Soft Machine-Why Are We Sleeping?

[crain332]

they have an ad for some guy named adam lambert. that ad is as bad as you tube putting army ads on before crass or discharge videos.

[glimlach]

1:34 " waiting for something what's already there....."

[Snakepit4321]

anyone else think this guy sounds a lot like alan rickman?

[micheljch]

@Snakepit4321 there's surely a similarity, but one could also argue that it's Rickman that sounds like Keivn Ayers, given that Ayers is eighteen months older and this was recorded a good seven years before Rickman began working professionally.

[micheljch]

@Snakepit4321 not that any of that really matters; I just can't help myself sometimes . . .

[Snakepit4321]

@micheljch alan? loved you in die hard. hated you in everything else.

[Ema1984uk]

Robert wyatt lives in my town..he's a lovely fella..didn't realise he was a famous musician..I chat with him all the time..the sly ol dog..x

[queyosoyjomahombre]

@Ema1984uk That's for real?!!!

[Ema1984uk]

@queyosoyjomahombre yeah...he's lovely..He was telling me that he gets called Mr silly whiskers by one of his friends kids because they think he's Santa..lol...So When I see him I call him it too..lol..x

[boxsands]

Gee Whiz ! I did't do drugs ~ but I

dig the add Michael. Hope u are well. Breen

[bgkerou]

genial drums....wouhhhh!

[ZachTheRanter]

The bass is magical.

[superkulmedkniv25]

The dude talking sounds like Severus Snape

[jasonpp1973]

backing vocals by The Cake!

[Nobodie92]

the spoken verses remind me of riff raff from rocky horror picture show

[freudastaire]

2:20: the birth of Nick Cave's The Birthday Party

[Mikkyun20]

Q.Why are we sleeping?

A.Because we don't wanna get up and go for work.

[thrashmetalkills]

What a great idea to get Alan Rickman on lead vocals :P

[thegerrie19561]

@thrashmetalkills This Is Kevin Ayers

[VulgarTeacake]

The man talking (I regret to say I do not know his name) sounds like Snape. Just saying.

[bhinks]

1 person is still sleeping....oh., but why, why?

[TristanH90]

Kevin Ayers touches on so many concepts that most artists just leave under the surface.

[TheMasterDramon]

No es muy conocida esta banda por aca, pero es muuuuy buena. Sus comiensos roqueros y su adaptacion al jazz albun tras albun... exelente.

[Khultan]

Eleanor and Barbara are backup vocals on this number, I think.

[jamisondavid100]

This song was supposed to relate to the teachings (philosophy) of Gurdjieff. Robert Fripp of King Crimson got into Gurdjieff pretty heavily, too.

[dpclerks09]

@jamisondavid100 how do you know this? how can you tell from the song?

[jamisondavid100]

@dpclerks09 It's all in the title. Part of Gurdjieff's expressed philosophy was that 99% of people walk around in a confused, obscured state, just as if they were asleep. I think "why are we sleeping?" was a question explicitly repeated in his writings. Robert Wyatt was friends with Fripp, the philosophy was in circulation at the time.

[mickeblue]

what a palaver signing in,,, ????... says it all..35 years ago this actually

meant something to me,,,, I''ve since had sex.

[fnnichols]

so what?

[pataphysician66]

I would have LOVED to have seen these guys live- I was but thirteen and living in Phoenix at the time. I did get to see The Jefferson Airplane, Moby Grape, Grateful Dead, JAni Joplin, etc, but to see The Soft Machine....

[hanjomorren]

Great music, I haven't listened to them for too long, shame on me.

[chinapig55]

Best album EVER

(OK, Velvet Underground 1 is BOSS too)

(So is Safe as Milk) (and Trout Mask)

(and Forever Changes)

aaaaaah ... the bliss of music...;

[STMD82]

Good quality music like this, is just not made any more.

[fnnichols]

incredible album,still got my vinyl from 1969,grade school,my cousin saw them with Hendrix. Ross

[spacepatrolman]

@fnnichols  a guy in my class moved to england for a year or 2 he saw them and he developed a british accent

[WELLBRAN]

For all of those people who are fed up they were not born when all this great music was about, well we oldies at that time did not feel so special we just thought this was all normal music, and no big deal we were spoilt but did not realise it at the time.

[bearcub410]

this is a great album one of my best friends the divine ms marci sang backup in 1968 . if you read this marci we love you flick and adam oxoxoxoxo

[triplettam]

Robert Wyatt and Mitch Mitchell inspired me as drummer more than anyone else. One of the great albums.

