Day By Day (Kevin Ayers Album) (A Jet-Propelled Soft Machine)

Day By Day is the third studio solo album by the Soft Machine member, Kevin Ayers. The album was produced by the Rupert Hine. It was released in 28 May 1975. It is the second and last record by Kevin Ayers released under the Island Records label.

With free time to record another album, since Soft Machine entered into a hiatus, Kevin Ayers decided to re-record his unreleased songs which were rejected by Harvest Records, one of the main reasons to sign a contract with Island Records instead. With the success of Sweet Deceiver, Kevin embarked into a short tour in Europe, returning again to record his third solo album.

Ayers's Day By Day shows Kevin's detachment of the Progressive rock, with focusing into a mostly traditional rock set of songs. The album also contains a re-recording of Soft Machine's Why Are We Sleeping, separated in three sections: It Begins With a Blessing, Once I Awakened, But It Ends With a Curse. Kevin also covers Friedrich Hollander's Falling in Love Again.

The album follows the hit of the previous album in the United States and the United Kingdom. Day By Day peaked in number 3 in UK Albums Charts, and in number 28 in Billboard 200. In France, the album topped the charts. The album was successful in Spain.

The title track, released as the lead single, didn't make so much success as the next one, the radio edit of Didn't Feel Lonely 'till I Thought of You, which reached number 5 in UK Singles Charts and number 8 in Billboard Hot Rock Songs. The album was received with positive reviews noticing the independent sound that Kevin Ayers created from Soft Machine. It is a cult-loved one.

Personnel

 * Kevin Ayers - lead vocals [except 3]; electric guitar
 * Archie Legget - bass guitar; harmony vocals; lead vocals [3]
 * Ollie Halsall - lead guitar; backing vocals; harmony vocals
 * Billy Livsey - keyboards
 * Michael Giles - drums, percussion
 * Ray Cooper - percussion
 * Mike Oldfield - electric guitar
 * David Bedford - orchestral arrangement
 * Rupert Hine - producer, keyboards