THE SOFT MACHINE

If one had never heard the previous albums with their quirky beginnings in psychedelia one might enter into the world of Mike Ratledge, Hugh Hopper, Robert Wyatt, and Elton Dean thinking that these guys are 1) serious jazz musicians and 2) great masters of their instruments. The only problem is: There is very, very little here that feels or sounds like Canterbury style music--a little in "Kings and Queens" and Virtually part 3." That's it. While Dean's saxes will become more refined and creative in his more free-form future, the playing here of Robert Wyatt is the first and only time that I found myself thinking that "this is a really impressive musician." Ratledge and Hopper are really good and the addition of double bass from NUCLEUS founder Mike Babbington is awesome. Also, I still think it rather unique and brave of the band to go without a guitar player.

1. "Teeth" (9:15) Jazz! Free jazz! At least, from the saxophone. From the opening notes this song presents the band as a jazz band with little or no ties to its previous incarnations. It's too bad as this is not one of the album's better songs--even the recording mix is "off." (15/20)

2. "Kings and queens" (5:02) slow and melodic with the gentle waves of keys, toms, and cymbals to support. Ratledge is brilliant in his support and Wyatt and Hopper and Dean are impressive as well. (8.75/10)

3. "Fletcher's blemish" (4:35) pure free-form jazz in which the musicians exhibit some great control and, surprisingly, cohesiveness. (8.5/10)

4. "Virtually part 1" (5:16) jazz, pure and simple, with some nice structural experimentation. The barebones-ness of this piece gives each instrumentalists plenty of space in which to shine. (8.5/10)

5. "Virtually part 2" (7:09) enter the Lowrey organ--the last vestige of the Canterbury sound--and multiple tracks given to Elton Dean for his two instruments. Great instrumental performances--especially true of Robert Wyatt--but nothing very special melodically or emotionally. (12.5/15)

6. "Virtually part 3" (4:33) sees a step back from pacing and walls of sound as the drums check out and everybody else goes into "tuning mode." The electric bass of Hugh Hopper takes the lead while everybody else offers a kind of gentle support. It's actually kind of pretty music despite the fuzzed bass up front. (8.75/10)

7. "Virtually part 4" (3:23) smoother and more cohesive, even melodic. My favorite section of the album and the one that allows me to keep this album in the list of Canterbury favorites. (9.5/10)

Total Time: 39:13

3.5 to a Low four stars; a nice jazz album for its time but not a very glowing representative of the Canterbury Scene.

Although it's considered a 'Canterbury Scene' album, Third could adequately described as largely a jazz-prog album with some avant-garde tendencies. If Soft Machine produced this exact album, but were based in West Germany, we'd call it 'Krautrock' and discover connections between Soft Machine and Can or Faust or Brainticket. But more on that in a moment.

Third is my introduction to Soft Machine, so I have to take at face value the claim that it represents a substantial transition from Volume Two, which they'd released nine months earlier. But it's tough to miss the transition between the first and second sides of Third, a double album with one track per side. Side One, 'Facelift,' is a studio-treated live piece recorded in January 1970, while the rest of the album was recorded at IBC studios in London in May and June.

The only difference in personnel between Side One and the remainder of the album is the inclusion of saxophonist / flautist Lyn Dobson; otherwise the core lineup is drummer / vocalist Robert Wyatt, bassist Hugh Hopper, keyboardist Mike Ratledge, and saxophonist Elton Dean. It's not the musicians, or the instrumentation, or even the fact that 'Facelift' is (largely) a live recording that separates it from the other tracks. Maybe the best way to say it is that 'Facelift' has an entirely different attitude from the rest of the album, and that it's a more experimental and harder attitude than I associate with Canterbury. In fact, I'd say it's akin to a Krautrock attitude. But this dissipates after the nineteen-minute first side; sides two ('Slightly All the Time') and three ('Moon in June') are more like the jazzy and folky prog that I associate with the Canterbury sound. A more experimental approach returns on the final side ('Out-Bloody-Rageous').

The high point, in my opinion, is 'Slightly All the Time,' a jazzy instrumental suite. However, I have to confess an admiration for the studio-as-instrument aspects of 'Out-Bloody-Rageous,' even if that track, from a compositional standpoint, is both drawn-out and unfocused. It's a bit of a clich', but Third would probably have been a four-star LP had someone like a Teo Macero, Holger Czukay, or Frank Zappa been entrusted with editing it down to a 'single album.'

My last criticism is the relatively low sound quality. I downloaded my copy from freegal.com, and it's unclear to me which edition I have. Apparently there are some releases of Third on which the sound has been 'cleaned up.' But I have to concur with those who have remarked on the lo-fi sound.

All things considered, Third is a good album. I'm sure Canterbury fans are well aware of this and other albums by Soft Machine and related acts, but anyone interested in jazzy progressive rock or in lighter Krautrock might also want to check this one out.

