Confessions of Dr. Dream and Other Stories (A Jet-Propelled Soft Machine)

Confessions of Dr. Dream and Other Stories is the ninth studio album by the English rock band Soft Machine. It is their first album with the former Patto's guitarist, Ollie Halsall, who would be Ayers' partner until his death in 1992, and also it would be their last album with the keyboardist Mike Ratledge. The album was produced by Rupert Hine and Nick Mason, and engineered by Brian Humphries. It was released in 26 July 1974 by Harvest Records in the United Kingdom and by Columbia Records in the United States.

Contradicting the media-built rivalry between Pink Floyd and Soft Machine, the group hired Pink Floyd's drummer Nick Mason to produce their album, as Kevin Ayers also hired Rupert Hine. The album was being recorded during the famous Red Road Tour of Soft Machine.

Confessions of Dr. Dream is considered also a conceptual album, by the philosophical themes of dreaming, alienation, and compassion, opposing the humorous and sarcastic lyrics of their last album, Little Red Record.

The album was boosted by Soft Machine's breakthrough in the United States, and it was their first album to top Billboard 200. It also has topped UK Album Charts and other charts in mainland Europe. After the Show was released as the lead single, backed by Puis Je?, the french version of May I?, re-recorded.

Being hyped by the demand of the label, and by their breakthrough in the US, Confessions of Dr. Dream was a big success and the album remains as the best-selling album of the Soft Machine, earning double platinum certifications in the United States.

Soft Machine

 * Kevin Ayers - lead guitar, lead and backing vocals [3; 6; 7a; 7c-7e]
 * Robert Wyatt - piano, drums, percussion, lead and backing vocals [2; 4-5; 7b]
 * Mike Ratledge - piano, Lowrey Holiday De Luxe organ, AKS synthesizer, Fender Rhodes electric piano
 * Phil Miller - bass guitar, guitars
 * Ollie Halsall - guitar, backing vocals

Additional personnel

 * Mike Oldfield - guitar solo [3]
 * Nico - lead vocals [7a]
 * Hugh Hopper - bass guitar [5]
 * Richard Sinclair - bass guitar [1]
 * Michael Giles - drums
 * Nick Mason - drums, producer
 * Rupert Hine - keyboards, producer
 * Brian Humphries - engineering

Differences with OTL

 * 1) The Man Who Waved at Trains and Peff, from Soft Machine's Seven.