Soft Machine
Noisette
This excellent concert recording from January 4, 1970 from Fairfield Hall in Croyden documents the band's first gig in the (unfortunately short-lived) quintet line-up (DEAN, DOBSON, HOPPER, RATLEDGE & WYATT). Located in the band's transition phase from psychedelic art rock to the increasingly jazz-rock-oriented sounds of the following years, the musicians offer an extremely rousing performance characterized by aggressive fuzz sounds (Hopper / Ratledge) and powerfully inspired solo excursions. The driving force behind the musical event is a brilliantly playing drummer, ROBERT WYATT, who also knows how to shine as a singer (as usual) on KEVIN AYERS' 'We Did It Again'.