Legacy Live In Zaandam

A limited run of the engine, the highlights of unlimited imagination. Getting in and out of sight, the way SOFT MACHINE roll on seems unstoppable, not least because the band's many line-ups allow former members come together in any combination and still sound canonical. Or not so canonical, as the band that visited Zaandam on May 10th, 2005 lean more towards highly charged jazz fusion rather than progressive experimentation - judging by this limited edition concert recording which is only a part of what was played on that night. It starts elegiac, with John Etheridge and Elton Dean popping interplay of guitar and sax on "Ash", gains momentum when Hugh Hopper's bass and John Marshall's drums hit the bottom and clicks into Coltrane-esque groove on a new Hopper's tune, "1212". Yet the groove and the momentum are emotional, while the rhythmic extravaganza is mostly withdrawn from here. Still, exotic ebbing and quirky patterns are retained in classic "Kings And Queens" and let loose on "Big Cheese" where the instrument jolt as if to get back to the time the legacy of which this MACHINE fully live up to. (LET IT ROCK, Isarel by Dmitri Epstein) MoonJune Records exec Leonardo Pavokovic is not one to give up on his dream of the ultimate Soft Machine line-up. His endeavors to date have culminated in the Softworks CD and tours between 2002-2004 but this was met with mixed success despite the creditable line-up that included Allan Holdsworth on guitar. 2005 brought the opportunity to include John Etheridge (replacing Holdsworth) for a newer more vital incarnation with distinct links back to Soft Machine Five. Three tracks in this limited edition CD are live recordings of previous material while three others are new tracks worked up specifically for the European tour. Etheridge?s song ?Ash? opens the disc with his distinctive tone that now resembles a careful blend of John Scofield and Mike Stern circa their stint with the 80s Mile Davis band. His nimble fingers sprint across the fret board showing adept restraint as Elton Dean doubles the lead line on saxello. Dean?s own piece, ?Baker?s Street? is the only live songs from the Softworks sessions and it succeeds here as a pensive ballad. Bass monster, Hugh Hopper reprises his classic piece from Soft Machine Fourth, ?Kings & Queens? which begins with his familiar phrasing and Dean?s expressive alto sax melody retaining a timeless tranquil quality. ?1212? is a new Hopper song where the ensemble really shows what it can do with this line-up. Hopper introduces a tentative theme that both Dean and Etheridge slowly embrace in unison before the guitarist gets down to adding realtime fills and riffs behind Dean?s enthused improvising. Finesse drummer John Marshall?s gets to doing a bit of off the cuff jamming with the guitarist on ?Two Down? much like their previous energized endeavors together on Softs (1976). Etheridge?s new piece, ?Big Creese? closes out the disc with the band rocking it up a bit in an unexpected but wholly commendable direction. EXPOSE MAGAZINE, USA by Jeff Melton