New Release of unheard BBC sessions............
BBC Radio 1971-1974 2-CD (HUX047) Release date 29 September 2003
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Following the successful release earlier this year of HUX037, this second volume now completes the set of Soft Machine's BBC sessions.
Recorded between 1971 & 1974, this double CD includes 3 Peel sessions, plus one session recorded for BBC Radio 3's Jazz In Britain' programme. With the exception of the first two tracks here, none of these recordings have ever been released before.
This compilation provides striking evidence of the pace at which the band was changing during this period. It plots a drastic change in the sound of the band, from their free jazz leanings of 1971 to the jazz rock fusion of '74.
This album has been compiled with the full help of the band, who have been fully involved at every stage of development. The 12 page full colour booklet includes rare photographs from the band's own archive, plus a brief note from Soft Machine's John Marshall.
Track listing:
Disc 1
1) As If (7:45)
2) Drop (6:56)
3) Welcome To Frillsville (10:33)
Peel Session 15.11.71.
(line up: Elton Dean, Hugh Hopper, Phil Howard, Mike Ratledge)
4) Fanfare/All White/MC/Drop (11:13)
Peel Session 11.04.72
(line-up: Hugh Hopper, Karl Jenkins, John Marshall, Mike Ratledge)
5) Stanley Stamp's Gibbon Album (3:33)
6) Hazard Profile Part 1 (4:56)
Peel Session 30.10.73
(line-up: Roy Babbington, Karl Jenkins, John Marshall, Mike Ratledge)
Disc 2
5) Sinepost (4:47)
6) Down The Road (7:34)
Peel Session 30.10.73
(line-up: Roy Babbington, Karl Jenkins, John Marshall, Mike Ratledge)
9) North Point (3:00)
10) The Man Who Waved At Trains (5:41)
11) Hazard Profile parts 1, 2, 3 & 4 (46:57)
'Jazz In Britain', BBC Radio 3 10.06.74
(line-up: , Roy Babbington, Allan Holdsworth, Karl Jenkins, John Marshall, Mike Ratledge)
Used with permission from the HUX pre release information sheet.
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HUX have been extremely kind, yet again!!, and sent me pre release copy of this exciting new release. (thankyou, thankyou, thankyou.....)
This is another gem from Hux. Tracks one and two from disc one were originally released on the Peel Sessions (released on Strange Fruit SFR CD201) which is long deleted. The rest has never been available except on various bootlegs and they have been of very poor quality. This however has been superbly mastered and its nice to hear a little more of Phil Howard's drumming. There some tracks on here that didnt feature on studio albums. 'Welcome to Frillsville' is a collective improvisation, Sinepost is a nice little bass solo from Babbington (although I can't help thinking of the start of NIB by Black Sabbath here !!!) and North Point is a drum solo from Marshall with VCS3 synthesizer intertwined. Also featured here is a version of Hazard Profile part 1 before Holdsworth joined. Holdsworths playing is incendiary, just check out 'The Man Who Waved at Trains'.
There are still gaps in the sessions that Soft Machine recorded but these may have been lost or taped over as so many things were (partly due to the expense of tape at the time). Hux however have gone a long way to making most of Soft Machines output for the BBC available and this and its companion CD, BBC Radio 1976-1971, are essential any any Soft Machine collection.
© connect to soft machine 2003
*The pictures on this page were used with kind permission of HUX.*
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