LIVE AT THE PARADISO

The Soft Machine

Canterbury Scene

3.60 | 45 ratings

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toroddfuglesteg

Soft Machine without woodwinds or electric guitars ? You are having a laugh !!!!

That was my first thought...... Then I started to listen to this album and I discovered a new dimension to one of my favorite bands. Something I did not think was possible.

Daevid Allan and Kevin Ayers was out and Soft Machine was left as a trio, consisting of Mike Ratledge, Hugh Hopper and Robert Wyatt. Well, there may be some other reasons why Soft Machine turned up as a trio at this famous rock club in Holland. The material was their Volume 2 album. An album I am not fond of...... until I heard the material on this live album, that is.

Soft Machine was nominally a Psychedelic/Space Rock band at this time. Somebody forgot to tell them that when they entered this club and started to play. The music is somewhere between psychedelic rock and jazz. It certainly have a jazz feel which kind of gave away the direction Soft Machine was moving into on their next albums. But this is hindsight.

Music wise, Robert Wyatt's vocals fills the space later to be occupied by woodwinds. His drumming is excellent too. Mike Ratledge is playing like a demon possessed and is the star on this live album. Hugh Hopper's bass is hovering menacing over and behind Mike Ratledge's keyboards. In short, this is three excellent musicians at their peak. A far too long drum solo is pretty boring. The rest of this live album is absolute captivating. The material is not Soft Machine's best material by a good margin. Not even this live album can paper over the cracks on Volume 2. But just listening to Ratledge and Hopper attacking the drum patterns laid down by Wyatt sends cold shivers down my spine......... and sends me into a state of delirious joy.

The sound on this album is acceptable and this live album is therefore easily among the five best Soft Machine live albums and is a must for every fan of this fantastic band.

4.5 stars

toroddfuglesteg | 4/5 | 2010-9-19

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