Fourth

by Soft Machine

Overview

Soft Machine's collective skill is hyper-complex and refined, as they are extremely literate in all fields of musical study. Fourth is the band's free purging of all of that knowledge, woven into noisy, smoky structures of sound. Their arcane rhythms have a stop-and-go mentality of their own that sounds incredibly fresh even though it is sonically steeped in soft and warm tones. Obviously there is a lot of skillful playing going on, as the mix of free jazz, straight-ahead jazz, and Gong-like psychedelia coalesces into a skronky plateau. Robert Wyatt's drumming is impeccable -- so perfect that it at times becomes an unnoticeable map upon which the bandmembers take their instinctive direction. Mike Ratledge's keys are warm throughout, maintaining an earthy quality that keeps its eye on the space between the ground and the heavens that Soft Machine attempt to inhabit. Elton Dean's saxophone work screams out the most inventive cadence, and since it's hardly rhythmic, it takes front and center, spitting out a crazy language. Certainly the band is the preface to a good portion of Chicago's post-rock output, as the Softs undoubtedly give a nod to Miles Davis' Bitches Brew experiments, which were going on in the U.S. at the same time. ~ Ken Taylor

Product Details

Release Date:	01/27/2017
Label:	Talking Elephant
UPC:	5028479035823
Rank:	74988

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Soft Machine   Primary Artist
Elton Dean   Saxello,Saxophone,Sax (Alto)
Roy Babbington   Bass,Double Bass
Nick Evans   Trombone
Marc Charig   Horn,Cornet
Lyn Dobson   Horn
Hugh Hopper   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Robert Wyatt   Drums
Jimmy Hastings   Wind,Flute,Flute (Alto),Clarinet (Bass)
Mike Ratledge   Organ,Piano,Keyboards
Alan Skidmore   Saxophone,Sax (Tenor)

Technical Credits

Soft Machine   Producer
Barry Plummer   Photography
Campbell MacCallum   Cover Photo
Alison Calvert   Project Coordinator
Charlie Stanford   Project Coordinator
Campbell MacCollum   Photography
John Hays   Art Direction
Hugh Hopper   Composer
Sean Murphy   Executive Producer
Mike Ratledge   Composer
Paschal Byrne   Remastering
Phil Smee   Package Design
George Chkiantz   Engineer
Elton Dean   Composer