Customer Reviews

Seven

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

This album has received some unfair criticism as being either a sellout or evidence of musical decline. My own opinion is that this is the record Soft Machine had been building up to. There's a reason why it sold so well; it's simply their best work.

True, Seven is not as complex and chaotic as much of Soft Machine's earlier work, but the seeeming simplicity can be deceptive. It reveals a level of maturity with the band more focused on solid songcraft and entrenched grooves. On this album they sound like they have nothing left to prove and can instead enjoy themselves.

This album takes time to get use to if you just jump into Soft Machines music.This my first album by the band and is probably my favorite, even thought I love the guitar frenzy Harvest Years this is my treasure.I bought this album because of the artwork and song tiltes. Nettle Bed is a song based on a long repetitve rift with some changes going against it with some speed electric piano soloing.When I listen to the previous album this song make a change for Soft Machine. It is fun and fresh just different form the usual. Carol Ann is a smooth delicate song with a heavy bass and fragile percussion piano and syth background.Day's Eye is Ajiens Bag or what ever from John Mclaughlins Explorations,with Bone Fire being the ending.We also start to hear more Rateledge soloing through this album to. Tarabos highlighted with Jenkins solo oboe and that penatonic rift. DIS is a ambient percussion solo with cymbals being play reverse on tape. Side 2 opens with another ambient piece Snodland. The peaceful Penny Hitch is next with flows into the most jamful piece Block with has the wierdest arabian-jazz sound and offers some intenses bass from Babbington and explosive solos by Rateledge you have to listen to the sound clip on it. Down the Road finishes the musical side with nice recorder and one of the best bass rifts I ever heard the group pn down. Then we close the rest of the album off with the Terry Riley influence The Greman and French Lesson. Side 2 might be a concept idea sence all the titles deal with traveling and how it opens and closes with ambient pieces(just a guess). Highly recommended along with every Softs album. Enjoy.

Seven is to me like the last chapter of the "old" Soft Machine, even though the group was always in constant transition and by now, organist Mike Ratledge was the only original member from the line-up that once supported Hendrix on tour and backed Syd Barrett in the studio. Here Roy Babbington,previously an occassional guest, replaces Hugh Hopper on bass. Babbington abley handles both electric (Fender Bass VI) and upright "double bass". There is some fine oboe work from Karl Jenkins, who after this record would for the most part put down his horns in favor of being a full time keyboardist. Jenkins' "Nettle Bed" leads off the album with an infectious although repetitive riff, it's one of my favorite Soft Machine tracks. Drummer John Marshall's "D.I.S." is totally a percussion piece with parts recorded both forward and backward. Ratledge's series of pieces , "Carol Ann", "Days Eve", "Bone Fire", and "Tarabos" flow well together. The second half of this release is not quite as satisfying and has more of a droning nature. After this release, the band would yield to more standard issue 70's heavy guitar fusion with guitarists Alan Holdsworth and John Etheridge. Seven closes the book on the more interesting years of the band.

This record is what I consider the last release of the 'old school' Soft Machine, before they headed in a new (but still fusion) direction that featured guitarists Alan Holdsworth and John Etheridge respectively,yet lead to sort of an identity crisis for the group,sounding like the typical jazz rockers of the mid-seventies. On Seven, Karl Jenkins is still blowing his horns, which on later releases he will completely forsake for keyboards,his oboe work is especially cool on Seven. Mike Ratledge's distorted nasal organ is still often at the forefront, and his composition 'Tarabos' is one of the highlights of this record. Drummer John Marshall as always is in fine form; his piece 'DIS' is a cool showcase of forward and backwards recorded percussion. Bassist Roy Babbington plays both a bowed upright and Fender Bass VI. More like a 3 1/2 star release actually.

While not as innovative as SIX, SEVEN finds the band performing some very solid works of jazz-rock.

What a great classic album from 1973!!! Soft Machine's "Seven" album get's the 24-bit remastering that it deserves!!!! The sound is full and detailed!!! Great booklet with photos and liner notes too!!! "It's Seventh Heaven"!!! Top notch musicianship from Mike Ratledge,John Marshall,Karl Jenkins and Roy Babbington!!! An excellent spin!!! Two thumbs up!!! Five stars!!! A+

I'm pleasantly surprised Soft Machine's Seven is a really good album. I was afraid the band was starting to lose its touch pertaining to all those imaginative jams we experienced on the four previous albums and would unleash a mediocre album. Not so. If anything, Seven displays some much needed diversity where all the main tracks feature a variety of instrumental jamming performed not so predictably as before.

One thing I never pointed out about the Soft Machine is their atmosphere. Their music always gives me images of a distinctly dusty or dreary place, or perhaps even a dimly lit rainy day scenario. One memory I have is that of a man uptown named Simon. He owned a clothing store, and every time I set foot in his store it would always be really murky and quiet inside, resembling a tone similar to any number of Soft Machine albums beginning with Third and going through all the way to Seven. 5 VERY good jazz/rock albums.

Simon always kept things in a way where only *he'd* know where to look for them. Perhaps a clever way to make sure nobody ever came in and stole anything they needed. Anyway the gloomy, dark and strangely quiet feeling of that store is present on many Soft Machine albums. Perhaps I can't let go of past memories, or perhaps there is an atmospheric connection between a store and a Canterbury jazz/rock band from the 70's.

For anybody who desires the Soft Machine to be more melodic, well be sure to check out the longest song here called "Penny Hitch". The first half is dominated with a moody jazzy section, and the second half features saxophones being played in a REALLY strange and unique way. It sounds like nothing I've ever heard before. Really bizarre and chaotically enchanting. "Nettle Bed" also qualifies as melodic jamming, though not nearly as melodic as "Penny Hitch. Give it a few listens.

"Day's Eye" is a straight up well-performed jam with bits of melody from time to time, and "Down the Road" is just flat out bizarre and even turns frightening when those... are those violins? enter the picture. That's one really cool piece of music there. Oh, and who can forget the flashy blues workout that is "Tarabos"? Blues and jazz combined into one aggressive unit- WOW is this song amazing.

The Soft Machine delivers with another classic. I can honestly say, it's hard for me to choose a favorite band from the 70's, but the Soft Machine absolutely HAS to be in my personal top 5. Their jamming skills are WAY too good to continue to be ignored all these years, and they even have atmosphere to make the experience even better.