Whilst I wouldn't say this is quite as revelatory as Hux's previous 2CD set of BBC sessions from The Soft Machine, this compilation does provide a nice overview of their latter-day fusion-oriented era. Consisting of radio sessions recorded after the departure of Robert Wyatt, the sessions take in the span of time from Fifth (note the presence of transitional drummer Phil Howard on the first three tracks) to the threshold of Bundles.

It's over this period of time that the band's musical direction got increasingly influenced by Karl Jenkins - who co- composed a good chunk of Six, the first Softs album he appeared on - but that's all to the good as far as I'm concerned, because Fifth was a comparatively weaker album which found the Softs, having won their battle with Robert Wyatt in terms of rejecting his preferred direction of the group, no longer particularly sure of which way they actually wanted to go. Purists who prefer the early, far more psychedelic-influenced era of Soft Machine and don't care much for fusion won't find much to enjoy here, but if you're willing to regard the post-Wyatt Softs as essentially a different band (I've used the analogy "Nucleus by other means" before) and have a taste for jazz fusion, you may find this a useful avenue to explore.

After two years off, Mike Ratledge, the only remaining member of the original Softs, pulls his previous lineup of former-NEWCLEUS members together for one more time but this time recruiting one more recent NEWCLEUS member into the fold: guitar phenom ALLAN HOLDSWORTH. What an injection of life and power he is! What results is one fine collection of jazz-rock fusion songs--one that is unfortunately often overlooked due to the band's previous history and, to many, disappointing evolution. (I think a lot of people had long given up on buying their new releases--myself included--which is sad as this is an absolutely stellar album.) Many people refer to this album as the Allan Holdsworth breakout album as he would go on to work with many of the jazz fusion superstars in the next couple of years. I believe that this "breaktrhough" is made possible by the amazing cohesion of the Newcleus support crew--Babbington, Marshall, and Jenkins. As a matter of fact, this album, in my opinion, should have a different band name cuz they're not really the Soft Machine (history says that with Bundles Ratledge had given the reins over to Karl Jenkins). They're more Newcleus but not Newcleus. They're really the Allan Holdsworth Debut Project.

Total Time: 41:55

An excellent jazz fusion masterpiece/near-masterpiece on the level of Newcleus, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea/Return To Forever, Tony Williams Lifetime, Jean-Luc Ponty, and Brand X, but NOT a Canterbury style album.

Some pockets of Canterbury sound fans seem somewhat dismissive of this latest work to appear under the Soft Machine banner, 2018's `Hidden Details'. While it may really be just a further extension of the Soft Machine Legacy group from the last fifteen years or so, three of the four musicians here actually played on Soft Machine's `Softs' from 1976, so if you're a fan of that line- up and era of the legendary group, or you're simply a lover of sh*t-hot jazz-rock/fusion playing in general, there's tons to appreciate here.

One thing that instantly stands out about `Hidden Details' is the way it dips into numerous styles from so many periods of forty five plus-years of Soft Machine music, with the exception of the psychedelic pop early years. Opener `Hidden Details' is a dusty slow-burn smoulder of Roy Babbington's murmuring bass, John Marshall's rambunctious drumming, Theo Travis' lively blaring sax and John Etheridge's splintering runaway guitar snarl. Weeping and gnashing sax tendrils and grinding guitar distortion seductively seep out of `Ground Lift', and `Heart Off Guard' is a stark acoustic lament with sorrowful sax. The shimmering `Broken Hill' has lightly bluesy guitar ringing laced with mystery and unease, and `Flight Of The Jett' is restless ambience.

`One Glove' has a dirty bluesy chugging swagger, `Drifting White' is a sobering late-night electric guitar reflection, and the noisy `Life On Bridges' shambles with sax drowsiness, wailing guitar tantrums and thrashing drum spasms. `Fourteen Hour Dream' embraces the lighter Caravan-like Canterbury approach with its sprightly energy and sweetly trilling flute, and closer `Breathe' is a softly blowing meditation of placid cooling flute and slowly unfurling hazy effects.

Two pieces are reworkings of earlier SM pieces - `Bundles' `The Man Who Waved At Trains' is reimagined with sparkling electric piano raindrops before slinking into a tranquil flute rumination in the tradition of the most chilled Canterbury moments, and a portion of `Third's `Out Bloody Rageous' reveals dreamy Fender Rhodes piano glistenings and electronic spirals before dashing through bustling and infectious sax driven themes

`Hidden Details' never sounds like lukewarm or uninspired rehashes of past Soft Machine moments, and it's even more satisfying that this current line-up are putting out masterful and colourful new music that is equally as vital and valid as anything else in their earlier vast catalogue. Canterbury fans are spoiled to have such first rate musicians still active in both live performances and in the studio, and it's a thrill to discover that `Hidden Details' is one of the standout releases of progressive rock-related music in 2018.

Four and a half stars.

