Soft Machine/NY, USA 1974

The representative live album from the Allan Holdsworth era is back. SOFT MACHINE from the Holdsworth era, which caused mixed reviews with “BUNDLES”. Officially, the Rosslyn performance on March 19, 1974 was released as “ABERRANT BUNDLES”, and the Bremen performance on January 29, 1975 was released as “FLOATING WORLD LIVE”, but this is a great performance and recording that is equal to, or even better than, them. Nevertheless, it is a gem soundboard album that has not been made official for some reason. The quality is literally official grade. This is a classic that has long been known as “LIVE BUNDLES” and “EARLY BUNDLES 1974.” It is this work “SYRACUSE 1974” that dismissed those previous releases. Considering “EARLY BUNDLES 1974”, which was the driving force behind the early SIRENE label’s rise, I was hoping for the praise of “definitive board” and “official level”, but the sound of this work is so natural that even that doesn’t matter. rich in If it were to be officially released, it would not be a problem, it would definitely be counted as one of the masterpieces, and it is so realistic that it feels like it is being played right in front of your eyes. The “March 13, 1974 Syracuse University Performance” was recorded on such a super quality sound board. This was just before the recording of the controversial work “BUNDLES”, which was extremely popular and made core Canterbury enthusiasts wrinkle their eyebrows. However, the charm of this work exceeds even the official work “BUNDLES”. In fact, even with the previous “EARLY BUNDLES 1974”, core enthusiasts who disliked Holdsworth said, “Why is it so good!?”, “This is the sound of the band!”, “Holdsworth’s playing is not fun!!” It also caused a stir and led to a re-evaluation of this era. Since this work is an upgraded version of that, it is definitely the top sound source of the Holdsworth era. Of course, the main character of this work is the young Holdsworth, whose smooth and fast playing is superb. At that time, he was still a “person known only to those in the know,” but his picking and legato, which delicately use bent, slide, and volume, are very clear and allow him to differentiate between fine nuances. He endlessly performs euphoric improvisations with tight, wide guitar tones, and at times, when you think he’s getting excited, he shows off the ever-changing world he’s in. Of course, the great thing about this work is that it’s not just Holdsworth. Unlike “BUNDLES,” which was plain except for the guitar, the combination of the rhythm section is also brilliant, and the high potential of the entire band is fully demonstrated. In addition to the “Hazard Profile” pentalogy that occupied the A side, the stage where most of the songs from “BUNDLES” was performed was full of the charm of flexible improvisation, and each member’s solo time Plenty too. The personalities of each person collide, and the wildness and delicacy mix together. This is truly the utopia of instrumental music. In particular, Mike Rutledge’s performance on “The Man Who Waved At Trains” can be said to be one of his best works. The Holdsworth era was a unique point in the ever-changing history of SOFT MACHINE. This is a masterpiece live album that conveys its true value that even the official work “BUNDLES” did not understand. Not only for those who like Holdsworth, but also for those who love the encounter between him and SOFT MACHINE, and for those who can’t get rid of the unsatisfactory feeling of “BUNDLES”, this work will bring you the unique “unique” that British rock created more than 40 years ago. Please take your time and enjoy the “Truth of Points”. Live at University Crouse College, Syracuse, NY, USA 13th March 1974 STEREO SBD 1. Hazard Profile pt.1 2. Hazard Profile pt.2 3. Hazard Profile pt.3 4. Hazard Profile pt.4 5. Hazard Profile pt. 5 6. The Floating World 7. The Man Who Waved At Trains pt.1 8. The Man Who Waved At Trains pt.2 9. Bass Solo 10. Bundles 11. Four Gongs Two Drums Mike Ratledge – Keyboards Karl Jenkins – Saxophones, Keyboards Allan Holdsworth – Guitar Roy Babbington – Bass John Marshall – Drums STEREO SOUNDBOARD RECORDING