SIX

Cool. A jazz Ummagumma, coupling a live album of meandering renditions of older stuff with a studio-album of four tracks stylistically as diverse as can be. Some might see this as the beginning of the end to Soft Machine, as some numbers have very smooth shapes. The elements of improvisation are more discreet than on the albums that went before, and mainly tied op in soloing. Structures are tight and composed - less so on the live part though, as the material stems from the albums made with Elton Dean. On the - at the time - new tracks: The Soft Weed Factor is very Terry Riley-like, which might not be anyones idea of action. Chloe and the Pirates is a more dynamic variation on the same inspiration. Totally unique and stylistically unconnected is Hugh Hoppers dark farewell to the band, 1983 - preceding his 1984 solo album. He obviously was not into the smoother attitude of the new teamsters. Sixth is a milestone in the Soft Machine catalogue, because of the introduction of the late- period sound.