The Soft Machine - Volume One

Submitted By : AA Wallace

When The Soft Machine released their debut album in 1968, Robert Wyatt quickly became well respected as a talented drummer, vocalist, and a pioneer of the progressive rock genre.

By the time he drunkenly stumbled out of a third story window at a party in 1973, he had released 4 albums with The Soft Machine, played uncredited on Syd Barret's solo album The Madcap Laughs (not to mention countless other studio appearances), and was working on a third album with his new band Matching Mole. The incident left him paralyzed from the waist down, but with his talent and drive, he managed to continue playing percussion, but he would never use his feet again. Wyatt was one of those rare kinds of drummers who, on top of being extremely skilled at his instrument, always maintained an artistic and progressive focus in regard to his playing.

Volume One is where it all began and Wyatt's drumming is even more impressive when you consider the fact that he also sang lead. He blends 60's style psych drumming with jazz, which gives the songs a very textured but driving feel. Songs like We Did it Again have straight rock beats but with quick snare rolls leading into the one of every bar and scattered snare hits all over the place (hence the jazz influence). Hope For Happiness flies by at a quick 6/8 speed and Wyatt maintains really powerful attack and steady vocals.

Wyatt also does some cool stuff with Stereo recording, if you listen carefully the drums swirl around as he plays all over the kit, and in So Boot If At All there is an extended drum solo piece that takes advantage of this even more.

Wyatt began as an important figure in the drumming world, and you would think after losing the ability to move the lower half of his body he might of packed it in. Instead he went on to do more cool shit than your sorry ass ever did (He has collaborated with David Gilmour, Bjork, Billy Bragg etc.) and he managed to further the boundaries of his craft even by using less limbs than everyone else.

Think of that the next time you wish you had MORE to work with.

Audio/Visual Evidence: Hope For Happiness, Why Am I So Short?