SEVEN

(seventh in a serie of eleven) By this time Ratledge is the only remaining member and the rest are Nucleus Alumni. Every album is different and one understands how the Bitches Brew type of Jazz-rock evolved into this Weather Report fusion of the mid 70's by listening and analysing everyone of these S M records (from third until Bundles or Softs). By this time Hopper had left to be replaced by Nucleus alumni Babbington. Elton dean also had disappeared leaving Jenkins alone at wind instruments. The music is the logical continuity of 6 and we are again "blessed" by yet another drum solo from John Marshall. This will however be the last album for Columbia records .

Will then come a relatively long gap , a new record deal on Harvest and a new (and welcome) musical change.For a lot Soft Machine purist and many progheads the succession of numbered albums are less important than their psych debut or their fusion later career but I can onl;y tell you that everyone of these mid-life albums are very much worth a listen.