Soft Machine/Italy 1976

On August 8, 1976, a performance in Toronto, Italy was recorded with a high-quality audience recording. You can enjoy the full 80 minutes with the outstanding sound quality that is hard to believe for a recording from that time. The flat and unstable pitch has been corrected just right. In January of this year, recording of the ninth album “Softs” began with Karl Jenkins, Roy Babington, John Marshall, John Etheridge, and Alan Wakeman (Mike Rutledge, the only original member credited on the album, is treated as a guest, so there are no original members), and it was released on June 25th. Wakeman left the band immediately after the album was released, and David Essex joined the band instead. In addition, Ray Worley, who also participated in “Bundles”, joined the tour from July onwards, so it can be said that it was a time of rapid member change. This recording is a live performance with Ray Worley, and since this lineup has not yet released any official works, this item can be said to be a package of an extremely valuable lineup. (This lineup toured Italy for about a month, with 23 performances, starting in Pistoia on July 14th and ending in Edinburgh on August 31st.) At the end of August, Babington and Worley left the band, and violinists Rick Sanders and Percy Jones joined, and Steve Cook joined in place of Percy, forming the lineup for “Alive & Well: Recorded in Paris”. Ray Worley, who joined in July, shows off a wonderful interplay throughout the entire album, but Etheridge, who suddenly explodes from the opening Land Of The Bag Snake, plays an amazing performance, and the high-speed and precise phrases are completely different from the rough scales that are common in fast-playing types, and are truly astounding. While the songs are the best, the highlight is the arrangement that omits part 2 of Hazard Profile, which would be used frequently from this time onwards. This is a superb item that allows you to fully enjoy the superb ensemble with the ideal sound quality, with the rarest credits in Soft Machine history. This is a must-have for Holdsworth fans. Live at San Benedetto, Tronto, Italy 8th August 1976 TRULY AMAZING SOUND 1. Floating World/Bundles/Land Of The Bag Snake 2. Out Of Season /Ban Ban Caliban 3. Aubade/Tale Of Taliesin 4. Drum Solo 5. Hazard Profile Pt. 1 6. Hazard Profile Pt. 3-5 7. Song Of Aeolus/Bass Solo/Jam John Etheridge – Guitars Karl Jenkins – Keyboards Roy Babbington – Bass John Marshall – Drums Ray Warleigh – Saxophone, Flute