Soft Machine/FL,USA 2019

SOFT MACHINE is a legendary band that left a huge footprint in the history of progressive rock. Their latest and best live album, which was their last performance in Japan last year, is now available. This work includes the “February 6, 2019 CRUISE TO THE EDGE” performance. This is a superb audience recording that records a shipboard event that is considered a famous place for new masterpiece recordings. This tour is titled “50TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR,” and it was announced that Roy Babbington and John Marshall will be retiring at the end of the tour. It is actually the last tour. And now, that final step is heading toward its final stage. First, let’s look back at their 2018/2019 and check their show position. ●2018・July 7th + 8th: North America #1 (2 performances)・July 28th-31st: Japan (6 performances)《“HIDDEN DETAILS” released on August 15th》・September 6th- 19th: Europe #1 (10 performances) October 6th-23rd: North America #2 (14 performances) November 3rd-December 16th: Europe #2 (11 performances) ●January 2019 23rd – February 6th: North America #3 (12 performances) ←★Coco★・March 8th + 22nd: UK (2 performances) This is the schedule announced so far. “CRUISE TO THE EDGE” is the last show of “North America #3”. SOFT MACHINE has held two stages: “February 5th (outdoor deck)” and “February 6th (indoor hall)”, and this work is the latter. Initially, it was announced that the tour would end in February 2019, but now two UK performances have been added in March. It is likely that those two performances will be the last. This work, which records the show that entered such a countdown, is a truly exquisite audience recording. Speaking of “CRUISE TO THE EDGE”, it is known that the best recordings are produced every year, and this year too, PFM’s masterpiece is in the midst of great popularity, and the YES edition will be released at the same time this week. This work is not only the SOFT MACHINE edition, but also a sister work to these masterpieces. In fact, both are collections released by the same recording artist “Lostbrook”. This person also participated in “CRUISE TO THE EDGE” last year, and is a taper that attracted attention for his masterpiece recording of CARL PALMER’S ELP LEGACY. It is a professional recording that is familiar with shipboard events. In fact, the sound of this work is neat and deep. Perhaps because of the ship’s hall, there is no sense of distance, and the direct feeling of being in close contact is exquisite. The core arrives without any time lag, and the delicate details fly into your ears with clarity. Even so, there is an elegance to the sound. Even if I listen closely with headphones, I can’t hear the sound of the hall, but I’m sure there’s some sort of subconscious sound that makes it so loud and beautiful. Even though it is like a sound board, it has a beautiful glossy feel that is different from the PA sound exposed. The show drawn with that sound is similar to that wonderful Japanese performance. In Japan, the master Gary Husband, who participated as a guest, did not accompany the band, and the ensemble was made up of four members. The set is also slightly different. At our store, we are also introducing the masterpiece “OSAKA 2018″ on the last day in Japan, which had two performances in one day and 38 songs, with the set changing greatly between day and night. This work seems to be somewhere in between those two performances. While playing the title song of their final album “HIDDEN DETAILS” and “Fourteen Hour Dream,” they also play a lot of repertoire from the 70s. “Out-Bloody-Rageous” from “THIRD”, “Chloe And The Pirates” and “Gesolreut” from “SIX”, “Tales Of Taliesin” and “Song Of Aeolus” from “SOFTS”… In particular, “Gesolreut” is a number that could not be heard even in the aforementioned “OSAKA 2018”. The highlight was a huge maidley featuring John Marshall’s drum solo. It opens with “The Relegation Of Pluto” and progresses to “Tarabos” and “Sideburn” with solos. This drum solo is amazing. Not only is there a variety of moves and phrases, but each stroke is very heavy. His power is such that it is hard to believe that he is 77 years old, and it is hard to believe that he is on the verge of retirement. And then there’s the thrill of the moment when the highlight of the medley, “Hazard Profile Part 1,” comes crashing down. You can thoroughly enjoy all the subtleties with the finest sound. The February tour ends with this show, and only two performances in their home country remain. Only God knows whether those two performances will remain as the best recordings, but for the time being this work has definitely remained. A superb live album that vividly conveys how it shines until the very end. Live at Pacifica Theater, Royal Caribbean Brilliance Of The Seas, En Route from Tampa, Florida to Key West, Florida, USA 6th February 2019 TRULY PERFECT SOUND (66:23) 1. Intro (Michael Sadler) 2. Hidden Details 3. Chloe And The Pirates 4. Out-Bloody-Rageous 5. Band Introduction 6. Tales Of Taliesin 7. Song Of Aeolus 8. Gesolreut 9. Fourteen Hour Dream 10. Medley : The Relegation Of Pluto / Tarabos / Sideburn / Hazard Profile Part 1 John Etheridge – guitar Roy Babbington – bass John Marshall – drums, percussion Theo Travis – saxophone, flute, piano