[Kaimefry]

im a child from the 90's.. this is beautiful <3 such truth

[Analogger]

Saw them open for Hendrix and Vanilla Fudge - Red Rocks Ampitheater, Denver, Colorado, early Sept, 1968.  Words cannot explain that evening. Simply unreal.

[thomascarpone]

@Analogger I HATE YOU ! I'm so envious ! these guys were al the music I used to listen , back then .. and in the same concert ! Hendrix , Vanilla Fudge .. I would have killed somebody in those times to be at that concert !... but I've changed , .. even that feeeling of hatred I was having towards you has vanished in no time ... but I'm still envious ! ... I'll have to work on this .. Hendrix , Vanilla Fudge and Soft Machine ! In the SAME concert !! ...( hating you again , a bit !.. )

[triplettam]

@thomascarpone Well, you can hate me as well. Hendrix had been kicked off the Monkees' tour because of the DAR, and so went ahead and finished some dates with Soft Machine and VF. I was 11 and had just come back into town with my mother. I wrangled tickets and saw an incredible make-shift concert. Robert Wyatt influenced me as a drummer probably more than anybody else. Some great memories from that time. The kind that will never die.

[thomascarpone]

@triplettam Yes, Robert Wyatt is an incredible drummer , ans his voice unique . Moon in June (on Third) still is one of my most loved piece of music of all times .. Just a question (as my english needs refreshing from time to time ) , what is the DAR...on internet , I found : Daughters of The American Revolution , that sounds scary enough , but is it what happened ? just being curious , and going back to music , kids nowadays enjoy these groups , 'cause the 70's were a very creative time..

[triplettam]

@thomascarpone Yep. That's who they were. The Daughters .A very conservative outfit whose members can trace their families back to the Revolution and beyond. So they felt Hendrix's gyrations were too much for the teeny-bopper set who came to see the Monkees. They raised a fuss and got him kicked off the tour. Look up Robert Wyatt's and Annie Whitehead "Sea Song" here. It's right to the right in "suggestions." ----> It's after he was paralyzed.

[thomascarpone]

@triplettam I suspected something like this ...gave you a great opportunity to see these musicians , ...thanks for the suggestion , '' Rock Bottom '' , an other masterpiece , I used to listened to it on and on when I discovered it , in Paris, being rock bottom and down and out , back in 1975-6 ,...bitter-sweet memories , ...good music goes along wih you through life ...

[animalmother4]

i'm happy music like this remains incognito. only a select few will find it.

[Zapple03]

@animalmother4 there's a LOT to be said for that comment, as far as I'm concerned

(incognito)

[animalmother4]

@Zapple03 maybe incognito isnt the right word, what I was trying to say is its not easy to stumble upon if you've never heard of them before.

[microdottrip]

never forget the sixties, amazing time of free expressions! Be free be loved , peace!

[marfy666]

This is great song and I still can't get out of my head feeling, that bass line from this song was used in David Holmes - Yen On A Carousel (search for it on YT) hmm?

[lilic1]

Listen to the whole Vol. 1 & 2 album half asleep -you know the feeling when you know in your mind that you'll sleep in half a minute-. But of course you won't sleep because you cannot if you're listening to such a creative, amazing, brilliant music. Try it in the middle of the night - amazing experience! Thank you so much for these genius musicians!

[messthetics]

@lilic1 haha yeah, tell me about it

[barfootskater]

i cant stop mumbling the first lines of the lyrics :)))

[AristYdes]

i first heard the dr dream version and I like it much more. its more dynamic, precise, heavy, with extreme soul female voices. i guess it was another time. but i find this musically immature, like the first pink floyd album

[NeilThompson30]

@AristYdes - musically immature!!?

Go and stand in the corner for ten minutes.

[MagiKpeople]

@AristYdes What the hell does musically immature mean? (yes, I know, I'm replying to an 11 month-old comment) I don't get how there can be such a thing as musical immaturity. Then again, Piper at the Gates of Dawn is probably one of my favorite albums of all time, so I guess I do enjoy "immature music".

[HappyPterodactyl]

@MagiKpeople is the best

[Khultan]

Would that be Eleanor singing backup vocals?

[freddyfridgemagnet]

Years ago I hitchhiked down to Cornwall (From Liverpool)..for two days couldnt get accommodationHmmmmthen one BB let me stayhad a bathcouple of beers totally relaxedwent to bed with the radio on..John Peel played this trackthought FFFFing BRILLIANT

[shaftsbury94]

@freddyfridgemagnet nice comment dude, poor johnny peel

[pixiewilson42]

I adore this song..thankyou very much

[theseventhprotocol]

Some of the best lyrics I've ever heard ! I keep asking myself Why are we ???? !!!!!! This song is still great .I love the Soft Machine and Egg.

