Soft Machine - 2006 - Floating World Live

(73:43; Moonjune Records [2025 Edition] )






















There were a long line of amazing musicians working their way through the ranks of Soft Machine in the Sixties and Seventies, and if Wikipedia is to be believed what we have here is the fifteenth line-up of the band with Allan Holdsworth (electric guitar, violin), Mike Ratledge (Lowrey organ, Fender Rhodes, synthesizers), Karl Jenkins (oboe, soprano saxophone, recorder, electric & acoustic piano), Roy Babbington (electric bass guitar) and John Marshall (drums, percussion). They recorded only one album together, 1975’s ‘Bundles’, and this live album was recorded at Post-Aula in Bremen, Germany, on January 29th, 1975. It was originally released in 2006 but is another which has now been remastered by Mark Wingfield and reissued by Moonjune.

Allan Holdsworth, unfortunately, is one of those “lost” musicians who few these days really appreciate, but to any young guitarist wanting to be a shredder than I urge you to listen to “Land of the Bag Snake” and be blown away by one of the most gifted guitarists the UK has ever seen. It is incredible to realise it is just over three years between this album and the live recording, ‘Drop’, as Mike Ratledge is the only survivor of that line-up and this is sonically a very different band. They were still experimenting and playing with extended solos, but this does feel more related to the earlier albums with less jazz and with the Canterbury sound back. I hadn’t realised just what a delicate touch Holdsworth had on violin, and “The Man Who Waved At Trains” is a wonderful masterpiece with Babbington providing a solid underlying bass melody while everyone else is restrained. I must admit I have never been a fan of drum solos, so could have done without the very clever but rather unnecessary “J.S.M.” but overall this album is an absolute delight and essential to any fan of one of the most important progressive bands of all time. 

Kev Rowland, September 2025

Links:
https://softmachine.org/
https://moonjune.com/

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