Soft Machine – Drop (remastered) (Moonjune, 2025)
In late 1971, Soft Machine entered a period of intense stylistic flux. Following the departure of founding drummer Robert Wyatt, the band enlisted Phil Howard, an Australian expatriate known for his free-form style. Howard had previously played with saxophonist Elton Dean in the group Just Us, and his addition marked a decisive turn toward uncompromising improvisation.
Recorded live during their German tour in November 1971, Drop captures this brief incarnation of the band. Howard’s explosive freewheeling drumming redefined the group’s dynamics, positioning percussion as a frontline instrument alongside Dean’s alto sax, Mike Ratledge’s keyboards, and Hugh Hopper’s bass. His approach abandoned traditional rhythmic support in favor of layered, multi-directional energy.
The set list includes familiar pieces such as “Slightly All The Time,” “Neo-Caliban Grides,” and “Out-Bloody-Rageous,” but Howard’s presence transforms them. Rather than navigating structures, he storms through them, pushing his bandmates into more aggressive, uncharted territory. Ratledge, long known for his knotty, through-composed material, was challenged by Howard’s intensity. Hopper provides the essential bass lines, anchoring the band through turbulent musical terrain.
Tensions within the group soon escalated. Dean and Howard favored free jazz exploration, while Hopper and Ratledge leaned toward formal composition. In terms of musical taste, I am on the side of Hopper and Ratledge. Anyhow, by January 1972, Howard was dismissed, followed by Dean’s departure in May. Their replacements would lead Soft Machine in a more structured, enjoyable, fusion-oriented direction.
Although Howard’s tenure lasted only five months, Drop is a vital document of his influence. Remastered in 2024 by Mark Wingfield, this long-out-of-print concert recording reveals the group at its most volatile and improvisatory, a snapshot of Soft Machine pushing past the boundaries of rock and jazz.
Recorded live in Germany, November 1971.
CD Release Coordinator & Executive Producer: Leonardo Pavkovic
Mastered by Mike King (2009); Digitally Remastered by Mark Wingfield (2024)
Dedicated to the memory of Elton Dean and Hugh Hopper.
Musicians: Mike Ratledge on Lowrey organ, Fender Rhodes electric piano; Elton Dean on saxello, alto sax, Fender Rhodes electric piano; Hugh Hopper on bass; and Phil Howard on drums.
Buy Drop.