''Volume Two'' is the second LP album by

The Soft Machine ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

, released in 1969. The album combined

humour Humour (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) or humor (American English) is the tendency of experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement. The term derives from the humorism, humoral medicine of the ancient Gre ...

dada Dada () or Dadaism was an art movement of the European avant-garde in the early 20th century, with early centres in Zürich, Switzerland, at the Cabaret Voltaire (Zurich), Cabaret Voltaire (in 1916). New York Dada began c. 1915, and after 192 ...

psychedelia Psychedelia refers to the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic music and style of dress during that era. This was primarily generated by people who used psychedelic ...

and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

. In 2000 it was voted number 715 in

Colin Larkin Colin Larkin (born 1949) is a British writer and entrepreneur. He founded, and was the editor-in-chief of, the ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music'', described by ''The Times'' as "the standard against which all others must be judged". Along wit ...

's ''

All Time Top 1000 Albums ''All Time Top 1000 Albums'' is a book by Colin Larkin, creator and editor of the ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music''. The book was first published by Guinness Publishing in 1994. The list presented is the result of over 200,000 votes cast by the ...

''.

Overview

In the lyrics to "Have You Ever Bean Green?" Soft Machine thanks the

Jimi Hendrix Experience James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

, with whom they had just toured through the United States in 1968; as Hendrix's opening band they were exposed to large crowds for the first time. The title of this song is a play on the chorus lyric in the Hendrix song "Are You Experienced?", "Have you ever been experienced?". Wyatt thanks "Brian" (

Brian Hopper Brian Hopper (born 3 January 1943) is an English guitarist and saxophonist. Hopper was born in Whitstable, Kent, England, and is the older brother of the late bassist Hugh Hopper. With Hugh, he was a member in the early Canterbury scene band W ...

) and "George" (engineer

George Chkiantz George Chkiantz is a British recording engineer, based in London, who has been responsible for the engineering on a number of well-known albums, many of which are considered classics, owing in part to the quality of the recordings. Career Chkiant ...

) in the next section, ''Pataphysical Introduction – Pt. 2,'' which also includes a quote of "These Foolish Things." The title of the closing suite, "Esther's Nose Job", is derived from a chapter in

Thomas Pynchon Thomas Ruggles Pynchon Jr. ( , ; born May 8, 1937) is an American novelist noted for his dense and complex novels. His fiction and non-fiction writings encompass a vast array of subject matter, genres and themes, including history, music, scie ...

's novel '' V.''

Track listing

Side 1

#"Rivmic Melodies" – 17:07 ##"Pataphysical Introduction – Pt. 1" (

Robert Wyatt Robert Wyatt (born Robert Wyatt-Ellidge, 28 January 1945) is a retired English musician. A founding member of the influential Canterbury scene bands Soft Machine and Matching Mole, he was initially a kit drummer and singer before becoming para ...

) – 1:00 ##"A Concise British Alphabet – Pt. 1" (

Hugh Hopper Hugh Colin Hopper (29 April 1945 – 7 June 2009) was a British progressive rock and jazz fusion bass guitarist. He was a prominent member of the Canterbury scene, as a member of Soft Machine and other bands. Biography Early career Starting in ...

, arr. Wyatt) – 0:10 ##"Hibou, Anemone and Bear" (

Mike Ratledge Michael Roland Ratledge (born 6 May 1943) is a British musician. A part of the Canterbury scene, he was a founding member of Soft Machine. He was the last founding member to leave the group, doing so in 1976. Biography and career Ratledge was ...

, Wyatt) – 5:58 ##"A Concise British Alphabet – Pt. 2" (Hopper, arr. Wyatt) – 0:12 ##"Hulloder" (Hopper, arr. Wyatt) – 0:52 ##"Dada Was Here" (Hopper, arr. Wyatt) – 3:25 ##"Thank You Pierrot Lunaire" (Hopper, arr. Wyatt) – 0:47 ##"Have You Ever Bean Green?" (Hopper, arr. Wyatt) – 1:23 ##"Pataphysical Introduction – Pt. 2" (Wyatt) – 0:50 ##"Out of Tunes" (Ratledge, Hopper, Wyatt) – 2:30

Side 2

#"As Long as He Lies Perfectly Still" (Ratledge, Wyatt) – 2:30 #"Dedicated to You But You Weren't Listening" (Hopper) – 2:30 #"Esther's Nose Job" – 11:13 ##"Fire Engine Passing with Bells Clanging" (Ratledge) – 1:50 ##"Pig" (Ratledge) – 2:08 ##"Orange Skin Food" (Ratledge) – 1:52 ##"A Door Opens and Closes" (Ratledge) – 1:09 ##"10:30 Returns to the Bedroom" (Ratledge, Hopper, Wyatt) – 4:14

Personnel

– piano, Lowrey Holiday De Luxe organ;

Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated s ...

(on 3); harpsichord (on 12); flute (on 3 and 10) *

– bass guitar; acoustic guitar (on 12); alto saxophone (on 3 and 14-16) *

– drums, lead and backing vocals ;Additional personnel *

– soprano and tenor saxophone

References

External links

The Soft Machine - ''Volume Two'' (1969) album review by Peter Kurtz, credits & releases
at

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

The Soft Machine - ''Volume Two'' (1969) album releases & credits
at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...

Soft Machine discography
a
Calyx website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Volume Two Soft Machine albums 1969 albums Probe Records albums