SOFT MACHINE — Alive And Well Recorded In Paris (review)

SOFT MACHINE — Alive And Well Recorded In Paris album cover Live album · 1978 · Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
2/5 ·
Warthur
Soft Machine decided to record this one as a live album in order to save costs, the band's declining fortunes having started to bite into their budget severely. Unfortunately, the live tapes weren't of a brilliant standard, so extensive overdubs were required anyway. They needn't have bothered - far from proving that the band were alive and well, the album documented a group barely interested in being Soft Machine any more, and divided as to what direction they actually want to go in. At points Karl Jenkins' synths dominate and things drift in an almost Tangerine Dream direction; at other points, as on The Nodder, the band do an unenthusiastic impression of the classic Mahavishnu Orchestra. But at least it doesn't have the spectacle of Mike Ratledge acting as a guest performer in his own band.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Green Puma / Tropical Dandy Jazz Related Rock
THE LINK QUARTET
Buy this album from MMA partners
Vinny Golia Quintet : Can You Outrun Them? 21st Century Modern
VINNY GOLIA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Bow Code Fusion
SAMPO HIUKKANEN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Anthem For No Man’s Land Jazz Related Improv/Composition
ANDREAS SCHAERER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Cabaret Eclectic Fusion
MARIUS NESET
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Paper Plane Pilot
MIKE DE SOUZA
js· 4 hours ago
Green Puma
THE LINK QUARTET
js· 4 hours ago
Heavy Cream
SAMPO HIUKKANEN
js· 6 hours ago
Sunday afternoon
FURIO DI CASTRI
snobb· 19 hours ago
Harmônicos
FABIANO DO NASCIMENTO
js· 1 day ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed