatre 140, Brussels

14th January 1971

Filmed for “Pop Shop” – Belgian TV – LICENSED FROM SONUMA BELGIUM



Improvisation
Neo-Caliban Grides
Out-Bloody-Rageous
Kings and Queens
Teeth
Pigling Bland
Esther’s Nose Job (excerpt)
….It’s Nothing
Mousetrap
Noisette


Disc 16 – Blu-ray video

The Video vaults 1971 – 1975



‘Beat Club’ Radio Bremen TV Session

23rd March 1971

Licensed from Radio Bremen / Studio Hamburg – OneGate Media



Neo-Caliban Grides
Out-Bloody-Rageous
Vocal improvisation
Eamonn Andrews / All White


Berliner Jazztage Philharmonichalle, West Berlin

7th November 1971

Licensed from ARDPLus GmbH



Neo Caliban Grides
Slightly All The Time
Drop
M C
Out-Bloody-Rageous
As If
Dark Swing
Pigling Bland
Esther’s Nose Job (Outro)


Filmed 5th November 1972 at CBS Studios, London

for “Emission Rockenstock”

Broadcast 30th January 1973 ORTF French Television

Licensed from INA



The Soft Weed Factor
LBO
Gesolreut


BBC TV – FULL HOUSE

17th February 1973



Soft Machine interviews and the band perform



Gesolreut
Fanfare / All White


Disc 17 – Blu-ray video

The Video Vaults 1973 – 1974



Soft Machine & Friends ‘Jazz Workshop’

Congresszentrum, Hamburg, Germany on May 17, 1973

Licensed from Radio Bremen / Studio Hamburg – OneGate Media



Fanfare
All White
Link 1
The Soft Weed Factor
Link 2
37 ½
Link 3
Riff
Stanley Stamps Gibbon Album
Chloe and the Pirates
Gesolreut
E.P.V.
Link 4
Stumble
One Across
Riff II


Bataclan, Paris

29th May 1973

Broadcast on “Pop Deux” – French TV 30th June 1973

Licensed from INA



Riff / Down The Road
Gesolreut / Chloe And The Pirates


Montreux Jazz Festival

4th July 1974

Licensed from Universal Music Operations



Hazard Profile
The Floating World
Ealing Comedy
Bundles
Land of the Bag Snake
Joint
The Man Who Waved at Trains
Peff
The Man Who Waved at Trains (reprise)
LBO
Riff II
Lefty
Penny Hitch (coda)