OUT BLOODY RAGEOUS (ANTHOLOGY 67-73)

Just received my copy of Out-Bloody-Rageous from Amazon.UK, an official double CD compilation of Soft Machine music from the albums 'Soft Machine' to 'Seven', i.e. the ABC/Probe Records to the CBS/Columbia Records period. One can only hope Harvest will issue a complimentary third album to give a fuller coverage of the band's career.

As a freak for nearly all and particularly their first 3 or 4 albums, I'm delighted at the choice of tracks taken here. Following the path taken by the now rare 'Triple Echo' 3 LP set (issued by Harvest Records approx 25 years ago), CD 1 starts with a couple of their early single records, and then quickly gets to my favourites from their first self-titled album and Volume 2. And great news, these have been 24 bit remastered (as I begged in print for quite some time). 'Hope For Happiness/Joy Of A Toy' is no longer a muddy mix; at last clarity and instrument separation - I can only hope that the whole of both albums will be available in a remastered form please! A couple of tracks from 'Third' finishes CD 1. CD 2 shows Machine in jazz rock jazz fusion mode and with a number of tracks each taken taken from 'Fourth' through to 'Seven'.

But there are no surprises, no tracks dragged from some forgotten archive - I think we can trust Cuneiform and Blueprint have done that - although I believe Moon June are about to issue another mid 70's radio recording?

A great compilation, and in some way better than the 2 double CDs 'BBC 1967-1971' & 'BBC 1971-1974' (Hux Records). For somebody waiting to discover what Machine was about and how they changed over a 7 year period, this is a perfect recoding. The liner notes are excellent (but better still, buy and read the book of with same name by Graham Bennett when it is published in September 2005). 'Out-Bloody-Rageous' well illustrates the evolution of a major band, from the soul-based psychedelia to the avant, free jazz rock, that musical went much further than fellow psychedelians Pink Floyd did, even in the depths of Water's and Co.'s best psychedelic dream.

5 star for Machine freaks, 4 stars for the open-minded prog or jazz fan.