Soft Machine are an English jazz rock band from Canterbury, named after the novel The Soft Machine by William S. Burroughs. They were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene and although they achieved little commercial success, they are widely considered to have been one of the most influential bands of their era. Disc 1 of this set was recorded live in Paris and features the line up of Hugh Hopper, Mike Ratledge, John Marshall, and Elton Dean. Disc 2 is a compilation of tracks by bands and musicians from the Canterbury scene including Caravan, The Wilde Flowers and Robert Wyatt.