SOFT HEAP

Soft Heap

Canterbury Scene

3.54 | 63 ratings

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BORA

Challenging - to say the least! 3.5

Firstly - and I am sorry to say - all members of this band have left us over the years. Great artists who left their mark on the music scene collectively and individually. RIP.

There is little point for me to repeat what's already stated in the Bio. Suffice to say that comparisons can be drawn between this album and Soft Machine's "Fourth", but there is a major difference.

"Fourth" was released in 1971, a time when every new album was eagerly awaited for, every note keenly absorbed - regardless of how difficult some works may have been. Fast forward to 1978 by which time, there is a glut of accumulated releases. Many of those are more accessible and Soft Heap chose to defy the trend for "popular Prog" and went the other way to. create "difficult" music instead. Music that may have appeal to, a degree of appreciation by a small section of society. I give it to SH that they had the courage to do that.

The end result is an album that's extremely difficult to get into, even for those, like myself, who are very keen on Jazz. Whereas "Fourth" had a definite structure, here we are dealing with something bordering on Free Jazz with a bit of Avant on the edges. The musicianship is great, but the end product fails to sink in as pleasant listening. No, it's rather a challenge, one doesn't really want to encounter on a daily basis. Not even Yours Truly. It also gets to a point when Elton Dean's relentless soprano sax reaches irritation levels and amounts to something akin to punishment.

I don't mean to knock this work, but truth is that I won't be putting it on very often. In it's place, I'd much rather prefer Soft Machine Legacy that also features Dean and Hopper. Less challenging, more fun.

BORA | 3/5 | 2013-5-26

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