SIX

Elton Dean's departure soon after the release of band's previous album,Fifth,and his replacement by ex-Nucleus Karl Jenkins opened new era in Soft Machine's music. Six is a double album, second after Third,but it's structure is different: it opens with live recordings (all first LP)and continues with studio recorded compositions on second vinyl LP.

Album's opener Fanfare and next composition All White sound excellent and in few first moments listener can be fooled he's listening Dean's sax solos. But very soon the difference become obvious - instead of Dean's free improvisational playing manner,Jenkins plays groove fusion.He is technically capable musician,so music sounds really good,but the atmosphere of all recording is very different from everything Soft Machine played and recorded before.

All live recording is quite well structured with simple bass line,and all rhythm section mostly on support of soloing sax and electric piano.It could be a good music played by any other band, but with Soft Machine legacy such change looks as step back.

Studio-recorded materials are even more different.Almost fully composed,well structured songs with repetitive sections,some sound effects and experimental elements sound interesting,but are even more far from classic Soft Machine compositions. When you listen sound of melted minimalist contemporary music and jazz fusion with electric piano multi-layers,you understand that Soft Machine is really interesting,but absolutely different band from now.