[trojanlol]

@theseventhprotocol : Didn't know Egg, I'll check it out if you think it worth the Softs :p. Good Vibrations on you people

[cheeezdooodle]

very very cool tune.

[niwreyenrac]

My friends and I wore this album out listening to it while tripping from about 1971 or so, on... Kevin Ayers does incredible things with the bass and his voice was impeccable. Too bad more people than ever are sleep-walking their way through life and never stop to wonder why are they sleeping?

[LiveinMarbles]

That my friend is a really nice comment :)

[stomachlining]

@niwreyenrac  one and two are still my favorite albums of all time....I've listened to them my whole life

[pascual92]

@niwreyenrac



[FriedPotato87]

@niwreyenrac

Well said well said..

At least the few of us are more aware..

[westpalmscott]

I remember buying this on a whim at the age of 12 becuase I found the interactive cover interesting. This along with early pink floyd is really the begining of prog rock. King Crimson vame 3 yrs later. This is a great album

[orestiano]

Very good song...!!!

[OldMenOld]

Se comienza con una bendición, que termina con una maldición

Hacer la vida más fácil haciendo peor

"Mi máscara es mi amo", el trompetista llora

Pero su voz es tan débil, cuando habla de su sueño

Diciendo: "¿Por qué, por qué, por qué ... ¿Por qué estamos durmiendo?"

genial!!

[triplettam]

@OldMenOld

Que?

[OldMenOld]

@triplettam what?? ;=)

[mobyboy]

Love this song !

thanx for bringing out memos.

[6907lankershim]

This is the LP I have and I saw them do this live back in Philadelphia in 1967 when they opened for Hendrix. It was a little more powerful live. Maybe I don't have it turned up enough.

[6907lankershim]

I found the poster! It was March 31, 1968 at the Arena. Woodys Truck Stop opened the show for both Hendrix and Soft Machine.

[fdsestito]

noting like them then or now i was there

[zapspace]

Very funny song! Typical Ayers!

[unclemeat2u]

I heard this many years ago on either a college radio station or a publicly funded show.

It still rings true today.

=)

[zapspace]

Funny!

[Nakkinak]

The Choir is such a wam-bam. Very Good *****

[lilic1]

Soo great. I become VERY creative while listening Soft Machine. Thanks guys for making such a wonderful music

[fnnichols]

1st S.M. album is great,had it in 6th grade in ,69.

[slide4180]

Kinky and groovy all at once. Makes me think of a rainy day in a small flat, on the couch with a doobie

[Retiredin]

Hugh Hopper RIP

[heuilleman]

trippy

[talpajam]

the Drum of drums.

[Zapple03]

@talpajam

Thank you for appreciating Robert Wyatt's skill, not just brilliant drums for this album but vocals just terrific too, Ta!

[Gooseberry51]

@Zapple03 Teh man is great, even from his wheelchair at an older age he's done rarkable things musically.. and I did as well wore the vinyl record out completely... 

[luvumo2day]

this is spinal tap oh relax i know what true art is he he he , im going to run down stairs quickly and let me pet space critter out to poop and peace out bob 11 years old

[foreveraien]

i don't sleep i dream

[lofgy]

rest in sleep

[dantean]

The greatest band there ever was...til Robert left.

[Dripser]

I Think till Kevin Ayers left...

[avialableman]

Or David Allen, then?

[AdlejandroP]

Like what syd was to pink floyd

[Dripser]

Yes that's exactly what Kevin was like... Pink Floyd are nothing without Syd!

[AdlejandroP]

And they cooperate on Joy of a Toy, in the song Religious Experience (Singing a song in the morning)

[dantean]

I think they were still the greatest rock band on earth through the Robert Wyatt era. The second album is a piece of genius b/c Hugh Hopper was an important "Canterbury" composer and the addition of horn players (Brian Hopper, Elton Dean, et. al. added weight to the compositions of Ratledge, Hopper, and Wyatt.

[triplettam]

@dantean

I agree that they were one of the greatest. They are certainly the greatest band most people haven't heard. Robert and Hugh were the best.

[Shreddy13]

Marvellous!

[yowje]

One of the best goddamn songs ever!

[TheRealFidelcaster]

Wonderful song.