The Soft Boys was formed in Cambridge (England) during 1976 by vocalist/guitarist Robyn Hitchcock and fused pop hooks with British folk-rock and snotty punk aggression.
Braced by the songs of Hitchcock, The Soft Boys were a twisted milkshake of Syd Barrett, Captain Beefheart, John Lennon and Bob Dylan, spiked with ringing guitars, tricky harmonies, and drolly ominous humour.
Their first recording, an EP on Raw Records, came out in late 1977. They were among the first signings to Radar Records the following year, but after releasing a single they scrapped a finished LP to start anew on an album to be released independently.
A Can Of Bees, complex and frighteningly psychedelic, appeared on their own Two Crabs label.
The line-up went through more than one change, but from 1980 until their split in 1981, also included Kimberley Rew (guitar), Matthew Seligman (bass) and Morris Windsor aka Otis Fagg (drums).
Their less bizarre and more tuneful 1980 album Underwater Moonlight (on Armageddon Records) hit the ground running with I Wanna Destroy You, a pissed-off anthem featuring swirling guitars and bright vocal harmonies.
Kingdom of Love showcased Hitchcock’s surreal wit as he compared infatuation with insect eggs hatching under his skin.
It would be the last proper Soft Boys album. Hitchcock moved on to a prolific solo career and to perform with his new backing band, The Egyptians. Kimberley Rew went on to form Katrina and the Waves.
A 2001 reissue of Underwater Moonlight from Matador featured nine bonus tracks and a second disc packed with outtakes and rarities.
Robyn Hitchcock Vocals, guitar, bass Rob Lamb Guitar Alan Davies Guitar Andy Metcalfe Bass Otis Fagg (Morris Windsor) Drums Kimberley Rew Guitar, harmonica Matthew Seligman Bass, keyboards
You May Also Like
Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band This group was something of an Australian institution - which started out playing to hippies and found itself playing for…
Strawbs, The One of the better British progressive bands of the early 1970s, The Strawbs differed from their…
Caravan One of the seminal British 'head' bands of the 70s, Caravan hailed from the Kent cathedral…
Stone The Crows Formed around Scottish singer Maggie Bell the band worked initially in clubs and air bases around…
Nils Lofgren Nils Lofgren was born in Chicago in June 1951, although his parents moved the family to…
Young Marble Giants Formed in 1978, the band took its name from a book on Greek sculpture and their…
Fairport Convention The reverberations from The Byrds' first two albums could be felt as far away as the Muswell…
Scruffs, The Hailing from Memphis, Tennessee, The Scruffs easily filled the void left by The Raspberries and Big…
The line-up went through more than one change, but from 1980 until their split in 1981, also included Kimberley Rew (guitar), Matthew Seligman (bass) and Morris Windsor aka Otis Fagg (drums).
