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Soft Machine's collective skill is hyper-complex and refined, as they are extremely literate in all fields of musical study. Fourth is the band's free purging of all of that knowledge, woven into noisy, smoky structures of sound. Their arcane rhythms have a stop-and-go mentality of their own that sounds incredibly fresh even though it is sonically steeped in soft and warm tones. Obviously there is a lot of skillful playing going on, as the mix of free jazz, straight-ahead jazz, and Gong-like psychedelia coalesces into a skronky plateau. Robert Wyatt's drumming is impeccable -- so perfect that it at times becomes an unnoticeable map upon which the bandmembers take their instinctive direction. Mike Ratledge's keys are warm throughout, maintaining an earthy quality that keeps its eye on the space between the ground and the heavens that Soft Machine attempt to inhabit. Elton Dean's saxophone work screams out the most inventive cadence, and since it's hardly rhythmic, it takes front and center, spitting out a crazy language. Certainly the band is the preface to a good portion of Chicago's post-rock output, as the Softs undoubtedly give a nod to Miles Davis' Bitches Brew experiments, which were going on in the U.S. at the same time.
© Ken Taylor /TiVo
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Alan Skidmore, Tenor Saxophone - Elton Dean, Alto Saxophone - Elton Dean, Saxophone - George Chkiantz, Engineer - Hugh Hopper, Acoustic Bass - Jimmy Hastings, Bass - Jimmy Hastings, Clarinet - Jimmy Hastings, Flute - Mark Charig, Cornet - Mike Ratledge, Composer - Mike Ratledge, Organ - Mike Ratledge, Piano - Nick Evans, Trombone - Paschal Byrne, Re-Mastering Engineer - Robert Wyatt, Drums - Sean Murphy, Executive Producer - Soft Machine, Performer - Soft Machine, Producer
(P) 2007 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (UK) Limited
Alan Skidmore, Tenor Saxophone - Elton Dean, Alto Saxophone - Elton Dean, Saxophone - George Chkiantz, Engineer - Hugh Hopper, Acoustic Bass - Hugh Hopper, Composer - Jimmy Hastings, Bass - Jimmy Hastings, Clarinet - Jimmy Hastings, Flute - Mark Charig, Cornet - Mike Ratledge, Organ - Mike Ratledge, Piano - Nick Evans, Trombone - Paschal Byrne, Re-Mastering Engineer - Robert Wyatt, Drums - Sean Murphy, Executive Producer - Soft Machine, Performer - Soft Machine, Producer
(P) 2007 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (UK) Limited
Alan Skidmore, Tenor Saxophone - E. Dean, Composer - Elton Dean, Alto Saxophone - Elton Dean, Saxophone - George Chkiantz, Engineer - Hugh Hopper, Acoustic Bass - Jimmy Hastings, Bass - Jimmy Hastings, Clarinet - Jimmy Hastings, Flute - Mark Charig, Cornet - Mike Ratledge, Organ - Mike Ratledge, Piano - Nick Evans, Trombone - Paschal Byrne, Re-Mastering Engineer - Robert Wyatt, Drums - Sean Murphy, Executive Producer - Soft Machine, Performer - Soft Machine, Producer
(P) 2007 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (UK) Limited
Alan Skidmore, Tenor Saxophone - Elton Dean, Alto Saxophone - Elton Dean, Saxophone - George Chkiantz, Engineer - H. Hopper, Composer - Hugh Hopper, Acoustic Bass - Jimmy Hastings, Bass - Jimmy Hastings, Clarinet - Jimmy Hastings, Flute - Mark Charig, Cornet - Mike Ratledge, Organ - Mike Ratledge, Piano - Nick Evans, Trombone - Paschal Byrne, Re-Mastering Engineer - Robert Wyatt, Drums - Sean Murphy, Executive Producer - Soft Machine, Performer - Soft Machine, Producer
(P) 2007 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (UK) Limited
Alan Skidmore, Tenor Saxophone - Elton Dean, Alto Saxophone - Elton Dean, Saxophone - George Chkiantz, Engineer - H. Hopper, Composer - Hugh Hopper, Acoustic Bass - Jimmy Hastings, Bass - Jimmy Hastings, Clarinet - Jimmy Hastings, Flute - Mark Charig, Cornet - Mike Ratledge, Organ - Mike Ratledge, Piano - Nick Evans, Trombone - Paschal Byrne, Re-Mastering Engineer - Robert Wyatt, Drums - Sean Murphy, Executive Producer - Soft Machine, Performer - Soft Machine, Producer
(P) 2007 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (UK) Limited
Alan Skidmore, Tenor Saxophone - Elton Dean, Alto Saxophone - Elton Dean, Saxophone - George Chkiantz, Engineer - H. Hopper, Composer - Hugh Hopper, Acoustic Bass - Jimmy Hastings, Bass - Jimmy Hastings, Clarinet - Jimmy Hastings, Flute - Mark Charig, Cornet - Mike Ratledge, Organ - Mike Ratledge, Piano - Nick Evans, Trombone - Paschal Byrne, Re-Mastering Engineer - Robert Wyatt, Drums - Sean Murphy, Executive Producer - Soft Machine, Performer - Soft Machine, Producer
(P) 2007 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (UK) Limited
Alan Skidmore, Tenor Saxophone - Elton Dean, Alto Saxophone - Elton Dean, Saxophone - George Chkiantz, Engineer - Hugh Hopper, Acoustic Bass - Hugh Hopper, Composer - Jimmy Hastings, Bass - Jimmy Hastings, Clarinet - Jimmy Hastings, Flute - Mark Charig, Cornet - Mike Ratledge, Organ - Mike Ratledge, Piano - Nick Evans, Trombone - Paschal Byrne, Re-Mastering Engineer - Robert Wyatt, Drums - Sean Murphy, Executive Producer - Soft Machine, Performer - Soft Machine, Producer
(P) 2007 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (UK) Limited
Album review
Soft Machine's collective skill is hyper-complex and refined, as they are extremely literate in all fields of musical study. Fourth is the band's free purging of all of that knowledge, woven into noisy, smoky structures of sound. Their arcane rhythms have a stop-and-go mentality of their own that sounds incredibly fresh even though it is sonically steeped in soft and warm tones. Obviously there is a lot of skillful playing going on, as the mix of free jazz, straight-ahead jazz, and Gong-like psychedelia coalesces into a skronky plateau. Robert Wyatt's drumming is impeccable -- so perfect that it at times becomes an unnoticeable map upon which the bandmembers take their instinctive direction. Mike Ratledge's keys are warm throughout, maintaining an earthy quality that keeps its eye on the space between the ground and the heavens that Soft Machine attempt to inhabit. Elton Dean's saxophone work screams out the most inventive cadence, and since it's hardly rhythmic, it takes front and center, spitting out a crazy language. Certainly the band is the preface to a good portion of Chicago's post-rock output, as the Softs undoubtedly give a nod to Miles Davis' Bitches Brew experiments, which were going on in the U.S. at the same time.
© Ken Taylor /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 7 track(s)
- Total length: 00:39:07
- Main artists: Soft Machine
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: SONY BMG Catalog
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock Progressive Rock
(P) 2007 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (UK) Limited
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