FEATURED CD : Soft Machine - Six

[calyx]

I was also surprised to see Holdsworth credited with a presence in 78 and 80 on the RYM site
https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/soft_machine

Maybe you can enlighten that as well.

From 1976 to about 1981 (I think), John Etheridge was touring with violinist Stéphane Grappelli on a regular basis - I think it was one large tour a year, usually in the Spring. The first time this happened was in 1977 and Soft Machine had gigs booked in Portugal, which Etheridge couldn't do, so they asked Holdsworth if he could return for those two gigs, which he did.

It appears Holdsworth also played the December 1978 gig in Dortmund, although this isn't 100% certain (basically, Steve Cook remembered travelling once with Holdsworth by road to a distant gig, but since they flew to Portugal, this could only have been Dortmund... other than that, I know very little about this gig, not even 100% sure it was Ric Sanders on violin).

Holdsworth rejoined one last time for the "Land Of Cockayne" sessions in June 1980, but it really was a recording session, not playing as a band.

So RYM is basically right.

[Trane]

Thanks Steve

I held my info from an exchange f e-mails the writers/authors of the book Out-Bloody-Rageous,

Edit: Thanks to Aymeric as well

[rottersclub]

Stirring the pot:

Don't forget about Soft Head and Soft Heap.

[JJ88]

So unlike Facelift, I won't call them frauds, since they have some kind of legitimacy.

But why not have done it like Soft Works (Holdsworth, plus Dean, Hopper and Marshall)? Like calling themselves as Soft XYZ, or something of that effect.

Yes, one can quibble about the name, but the same goes for those later line-ups anyway. And it's a decent enough line-up, they presumably bring their own abilities to the table (as they did when they joined) rather than trying to be what someone else sounded like 40 odd years ago. I'm guessing you don't have anyone trying to sound like Robert Wyatt or Mike Ratledge or whoever.

Karl Jenkins of course is very well known as a composer now, he was given quite a bit of coverage here a few weeks ago with his composition for the victims of the Aberfan disaster 50 years ago.

[calyx]

Very nice & extremely well-received (& attended) show by Soft Machine (Legacy) tonight at the Borderline in London. Last time I'd been at this venue was almost exactly 20 years ago to see The Enid, and it wasn't nearly as crowded since I can remember moving around easily around the venue, whereas tonight I was stuck at the bar all night. Nic France again deputising for John Marshall, did a great job - after all he's a British drum legend in his own right, of Nucleus and Steven Wilson ("Grace For Drowning") fame among others. John Etheridge, Roy Babbington and Theo Travis were of course present. A more oldies-oriented gig than usual, with - surprise - no less than three tunes from "Bundles" - the title track (which I'd only ever heard them do at a soundcheck, if memory serves), "Hazard Profile" and "The Man Who Waved At Trains" (sans "Peff"). They also did "Aubade" / "The Tale Of Taliesin" (Theo only played piano on the latter) and the usual crowd pleasers "Facelift", "Gesolreut", "Kings & Queens", "Chloe & The Pirates" and "Song Of Aeolus" - no "The Nodder" this time. They also did a few more recent tunes, all fine music performed with youthful energy and some real bite. Etheridge really smoked throughout, playing incredibly fast runs with an expressive & aggressive sound. I half expected many in the crowd to be surprised & possibly disappointed by the general direction of the music, with some possibly expecting a completely different Soft Machine, but everyone seemed to really enjoy it and many were vociferous in their enthusiasm, which left the band visibly very happy. We were even treated to a second encore. A good night.

[arturs]

^^^ Thanks Aymeric for your description and review. I am jealous of you Europeans for having opportunities like seeing this band in 2016... Awesome setlist! Pretty much every tune I would have expected of them (though the Nodder was one of the highlights of the Live Adventures cd). Boy I wish SM(L) could put together a tour of the USA but I understand the economics.

[spacefreak]

I think the Soft Machine name probably should have been retired when they went to Harvest (and certainly with the Softs album...could have called the band Softs as well!) .

