Soft Machine – Fourth

Ratledge is really fantastic, both on the album and on the disc. Love the glasses over the lob. He is one of a kind... massive loss.

Does anyone know if this version is a gatefold copy? Thanks

Great pressing flat , quiet . Beat my original hands down ! I need to mention that music on vinyl reproduced embossed cover perfectly. That is not on my US cover but is on the French. Jacket is also superior in manufacture of it . Spine is squared nicely. CBS label reproduction nice. Small things like that goes a long way.

Has anyone heard this edition? I'm curious about this compared to and original UK or US variant.

Fine playing by fantastic musicians mixing psych w/ free-styled off-beat anarchic jazz-rock, "Bitch's Brew-esqe" electronic keyboards, late '60's early '70's rock'n'fusion, mesmerising drum work & hard blowing instrumentation ensuring its place in the realm of the essential. Soft Machine at their peak & Wyatt's last with the group.
Hypnotic fury in all sonic cylinders.

I have to agree that the Shroeder music version on side 1 is only concurrent but not earlier than the Robbins credited version.
My Robbins only copy weighs in at 140g and has a dished label area of the same design as my Simon & Garfunkel CBS originals from 1970 unlike the flat version pictured in the description. For what it's worth!

I have this and it's a mispress - Side 1 is SM 5 Side 2 and Side 2 is SM 5 Side 1. The tracks have been rebanded; there are four on Side 2 which play the three Side 1 SM 5 tracks (the last 2 are MC, with no break); and there are 3 on Side 1 where there should be 4 - LBO is at the end of As If. It's a sample, 'non vendibile'. It sounds like a different mix, too. No details about it anywhere on discogs.

Great intensity in changing chords thereby providing a set of great psychedelic groove, though, by far less experimental than the previous album was.

There is a later mis-pressing of this album that wrongly contains the music from "Fifth", only with the sides flipped. No idea how common it is, but I have a friend who owns one.

Why do you think the Shroeder music version on side 1 label is the very first pressing, and not in the other way??? That is not logic at all. On the other hand, observing the label it is a weaker flat version.