NDR JAZZ WORKSHOP, GERMANY, MAY 17, 1973

That is a good thing. Soft Machine live is something truly special. Mostly. But when a live album is based on some of their weaker studio albums, the result is not that exciting. This live album is based on their studio albums Six and Seven. That is pure jazz records and not particular good jazz records too.

The sound quality here is excellent. The packaging also include a very good DVD recording of the same songs. For the package itself and as a documentation of this Soft Machine lineup, this album is a must-have. On the other hand, the music......... The music is merely good. The inclusion of a guitar precludes their upcoming jazz-rock era, aka the Bundles and Softs albums. But even the guitars cannot save the material which is good, but nothing more. I have to say that this is not a Soft Machine live album that I will play much in the future. It will become a fringe item in my collection like Six and Seven is today. There is where I stand when it comes to this album. A good album, but not a great one.

3 stars

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