Talk:Volume Two (The Soft Machine album)

Track timings
I reverted someone's change to put in total times for the 2 suites, noting that the times entered do not match the totals of the parts. Nor does the album's total time in the infobox match either the sum of the parts nor the sum when suite totals are used. I often see this kind of problem when different editors are using different CD editions to get their timings. In these cases I prefer to insist that original LP timings be used, unless it can be demonstrated they are way off. If they are off by a few seconds, then the timing differences on CDs can be attributed to a difference of opinion as to where a track starts or stops (particularly where there are suites or tracks that segue), and sometimes a bit of silence at the end of a track or side will get included in a CD's timing.

After doing the revert, I pulled out my LP copy and changed the timings to match what is printed on the cover. As I expected, most tracks were different by a few seconds, with no differences major enough to justify not using the original times. The total time in the infobox should be changed to match the total of the parts; I'll do that next. As for suite totals, do we need them? Were they added because someone has a CD edition that does not break the sections into tracks, i.e. their CD has all of side 1 as track 1 with a time of 17+ minutes? BTW, my LP is not an original, it's an Italian edition (but still on the Probe label) with the first two Soft Machine albums combined in one gatefold cover, issued in 1973. I'm guessing these times are copied from the original US edition, but if someone can confirm this, that would be great.

Please discuss any reasons for further changes to timings here, before proceeding. Changes without discussion should be reverted. --A Knight Who Says Ni (talk) 01:56, 12 April 2009 (UTC)

Titles of Suites
On the first UK release as a vinyl LP SPB1002 on the Probe label, there was no mention on the album cover or the LP itself that the two sides ("suites") were titled "Rivmic Melodies" and "Esther's Nose Job". The back cover of the LP included monochrome photos of the band members. https://i.pinimg.com/564x/82/a8/da/82a8da2dbcd378c3a8698318bc3819a8.jpg

The two titles seem to be a later concoction around the time of later releases not on Probe - including the even later 2008-2009 release on the Polydor label. In this case the back cover, along with the added wording, included different colour photographs. https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51MeS7ac6bL.jpg

On the original album, the words "rhythmic melodies" appear in the lyrics of the first track on side 1 "Pataphysical Introduction (Part 1)". PårWöet (talk) 07:21, 14 September 2019 (UTC)