SOFT MACHINE — Six (review)

SOFT MACHINE — Six album cover Live album · 1973 · Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
snobb
Elton Dean's departure soon after the release of band's previous album,Fifth,and his replacement by ex-Nucleus Karl Jenkins opened new era in Soft Machine's music. Six is a double album, second after Third,but it's structure is different: it opens with live recordings (all first LP)and continues with studio recorded compositions on second vinyl LP.

Album's opener Fanfare and next composition All White sound excellent and in few first moments listener can be fooled he's listening Dean's sax solos. But very soon the difference become obvious - instead of Dean's free improvisational playing manner,Jenkins plays groove fusion.He is technically capable musician,so music sounds really good,but the atmosphere of all recording is very different from everything Soft Machine played and recorded before.

All live recording is quite well structured with simple bass line,and all rhythm section mostly on support of soloing sax and electric piano.It could be a good music played by any other band, but with Soft Machine legacy such change looks as step back.

Studio-recorded materials are even more different.Almost fully composed,well structured songs with repetitive sections,some sound effects and experimental elements sound interesting,but are even more far from classic Soft Machine compositions. When you listen sound of melted minimalist contemporary music and jazz fusion with electric piano multi-layers,you understand that Soft Machine is really interesting,but absolutely different band from now.
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

Mikolaj Trzaska, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, Paal Nilssen-Love : The Last Temple vol.3 Avant-Garde Jazz
MIKOŁAJ TRZASKA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Mikolaj Trzaska, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, Paal Nilssen-Love : The Last Temple, Vol.1 Avant-Garde Jazz
MIKOŁAJ TRZASKA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Mikołaj Trzaska / Ingebrigt Håker Flaten / Paal Nilssen-Love : The Last Temple Vol.2 Avant-Garde Jazz
MIKOŁAJ TRZASKA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Sustain Avant-Garde Jazz
AALY TRIO
Buy this album from MMA partners
Sunset Park Post Bop
TOBIAS MEINHART
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

FASCINATING RHYTHM - The Amazing Keystone Big Band feat. Neima Naouri
THE AMAZING KEYSTONE BIG BAND
snobb· 1 day ago
Alicante
RENAUD GARCIA-FONS
js· 1 day ago
She's Forty with Me
WILTON CRAWLEY
js· 1 day ago
Tall Tillie's Too Tight
WILTON CRAWLEY
js· 1 day ago
Rhoda Scott Ladies and Gentlemen - special guest : David Linx
RHODA SCOTT
snobb· 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