[Zeuhlmate]

Very nice & extremely well-received (& attended) show by Soft Machine (Legacy) tonight at the Borderline in London. Last time I'd been at this venue was almost exactly 20 years ago to see The Enid, and it wasn't nearly as crowded since I can remember moving around easily around the venue, whereas tonight I was stuck at the bar all night. Nic France again deputising for John Marshall, did a great job - after all he's a British drum legend in his own right, of Nucleus and Steven Wilson ("Grace For Drowning") fame among others. John Etheridge, Roy Babbington and Theo Travis were of course present. A more oldies-oriented gig than usual, with - surprise - no less than three tunes from "Bundles" - the title track (which I'd only ever heard them do at a soundcheck, if memory serves), "Hazard Profile" and "The Man Who Waved At Trains" (sans "Peff"). They also did "Aubade" / "The Tale Of Taliesin" (Theo only played piano on the latter) and the usual crowd pleasers "Facelift", "Gesolreut", "Kings & Queens", "Chloe & The Pirates" and "Song Of Aeolus" - no "The Nodder" this time. They also did a few more recent tunes, all fine music performed with youthful energy and some real bite. Etheridge really smoked throughout, playing incredibly fast runs with an expressive & aggressive sound. I half expected many in the crowd to be surprised & possibly disappointed by the general direction of the music, with some possibly expecting a completely different Soft Machine, but everyone seemed to really enjoy it and many were vociferous in their enthusiasm, which left the band visibly very happy. We were even treated to a second encore. A good night.

Thanks for the review !
Great setlist ! I'm glad it was a success - they deserve it !

[Steve F.]

Very nice & extremely well-received (& attended) show by Soft Machine (Legacy) tonight at the Borderline in London.<snip>A good night.

Seconded re: thank you for review and especially for the set list.

Sounds like a great show.

Only sorry to hear that John Marshall is unwell...

[Trane]

this is an amazing set list.

i'll check if they come by in the Benelux

[Conti]

I attended their gig in São Paulo last year and it was very good. I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to see legends like Marshall, Babbington and Etheridge + the great Travis playing the music of Soft Machine, much of it created with their input or participation.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

Stirring the pot:

Don't forget about Soft Head and Soft Heap.

both produced great albums in their own right

[interbellum]

I hope this thread is being read by all fans of SM, not only for the OP "Six", because there's so much information here. Thanks!
As for "Six": I just recently heard it for the first time, when it was re-released on LP by Music On Vinyl. I started with the Machine when I bought "Bundles" (obviously) and later on "Softs". As a more jazz-rock orientated guy I still love those albums more than the stuff they did before, but I can admire a lot of them. And it was nice to hear on "Six" where some of the minimal-stuff from Jenkins on "Bundles" (not a complete jazz-rocker in my ears) came from.

[Bytor]

Well, they were a pretty unusual band. Did anyone else change their sound SO many times and so much over a 10 year period?

The only one I can think of is Frank Zappa maybe???

[Scrotum Scissor]

Did anyone else change their sound SO many times and so much over a 10 year period?

Stormy Six. From the chanting goodtime folk-pop of L'Unita in 1971 through the acoustic protest songs of Guarda Giu in '73, the militant refined folk-rock of Un Biglietto and progressive rock/folk of L'Apprendista in '75/77 respectively, to jarringly angular avant-progressive on 1979's Macchina and finally experimentalist new-wave/"post-RIO" on Al Volo.

Oh, wait - that's eleven years, not ten.


All the same...

[Zeuhlmate]

King Crimson changed quite a bit from Red over Discipline to Vroom (74 - 94)

[jkelman]

Etheridge was only in the band for a period of time when most people thought they shouldn't even be calling themselves Soft Machine to begin with. So that leaves Babbington and Marshall - ancillary members at best.

Ancillary? Hmm. Robert Wyatt played with Soft Machine for 4-5 years and four albums; Marshall played with the group, while it was a recording & touring act, for 5-6 years and six albums (excluding Land of Cockayne, which really wasn't a SM album).

Hugh Hopper played with the group for five years and five albums. Babbimgton? Six years and four albums.

Not, in any way, meant to diminish Hooper & Wyatt, but Babbimgton and Marshall were far from ancillary. At least IMO.

[jkelman]

For anyone interested, you can find my review of Six in a larger article covering Sony UK's reissues of Third through Seven in 2007...

[JeffCarney]

King Crimson changed quite a bit from Red over Discipline to Vroom (74 - 94)

I think the idea was over ten years, not after ten years.