SOFT MACHINE — Bundles (review)

Album · 1975 · Fusion

4.5/5 · 2024-10-11
FunkFreak75

After two years off, Mike Ratledge, the only remaining member of the original Softs, pulls his previous lineup of former-NUCLEUS members together for one more time but this time recruiting one more recent NUCLEUS member into the fold: guitar phenom ALLAN HOLDSWORTH. What an injection of life and power he is! What results is one fine collection of jazz-rock fusion songs--one that is unfortunately often overlooked due to the band's previous history and, to many, disappointing evolution. (I think a lot of people had long given up on buying their new releases--myself included--which is sad as this is an absolutely stellar album.)

- "Hazard Profile" (5 part suite) (41.5/45): 1. Part 1 (9:18) introducing: ALLAN HOLDSWORTH, NUCLEUS, and Mike Ratledge! a song that not only cruises but grooves--and is relentless in both aspects! And the band is so tight! Holdsworth, of course, is impressive (though in a surprising Jan-Akkerman-kind of way), but Babbington and Marshall are almost equally so. Ratledge's "glue" that is is Lowrey organ really helps to hold it all together while at the same time directing the soloists with his oft-unexpected chords. Very interesting! And Holdsworth's similarity to the FOCUS guitarist's sound and style are really rather striking. In the seventh minute we get to hear a little Eef Albers-like style but it really isn't until the eighth minute that we get to start hearing any of the "destablized" notes that he becomes so well known for in the UK era and beyond. (19.5/20) 2. Part 2 (2:21) soft, delicate interlude of Karl Jenkins' piano and, later, Allan on acoustic guitar. Nothing really very interesting here much less innovative. (4/5) 3. Part 3 (1:05) a Jan Akkerman-like dramatic interlude over Ratledge's Lowrey, carrying forward the exact same chord progression and melody line of "Part 2" (4.5/5) 4. Part 4 (0:46) another transitory interlude in which the band takes have heavy, low-end-dominant approach to expressing the previous chords. (4.375/5) 5. Part 5 (5:29) with its repetitive base it sounds like something from a previous era of jazz-rock fusion--something from the earlier Tony Williams Lifetime, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, or even Mahavishnu Orchestra transition period from jazz to rock using standard two-chord blue-rock foundations to jam over. Karl Jenkins' heavily treated horns, Mike's AKS synthesizer, and Allan's soar and fly over the solid rhythm section of Marshall and Babbington (and Holdsworth). (8.875/10) - 6. "Gone Sailing" (0:59) opens with what sounds like an acoustic steel-string guitar (or Celtic harp), but then it turns into a more-advanced Steve Hackett-like guitar. Breathtaking! (5/5) (27/30)

7. "Bundles" (3:14) sounding very Return To Forever-ish, this one launches with some very complex and intricate whole-band play, but then shifts into jam-formation using a two-bar riff from Babbington's bass repeated ad infinitum to support the soloing of Holdsworth and Jenkins. (9/10)

8. "Land Of The Bag Snake" (3:35) carrying seamlessly forward from the previous song as if it was just another stylistic shift into another motif that slowed down the previous one, Holdsworth continues soaring and racing around though with a muted effect on his horn-like guitar sound. Ratledge's Fender Rhodes work beneath is awesome. Marshall's ride cymbal is a little loud and Babbington's bass mixed a little fun, but this is a pretty good groove. (9.25/10)

9. "The Man Who Waved At Trains" (1:50) again, no separation from the previous song--as if the band just slides into this totally new, completely softer Weather Report/Chick Corea-like motif. Jenkins gets a turn to solo with his soprano sax, at times being shadow/mirrored by Holdsworth. (4.5/5)

10. "Peff" (1:57) yet another slide--this time into fourth gear, yet while still holding on to the softer, gentler sound palette of the previous motif--a motif that reminds me of GINO VANNELLI's wonderful "Storm at Sunup" suite (form the album of the same name that won't come out for another six months). What starts out so great, however, eventually becomes stale and boring. (4.5/5)

11. "Four Gongs Two Drums" (4:09) a Carl Palmer-like drum and percussion exhibition. (8.75/10)

12. "The Floating World" (7:12) gentle Fender Rhodes doubled with Lowry organ provide a gently floating foundation for the first 55-seconds before Karl's oboe and guest Ray Warleigh's flute present an equally etheric melody line in harmonized tandem. Another Fender Rhodes comes forward at the three-minute mark as the keyboard weave seems to take on a thicker, more intentionally-disorienting polyrhythmic pattern while Babbington's steady bass stays just below the surface--as if anchoring the floating world above. Oboe and flute pick up the melody-giving again at the 4:15 mark. Very Alice in Wonderland-like--and very aptly titled. Great piece. (14.5/15)

Total Time: 41:55

Many people refer to this album as the Allan Holdsworth breakout album as he would go on to work with many of the jazz fusion superstars in the next couple of years. I believe that this "breaktrhough" is made possible by the amazing cohesion of the Nucleus support crew--Babbington, Marshall, and Jenkins. As a matter of fact, this album, in my opinion, should have a different band name cuz they're not really the Soft Machine (history says that with Bundles Ratledge had given the reins over to Karl Jenkins). They're more Nucleus but not Nucleus: they're really the Allan Holdsworth Debut Project.

A/four stars; an excellent masterpiece of evolving and eclectic jazz-rock fusion: on the level of Newcleus, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea/Return To Forever, Tony Williams Lifetime, Jean-Luc Ponty, and Brand X, but NOT a Canterbury style album. Definitely in my Top 20 Favorite Jazz-Rock Fusion Albums of prog's "Classic Era."