SOFT HEAP

Despite the spag bol cover art, Soft Heap wasn't a legendary RPI band but the royal jelly of the late-seventies Canterbury scene. The music they inflict on listeners here is quite a challenge and to be honest I find it hard going in places. There's no denying the importance of this work and the technical virtuosity of the musicians involved but the end result is a baffling musical meshwork that a simpleton like yours truly can't fully untangle.

The music is generally listless, a characteristic that reaches its culmination on the half- somnolent but utterly beautiful ''Petit 3's'', although one or two tracks are interwoven with moments of almost fanatical intensity. A case in point is ''Terra Nova'' where sax and electric piano jockey for position while synthesizer hovers in the background, and this intro is nicely counterpointed by the energetic ululations of Elton Dean's sax in the main body of the piece.

The main problem for me is that there's not enough rock and a bit too much straight ahead jazz on offer, with the album's final pair of tracks being the main offenders in these respects. Overall there are some interesting moments but at its core this is a fairly dull listening experience. It doesn't quite make me want to pull my teeth out so I'll give it a generous 3-stars, but it's probably one to suck and see before you part with your hard-earned cash.