Soft Machine’s seventh features soporific melodies and weird saxophone sounds.

Kronomyth 7.0: There’s softie in numbers.

This was the first Soft Machine album I bought and nearly the last. Not that it isn’t soothing in a sleepy sort of way, but it wasn’t at all the madcap sonic adventure I was expecting. With time, of course, I understood that the original quest changed after the departures of Kevin Ayers and Robert Wyatt, with Mike Ratledge leading the band into jazzier terrain much as Gong did under the stewardship of Pierre Moerlen. From the perspective of Six, little had changed—or needed to, really. The mesmerizing keyboard patterns, mutated saxophone/oboe solos, superlative drumming and steady bass shift every few minutes like an audio kaleidoscope, which is pleasant enough. It’s generally a calmer and more peaceful record than most jazz fusion albums from the period, and there’s little difference between the songs written by Ratledge and Karl Jenkins, giving Seven a consistent feel from beginning to end. Is it the first Soft Machine album you need to own? In my experience, obviously not (they did number these for a reason). If you’re going to buy seven Soft Machine albums, however, here you are. Highlights (to my ears) include Tarabos, Down the Road and the combination of Snodland and Penny Hitch (the songs tend to merge into one another). Carol Ann is also very pretty. That said, the album doesn’t really have standout sections; it’s conceived as an organic whole that flows from the shared musical sensibilities of its four members. It’s not their best album, but it might be their softest so far.

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Original elpee version

A1. Nettle Bed (Karl Jenkins) (4:47)
A2. Carol Ann (Karl Jenkins) (3:48)
A3. Day’s Eye (Mike Ratledge) (5:05)
A4. Bone Fire (Mike Ratledge) (0:32)
A5. Tarabos (Mike Ratledge) (4:32)
A6. D.I.S. (John Marshall) (3:02)
B1. Snodland (Karl Jenkins) (1:50)
B2. Penny Hitch (Karl Jenkins) (6:40)
B3. Block (Karl Jenkins) (4:17)
B4. Down the Road (Karl Jenkins) (5:48)
B5. The German Lesson (Mike Ratledge) (1:53)
B6. The French Lesson (Karl Jenkins) (1:01)

The Players

Roy Babbington (bass guitar and acoustic bass), Karl Jenkins (oboe, baritone and soprano saxophones, recorder and electric piano), John Marshall (drums and percussion), Mike Ratledge (organ, synthesizer and electric piano). Produced by Soft Machine; executive producer: Sean Murphy; engineered by Gary Martin; tape operators: Chris Michie, Steve Taylor.

The Pictures

Design/art direction by Roslav Szaybo. Photography by Tim Fulford-Brown.

The Plastic

Released on elpee in October 1973 in the UK (CBS, S 65799) with gatefold cover. Also released on elpee in 1974 in the US (Columbia, KC 37216) with different cover. (First appeared in 11/3/73 issue of New Musical Express.)

Re-released on elpee in the US (Columbia, PC 37216).
Re-issued on compact disc in 1995 in the US (One Way, A 26256).
Re-issued on compact disc in Japan (Epic, ESCA-5419).
Re-packaged with Six on 2-for-1 2CD on March 22, 2004 in the UK (Edsel, MEDCD-740).
Re-issued on compact disc on October 6, 2004 in Japan (Columbia, MHCP 427)
Re-packaged with Third, Fourth, Fifth and Six on 5CD set in 2010 in the EU (Sony, 81442).