History Music / SoftMachine

* SexyPackaging: There's an unidentified nude girl on the cover of ''The Soft Machine'', seen from behind from the shoulders down.

* HelloSailor: In his later solo career, * Music/SoftMachine Kevin Ayers recorded a film sequence, a prototype video, for his 1973 hit ''Carribean Moon''. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-C2Ar4gpi8 The video]] presents a young-looking Kevin, in a sailor suit and a fetching pageboy haircut, performing the song while behind him, three very fey and somewhat under-dressed male dancers, whose only clothing appears to be very minimal loincloths and strategically placed bananas, camp it up to a ridiculous extent just behind him. The video has justly been described as the gayest thing ever committed to film for a musical video.

For more information, check Wiki/ThatOtherWiki's page about them [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft_Machine here]].

* [[AbsenteeActor Absentee Musician]]: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]. Robert Wyatt still played drums on ''Fourth'', but he didn't contribute any songwriting or vocal parts.

* NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly: Their first two records could be described as Free Jazz Psychedelic Pop.

* MohsScaleOfRockAndMetalHardness: The version of "Facelift" found on ''Third'' is very aggressive for a jazz-rock song. Raw recording and editing quality, extensive use of distortion and sheer loudness, in particular a session beginning at 7:00 and ending at 10:20, award this song a high score (although we are not sure which yet).

* PowerTrio: Hopper, Ratledge, and Wyatt were the lineup for ''Volume Two''.

Soft Machine (initially called The Soft Machine after Creator/WilliamSBurroughs' novel) was/is a British band founded in 1966 by Daevid Allen (guitar), Kevin Ayers (guitar, bass, voice), Mike Ratledge (keyboards) and and Robert Wyatt (drums, voice), as an offshoot from The Wilde Flowers, the first Canterbury Scene band. True to its roots, Soft Machine initially played PsychedelicRock as heard in their first album and singles. After Daevid Allen was barred from returning to the UK after a tour in France (thus being cut off the band) in 1967, Kevin Ayers dropping out in 1968 and being replaced by Hugh Hopper, Soft Machine began to quickly drift towards {{jazz}}-rock. The transition took place during their second and third albums (aptly called ''Volume Two'' and ''Third''), and adding horn players to the ensemble, including saxophonist Elton Dean.

* SeventiesHair: Which reached [[https://f4.bcbits.com/img/0004288197_10.jpg absurd levels]] by ''Bundles''

Soft Machine (initially called The Soft Machine after Creator/WilliamSBurroughs' novel) was/is a British band founded in 1966 by Daevid Allen (guitar), Kevin Ayers (guitar, bass, voice), Mike Ratledge (keyboards) and and Robert Wyatt (drums, voice), as an offshoot from The Wilde Flowers, the first Canterbury Scene band. True to its roots, Soft Machine initially played PsychedelicRock as heard in their first album and singles. After Daevid Allen was barred from returning to the UK after a tour in France (thus being cut off the band) in 1967, Kevin Ayers dropping out in 1968 and being replaced by Hugh Hopper, Soft Machine began to quickly drift towards {{jazz}}-rock. The transition took place during their second and third albums (aptly called "Volume Two'' and ''Third''), and adding horn players to the ensemble, including saxophonist Elton Dean.