This underrated record is a nice entry into the late golden period fusion scene. I'd label it inconsequential but that wouldn't do it justice because the music is quite good. It's a favorite in my library primarily because it doesn't have any reeds and it's not real experimental like their early stuff. If Allan Holdsworth were still there to wail away this would be a landmark along with the best 11th House records. Still, this quirky release is a nice late night snack for inclined parties. The Nodder is an especially effective slab of the finest guitar keyboard out in front locked in rhythm section fusion.

I'm really glad I bought this record. The pros for me echo previous reviews - these old guys really can still wail and the music is energetic and lively - it fits right in with the Soft Machine canon that hadn't seen a shiny studio release since the early eighties. This music is welcome indeed for Soft Machine fans. For those who have never heard their music, I think this would be a fine place to start. Yeah, their discography definitely needed a better curtain call than the Land of Cocayne. The cons - I'm not crazy about sax as a lead instrument in a fusion setting. It just doesn't set my world on fire like a guitar. Good thing is these guys can play anything and that isn't a huge drawback for me. Good album.

There can be few British bands that can say that they have had as much impact on music as the mighty Softs, and here a mere 37 years after their last studio album they are back with a new one. Originally formed in 1966, with their debut album in 1968, they have continued to be at the cutting edge of fusion and have had some incredible musicians pass through their ranks. The band officially disbanded in 1978, then reformed briefly in 1981 and then 1984 before returning as Soft Ware in 1999, which in turn became Soft Works, before morphing into Soft Machine Legacy in 2004, and then at the end of 2015 they decided to drop the word "Legacy". But given that guitarist John Etheridge, bassist Roy Babbington and drummer John Marshall were all in the same line-up(s) in the Seventies, they have a more than valid claim to the name. The only member of the band who wasn't involved back then is Theo Travis, who provides sax, flute and Fender Rhodes. But, he joined Soft Machine Legacy as long ago as 2006, when he replaced Elton Dean after he had passed away.

Anyone who admits to enjoying Canterbury progressive rock or fusion will have multiple Soft Machine albums in their collection, and this one fits right in. John Etheridge is an incredible guitarist, and it takes someone very special indeed to step into the shoes of Allan Holdsworth, not once but twice. He is lyrical, dramatic, restrained yet over the top, simple yet complex, allowing the music to take him where it will. Every musician is an absolute master of his craft, and they push the envelope in so many ways. Jazz, prog, fusion, call it whatever you like but this is intricately crafted music that is both awe inspiring yet inviting, eclectic yet so very easy to get inside of, and the more time spent with it the greater the rewards. Some of these guys are nearly 80 years old now, yet show no sign at all of slowing down. This is an essential purchase.

One of the best and most versatile jazz rock fusion albums in my collection. Here the band just rocks. One of the best albums Allan Holdsworth played on. I love UK and Bruford but the quintet of Soft Machine is a really good oiled machine. Karl Jenkins really know how to write decent songs/themes, although he most obvious borrowed a theme from his former band Nucleus. Apparently he liked his riff so much he recycled it for Soft Machine.

The earlier albums of The Soft Machine were mostly very frenetic and too eclectic for me, while this version of The Soft Machine is more harmonious and tight.

Also the cover artwork helps a lot to rate this album so high.

How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Soft Machine

Never thought it would happen again but here we are. 18 years into the 21st Century and look at that! Brand new Soft Machine! Firstly, you probably already know, but this is an album best played on a stereo system as opposed to speakers on a Tablet or PC! Streamed and even on YouTube it sounds like they were recorded in a shed, while the CD sounds a lot more produced and mixed. Some parts nostalgia reviving, some parts brand new diversions. As expected the musicianship is on point. Age has not weakened the drumming of Britain's Most Overlooked Drummer John Marshall. John Etheridge still has it. And Classic Soft Machine wah pedals get dusted off and stepped on again. It is the most fun Soft Machine album for some time. True, there's no lyrical oddness like Volume Two. But there's a spirit of freedom in the playing. Nobody to be excluded (Well as !omg as they understand it's instrumental music) and no contemporaries left to challenge. It doesn't sound like the end piece. Whereas The Endless River seem to descend from the skies for a final victory lap. "Hidden Details" seems to wake from it's sleep and get off the pavement to march forward. The Soft Machine are back! And it's as if (SeewhatIdidthere?) they've never really been away. When does a band stop being a band? Soft Machine long had those accusations brushed off. I did used to be a Wyatt purist and it took me a while but I now except it all as Soft Machine. ("Rubber Riff" excepted because... Yeah...) And while other modern albums by Prog bands have felt like the curtain is closing, "Hidden Details" sounds like a band woken up from a hibernation. New Zookeeper, Theo Travis, has nurtured these endangered mammoths of UK music and at the end of it you'll be begging for more. A final collaboration with Robert Wyatt seems like an impossible dream. But then if you were told in 2018 Soft Machine would be back with an album just as good as their mid-70's prime? Well who would believe that!

"Hidden Details" doesn't let the side down. If any criticism I would have preferred less reworkings of Machine standards. There's enough confidence in this album to show there's still enough life left in the band. A pleasant listening experience guaranteed.