The Peel Sessions

On their good days, Soft Machine could slide effortlessly between jazz, rock, and classical influences and show a lot of other bands how it's done. Unlike a lot of other Peel Sessions releases, which include as little as a quartet of tracks, this volume, drawn from appearances on the BBC from June 1969 through November 1971, takes up two full CDs, and none of the space is wasted - disc one also opens with Robert Wyatt's special invocational version of 'Moon in June,' written for the occasion and referring to it throughout. It is strange, but the bandmembers' playing is so confident and elegant that they make their case and then some - they were already acquitting themselves better than other neophyte outfits like King Crimson, based on the evidence presented here. The sound is good and the group was on form throughout these appearances, evidently having been given a blank check (within reason) by the BBC. [All of the tracks here that include Robert Wyatt - that is, everything except 'Drop' and 'As If,' were later included in the definitive BBC Radio 1967-1971 two-disc set released in 2003. That set also features improved sound and a booklet featuring extensive liner notes, historical photographs, and session details. If one is inclined to miss the presence of 'Drop' and 'As If,' those tracks are included in the companion volume, BBC Radio 1971-1974].