Soft Machine - Bundles
Product Information
Track List: Bundles
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Album Details: Bundles
- Release Date:
- 01/01/1974
- Label:
- See For Miles
- UPC:
- 5014661028339
User Reviews: Bundles
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Bundles original vinyl LP
, September 2, 2006Reviewer: norse_light_master33 - See all norse_light_master33's reviews
read all (1) user reviews for Bundles
Pro Reviews: Bundles
| EXPERT RATING: From AMG Reviews In the extensive discography of the Soft Machine, albums from the band's mid- to late-'70s jazz-rock fusion period are generally afforded the least respect. Fans all have their favorite LPs representing a particular "classic" lineup -- as well as opinions about other albums signifying that the Soft Machine's best days were behind them. Some feel it was all over when Robert Wyatt left after Fourth (or stopped singing after Third), and it's probably even possible to find somebody somewhere who lost interest when Hugh Hopper replaced Kevin Ayers after Volume One. However, nearly everyone agrees that the band's heyday was over by the time the three late-period Soft Machine albums on Harvest were released. And yet, these albums have much to recommend them. The first, Bundles, had the feeling of a new beginning for the Soft Machine, for reasons including the label switch from Columbia to Harvest and even the LP's name -- not merely a number like Six or Seven this time around. But the biggest change came from the addition of hotshot guitarist Allan Holdsworth to the lineup, the first time in the band's history that an electric guitarist would be given such a prominent soloing role. Holdsworth had been in ensembles led by Ian Carr and Jon Hiseman, but Bundles introduced him to his largest audience thus far, and he wasted no time in making an impression. Playing single-note runs on "Hazard Profile, Pt. 1" so insanely fast that even air guitarists might have trouble keeping up, Holdsworth seemed to be a viable Brit entry into the fusion guitarist sweepstakes dominated by the likes of John McLaughlin and Al DiMeola. Holdsworth provided the band exactly the jolt it required; compare Bundles to Seven, the comparatively lackluster final Columbia LP, which had the same lineup as Bundles minus the guitarist. Karl Jenkins was often a rather mild and unassertive reed player, leaving it to the ever reliable Mike Ratledge's keyboards to take up the slack. But by the time of Bundles, Ratledge himself was beginning to retreat; he had apparently decided to mothball his old fuzz organ once and for all, favoring full-chord fills when comping and analog synth (which hasn't dated particularly well) for his solo on "Hazard Profile, Pt. 5." Given Ratledge's diminishing role, the decision to add Holdsworth to the band came none too soon. Aside from the guitarist, the Soft Machine's most incendiary player on Bundles turned out to be drummer John Marshall, powerful on the straightaway and atmospheric while taking center stage on "Four Gongs Two Drums." As for the material itself, principal composer Jenkins -- who had been gradually taking over the conceptual reins since his first appearance on Six -- had an ability to write sleek and streamlined fusion-based music that still managed to recall the band's past, particularly in his penchant for odd rhythmic permutations ("Bundles") and ethereal, minimalist-influenced keyboard ostinatos ("The Floating World") that harked back to Ratledge's tape experimentation on Third. Bundles might not have been classic Soft Machine in most people's books, but the band's new guitarist, new label, and new outlook seemed to signal a fresh start. As it turned out, Holdsworth would leave before the Soft Machine's next LP. And, more significantly for any band claiming the Soft Machine name, so would Ratledge, the group's sole remaining original member. And yet the band's story was not over, and there was still some good music to follow. (Several of the strongest tracks from Bundles can also be heard on The Best of Soft Machine: The Harvest Years, which also includes selections from Softs and Alive and Well: Recorded in Paris.) - Dave Lynch, All Music Guide |
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Soft Machine Biography
The Soft Machine was never a commercial enterprise and indeed still remains unknown even to many listeners that came of age during the late '60s, when the group was at their peak. In their own way, however, they were one of the more influential bands...Full Soft Machine Biography
-- ©2008 All Media Guide, LLC
Pros: EnErgy that won't stop, a buzz to be had.
Cons: NONE even after 15 years of listening.
I in my own opinion up to the point of not hearing about Soft Machine and then hearing it was floored. I thought Allan Holdsworth seemed like a god even though I was into drums. I didn't know Allan was in that band. I just thought he did gratuitus solo albums in roughly the same genre though more modern. I was suprised to hear Allan playing acoustic guitar on this. I had never heard him do that and was suprised that he was indeed a good guitarist all over. Say what you will about him now, but back then at that age he was untouchable by anyone, even Phil Keaggy. David Torn is another Guitar god too, voted the worlds best Effects guitar player and should be checked out by anyone listening to "out there" stuff. Davids best work to date imho is probably Polytown. Terry Bozzio
and Mick Karn are doing improv that sounds like evil middle eastern meets India rasha. Anywhoo, drumming on Bundles is OK and what makes me say that is the lack of tuning he did to his drums. Sounds flat, but then again, when Bundles AS A WHOLE is listened to, musically, I have a hard time finding anything to this day that is as cohesive in continuity than Bundles and always will have a special place in my heart for this LP. That truely was another time that bands like Aerosmith and the Stones and Kiss pretty much ruled.
Another fairly unknown band is Mahavishnu Orchestra from that era with yet another good guitar player that wrote music and did improv with actually very famous musicians like Miles even though only in spirit by the time of Vishnu, Carlos Santana
when he was just starting out, Billy Cobham argueably the most influential drummer alive who brought double bass drumming into a more creative spotlight by doing snaredrum rudiments with his feet while his hands were doing combinations over the top of it. Nobody else was doing that then and for a long time after too. I could go on and on about this seemingly secret genre only really being discovered now some forty years later by the same cats listening to top forty back then now looking for the real deal. Zappa comes to mind really and I don't evoke the Z-man's name lightly.
Zappa wasn't on par with Holdsworth's guitar ever, but the other musicians were playing arrangements that Zappa may have liked or loved depending on if he listened to Softmachine. I compare Zappa to Stravinsky actually, and if you want to hear what Zappa did befor he died, listen to Yellow Shark. It will f you up. Bundles is a blast and flying fingers on both saxaphone and guitar abound, truely my favorite recording that I would take to that island if I could only take one.
Later G. ...