Soft Machine
Third

Here, after a long time, I found this beautiful album with an orange cover. In 1970, one of the most important entities in the entire "Canterbury scene" (that branch of progressive groups even more involved in experimentation), namely Soft Machine, released this colossal work that would become a must for psychedelic rock with jazz-fusion influences. The album is permeated by the sound of the organ played by Mike Ratledge, sometimes distorted and futuristic, sometimes solemn and intimate, and in the track "Moon in June," we notice the vocal mastery and innovative technique of the singer and drummer Robert Wyatt, as well as the excellent horn arrangements that are very reminiscent of the sound of classic jazz musicians.

 The first track "Facelift," recorded live, immediately begins with a long noisy and psychedelic session, with an organ that has a very liquid sound, and note well how everything is structured to give a "dizzying" effect. Already from 05:30, the track begins to take shape with horn arrangements supported by a layer of organ; it immediately becomes clear how much free jazz is in the mix and how the many changes in tone help with the atmospheric shifts. At 07:30, a sonic "orgy" of screeching horns begins, and particularly the saxophones make wise use of sub-harmonics, leveraging the lessons of Coltrane. After a very powerful and claustrophobic section, a relaxing yet intriguing layer of keyboards enters, supported by a flute, only to return to the hellish cauldron of sounds that characterizes the entire track (one wonders what listeners of the time thought when they heard this first track).

 "Slightly all the time" begins with a rhythmic bass line with harmonics, followed by a drum that performs an excellent shuffle. Shortly after, another impeccable horn arrangement enters, with the usual dominance of the sax, which has a very thin but very engaging sound; the track is filled with accelerations, decelerations, and meticulously crafted climaxes, with numerous variations on the main theme. At the twelfth minute, the organ emerges from the long group improvisation, performing a harmonic sequence with a broad sound and imposing itself with great spatiality; the drums behind the sound wall perform slow yet intricate fingerings, and another sax solo liberates the listener from the raging fury of the past minutes. A quick tempo change supported by the bass executing an interesting walking line makes the track's atmosphere very lively. The track closes with an atonal organ riff.

In these two tracks and the subsequent ones, it will be noted how the group completely avoids tonal resting and "harmonic" normalcy, never tiring the listener with numerous improvisations. The sound is entirely new, and sonic exploration is more intense than ever; this album manages to enclose the listener in an alternative world where it is easy to delve into the stylistic-musical differences of this work thanks to a great evocative power.

"Moon in June" begins with a hallucinatory marching rhythm with Wyatt's voice dominating everything and following the organ in unison. The various organ fragments are in turn enriched with new rhythmic configurations. The unfolding of the rhythms and vocal lines is very bluesy with frequent repetitions of phrases in the text. Around the tenth minute, we enter another long instrumental session full of improvisation and at times delirious. The finale is dictated by some very strange sound effects, and we have very rapid theme changes.

In the fourth and last track "Out-Bloody-Rageous," after the first seconds of silence, a dreamy organ enters, accompanied by an effective delay and other very relaxing sound effects. As in the other tracks, there is plenty of room left for improvisation and the lauded solos of the various instruments.

 The sound of the album is very full-bodied and rich and never gives the idea of a disconnect between sound and listener; on the contrary, it's as if the listener is inside the music. The group’s abstract digressions and the uniquely original sound make this album a fundamental work for the development of the progressive genre. I recommend this album to everyone, especially the 2007 remastered version with a second CD containing another crazy and hallucinatory live performance.