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
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

Softs is the ninth studio album by the jazz rock band Soft Machine, released in 1976. It is the final album to feature founding keyboardist Mike Ratledge, who appears on two tracks but left the group before the album was completed.

Overview

John Etheridge replaced Allan Holdsworth on guitar shortly after the release of the previous album, Bundles, and Alan Wakeman, cousin of Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman, took over saxophone duties from Karl Jenkins. Karl would play keyboards exclusively from this point onward. During the recording of the album, the group's last remaining founding member, Mike Ratledge, left the band. Two tracks recorded while he was still with the band were included on the album, with him being credited as an additional musician on the back cover. 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.

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" (John Etheridge) – 2:21

Personnel

Soft Machine

• 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, Hohner Pianet, Minimoog and string synthesizers, orchestrations

Additional musician

• Mike Ratledge – synthesizer (3, 4)

External links

• Soft Machine - Softs (1976) album review by Dave Lynch, credits & releases at AllMusic
• Soft Machine - Softs (1976) album releases & credits at Discogs
• Soft Machine - Softs (1976) album credits & user reviews at ProgArchives.com
• Soft Machine - Softs (1976) album to be listened on Spotify
• Soft Machine - Softs (1976) album to be listened on YouTube
• Soft Machine discography (info about the albums) at Calyx