SOFTS

Bundles,previous Soft Machine's album, was kind of band's return to form with new energy of guitarist Alan Holdsworth (stylistically far from classic Soft Machine's sound though). Unhappily, Holdsworth left the band few months after Bundles was recorded, and last founding member keyboardist Mike Ratledge left the band soon as well.

So Softs were recoded by band under the formal "Soft Machine" name, but without original members at all, with no direction and with newly formed line-up. In new band's guitar-led fashion Holdsworth was changed by John Etheridge on acoustic and electric guitars,Karl Jenkins switched from sax to keyboards and new sax player Alan Wakeman came to band.

Not much left from original band's line-up, not much left from original band's music as well.Being still team of competent musicians, band almost lost last jazz elements in their sound,music played is in fact prog rock (close to pop-rock in some moments). Straight forward often mid-tempo melodic compositions with simple arrangements and accent on tune and some soloing sound very different from everything band (even different incarnations of Soft Machine)played before. Even more - all album sounds as collection of bulky material: some pop-rock tunes,prog-rock compositions and technically competent but out of place heavy guitar soloing and even long drums solo! Direction-less compilation of average and below average instrumental music.

In fact,this release is final point of Soft Machine,even if there will be released few more albums under that name.

My rating is 2+.