Soft Machine
Seven

In 1973, the revolutions within Soft Machine were largely consolidated. The only remaining founding member, Mike Ratledge, although maintaining a significant compositional share, was now submitted to the overpowering control of Karl Jenkins, who, as a highly talented multi-instrumentalist, overwhelmingly dominated the ways and timing of harmonic development and the choices of the band. With the new musical directions, Jenkins brought a solid, mature band with their feet firmly planted on the ground into the studio. Besides the two mentioned, the band included a flamboyant rhythm section with John Marshall on drums and Roy Babbington on bass, perfect for a certain somewhat stylistic jazz rock, leaving aside experimentation and free form of any kind. Thus, this lineup was 3/4 comprised of former Nucleus members, a fact in itself fundamental and representative of the great camaraderie among the members.

What emerged was, in some ways, incredible. True, Soft Machine had always accustomed us to continuous evolution, often driven by decisive and sudden changes, also due to the lineup's constant mutations, but for "Seven," the scenario was different. The essential nature of this work is its ability to place itself in its future, well beyond its release year, thanks to exceptional insights, primarily from Jenkins. The writing of the tracks took on a different form, only minimally tried in moments of the previous "Fifth" and "Six" and by other great authors in brief career moments such as Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin, and Joe Zawinul. The idea was to create a deadly, hypnotic riff, perfect in its repetition, and build upon it melodies sometimes barely palpable, at other times richer, but always emotional and evocative. The approach worked well and reached its peak with the suite "Hazard Profile" from the subsequent "Bundles," thanks also, of course, to the arrival of the phenomenal Allan Holdsworth in the ranks. But the new wasn't all that: the album hints at embryos of world music, new age, and ambient, because being seminal for Soft Machine was their destiny, it was the task history assigned them.

Wanting to respect the division of the vinyl and therefore what was the basic concept of the work, we find a first part fairly equally divided between tracks composed by Retledge or by Jenkins. The latter starts with the more catchy "Nettle Bed" and the splendid and ethereal jazz ballad "Carol Ann" in which, for the first time in the band's history, the AKS nonophonic synth is experimented with for the main theme. More inclined towards classic jazz rock of the Soft Machine brand is the subsequent section by Ratledge with the solo marvels found in "Day’s Eye" and its complex 9/8 theme and "Tarabos". The composition of the second part, however, leans decidedly towards Jenkins (five tracks out of six), among these stands out the dynamic crescendo of "Penny Hitch", dominated by a long oboe solo, magical, captivating, with an almost oriental feel, some sequences of notes contain such a point of lyricism as to be moving. The jazz rock themes in "Block" are compelling and powerful, with a wild Babbington on (I believe the first in history) six-string bass delivering a remarkable 5/4 and a solo of Ratledge's synth in full Canterbury mayhem. Towards the end, leaving the groove of "Down the road" transitions to more innovative themes, with tunes somehow reminiscent of new age and ambient ante litteram, the electronics take hold and Jenkins, whom I also want to remember here for the well-known earworm "Adiemus" https://youtu.be/UX__4aHwYzM, lays down decisive experimental footprints that, albeit partly derived from Riley's concepts, will be followed in the years to come by dozens of authors.

In conclusion, I believe that "Seven" is an underrated work and that its significance reaches far beyond merely being a transitional album, as many, mistakenly, consider it. In the band's admirable evolution, it is a fundamental piece and, as I explained, it is also at a broader level. Therefore, let's not stop at a superficial listen.

sioulette

p.a.p.