Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
(Now wet's be ve-wy, ve-wy qwiet), April 25, 2006
Writing this makes me feel as though I'm Elmer Fudd, sneaking up on Bugs so that he doesn't hear me, but here goes anyway: I like this CD. I mean, I REALLY like this CD. In fact, I've liked it since its original release, which was my introduction to the band. Oh sure, I've since gone back and listened to their earlier material - you know, the stuff that's venerated by so many that there are probably several world religions based on it by now. And sure, the earlier stuff is indeed most excellent. But the criticism of this band for its evolution is as misplaced as was the criticism of Dylan when he similarly evolved some years earlier. Dylan clearly knew what he was doing, and he exposed his critics as tired old folkies. In retrospect, those that criticize this release are tired old hippies. Get over it folks - this is good stuff. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that it's an important CD. Not as important as Bitches Brew, but similar. These guys weren't the technicians that Miles' sidemen were, but that's really the point, isn't it? Miles used the world's best musicians to show that jazz and rock could combine to make an eminently listenable brew. This contemporaneous release showed that similar results could be achieved (albeit on a smaller scale) by musicians who were mere mortals. As such, it has become a touchstone for many who have followed (Medeski Martin & Wood, etc.). So you see, it's not so blasphemous after all. Go ahead, give it a spin. You won't turn into a pillar of salt, I promise.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
artistic culmination to a period, December 24, 2003
The album begins with a snappy jazz-rock tune with two snaking synth lines, one fuzzy, one clear and lyrical, and up beat rhythmn. It is followed by another Karl Jenkins' tune, Carol Ann, a much softer, delicate number which takes its lead from the lyricism in the previous outing. These are followed by two significant Ratledge tunes, the first, Day's Eye, a great melody brim full of textural and time contrasts, connected by a short bridge (Bone's fire)to the heavier rhythmic strut and extended riff of Tarabos. This trilogy is followed by a densely textured Marshall percussion solo. Halfway through the record it might be a good time to pause for a moment and reflect on the territory already covered. The album is built around the electric piano/synthesiser and oboe/baritone saxophone sounds that were discovered in instrumentals like Chloe and the Pirates on their previous album. Jenkins' and Ratledge's approaches during this era coalesce perfectly, Marshall's drums and percussion are as crisp and tight, and Babbington's base fits beautifully. Penny Hitch delves back into the kind of material on Six alluded to above, with its gentle circuitous perambulations linking with the more hectic and heavier instrumentation on Block. Babbington's contribution reaches its creative zenith on the third last track, Down the Road, following some experimental recorder playing by Jenkins, with his bowed acoustic base introducing a country jig feel into the otherwise spacious textures laid down by oboe and keyboards. The album rounds out with two small pieces featuring SM's Terry Reillyesque melting keyboard sounds. Some of the material on the record is infectious, its rhythms and melodies get under your skin. The musicianship is superb and for me this well-integrated album was just what was needed to follow its more eclectic predecessor. I may even prefer it to Six, which has been a long time favourite, because it has a wonderful consistency throughout.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Powerful and emotional!, March 18, 2000
After a period of changes of persons and styles, Soft Machine gets to the high point of energetic Jazz Rock, mixing performance with taste and emotion that we had never seen in this style. Ratledge, Jenkins, Babyngton and Marshall talk together with no words, but with a synchronicity that would take Karl Jung to review his thesis to better. While Mahavishnu Orchestra was paying dues to produce hundreds of poor notes, Soft Machine was training our brain to development in music. I am sorry that this strong group no longer exists.
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