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The Soft Machine - Seven CD (album) cover

SEVEN

The Soft Machine

 

Canterbury Scene

3.63 | 320 ratings

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greenback
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
4 stars This Canterburian fusion album is quite unique. The musicians play a disciplined music, although a bit repetitive. The tracks rather have varied sounds. This record is fully instrumental. The rhythmic low frequency keyboards on "Nettle bed" are a bit too repetitive; there are numerous moog solos, and the drums played by John Marshall are very fast and complex. The mellow "Carol Ann" has a relaxing combination of slow bass, moog and electric piano: this track is not very melodic nor catchy. On "Day's eye", there is an excellent Canterburian synthesizer, sounding like if you blow in a Chicklets gum carton package: I think it is a modified organ sound; a rhythmic electric piano accompanies it, with a punchy bass and fast & restless drums. Like on "Nettle bed", "Tarabos" has a rhythmic low frequency synthesizer, and it contributes to form a too repetitive rhythm. The not convincing "D.I.S." is very psychedelic and it consists in can percussions and other non- metallic percussions.

On side 2, "Snodland" is a delicate combination of percussions and electric piano. On "Penny hitch", the "Chicklets gum carton package" sounds reappear with some repetitive electric piano notes and curious oboe sounds; the rhythmic patterns are again very repetitive. "Block" still has those "Chicklets gum carton package" notes, and this track is much more loaded with TONS of complex drums, electric piano and punchy bass: the last part containing saxes is VERY structured and synchronized. "Down the road" seems to have flutes; the rhythm, again, is too repetitive, and the saxes sound a bit strange.

greenback | 4/5 |

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