SOFT MACHINE — Bundles (review)

SOFT MACHINE — Bundles album cover Album · 1975 · Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
snobb
Competent and well balanced,but too safe previous Soft Machine's album (Seven) was a serious sign of reaching the dangerous zone: band really was in need of new ideas and new blood.

First Soft Machine's studio album,didn't tagged by number,but name,is significant moment in band's history. In fact, newcomer and still not very well known guitarist Alan Holdsworth bring what they needed - new energy and new direction. Seriously transformed during last few years ,band was a supporting team around sax player Karl Jenkins groove-oriented soloing fusion band vision. Alan Holdswordth rock-edged guitar sound changed priorities very drastically: Bundles is album of great soloing guitarist with plenty of space (and some really excellent passages) for last founding member still on board - keyboardist Mike Ratledge.

For sure, Soft Machine with Bundles is far not the same band as Soft Machine with their debut or Third, but at least they found new energy and new direction, and they recorded another strong (if different) album.Holdsworth demonstrates great guitar playing (even excellent - as for time of album's release),John Marshall's drumming is possibly his best till now, Holdsworth's rock-oriented sound is really much closer to Marshall drumming style,than previous band's direction. Mike Ratledge sounds really inspired again, besides of Holdsworth he is a hero of the release!

It's only pity Holdsworth left the band few months after the release of Bundles,leaving the band in transition faze once again.
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

Scavenger Eclectic Fusion
RICHARD X BENNETT
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Places We're Taken 21st Century Modern
COLIN TRUSEDELL
Buy this album from MMA partners
Vienna Solo Jazz Related Improv/Composition
SIMON ROSE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Keri Johnsrud / Shawn Maxwell : C8H10N4O2 Vocal Jazz
KERI JOHNSRUD
Buy this album from MMA partners
Fumio Itabashi / Henrik Schwarz / Kuniyuki : Watarase Jazz Related Electronica/Hip-Hop
FUMIO ITABASHI 板橋文夫
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Doomscrolling
KERI JOHNSRUD
js· 15 hours ago
Can You Get to That - Sierra Green & the Giants (Official Music Video 2024)
SIERRA GREEN AND THE SOUL MACHINE
js· 1 day ago
Bosque Sound Community "San Francisco Waltz" A.MA Records A.MA Edizioni
BOSQUE / BOSQUE SOUND COMMUNITY
snobb· 2 days ago
DRUG
EMMA WILSON
js· 2 days ago
No More X
SIMÓN WILLSON
js· 3 days 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