* En anglais uniquement
Between his departure from
the Soft Machine and the proper beginning of his solo career,
Robert Wyatt steered
Matching Mole, an outfit which bore much similarity to his later work with
Soft Machine. Indeed, the name
Matching Mole was chosen as a subtle pun on
Soft Machine (the sound of the English words "matching mole" are very similar to the French translation of "soft machine," machine molle). However,
Matching Mole didn't measure up to either his best
Soft Machine work or his best solo outings. Although
Wyatt occasionally let his vocal charm and humor shine, in the main
Matching Mole was an outlet for the improvisational talents of the band, which often veered from inspiration into dated fusionoid noodling.
The first lineup of
Matching Mole also included former
Caravan member
Dave Sinclair on keyboards,
Phil Miller on guitar, and
Bill MacCormick.
Wyatt wrote most of the material on the 1972 self-titled debut. By the follow-up, Little Red Record (also 1972),
Sinclair had been replaced by
David MacRae, and the group had become a more democratic enterprise, with all the members contributing material more or less equally.
Robert Fripp produced the second LP, and
Eno guested on synthesizer on one track, though neither celebrity dramatically affected or improved the band's sound. Never destined to be a commercial enterprise,
Matching Mole had folded by the end of 1972;
Wyatt began his lengthy solo career, and
Phil Miller went on to two other Canterbury art rock bands,
Hatfield & the North and
National Health. ~ Richie Unterberger