Cuneiform Records once again unearths another vintage Soft Machine concert from this vaults, this one recorded at De Lantaren, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, October 26, 1973, and features the line-up of:
Roy Babbington: Electric 6-string bass
Karl Jenkins: Soprano sax, baritone sax, oboe, electric piano
John Marshall: Drums
Mike Ratledge: Electric piano, organ
By this time, the band were touring in support of their Six and Seven albums, both of which came out in 1973, and a selection of tracks from them were played during this set. "Stanley Stamps Gibbon Album" start things off in frantic fashion, with plenty of distorted electric piano and sax, which leads into an atmospheric "Between" before the extended "The Soft Weed Factor" complete with rumbling John Marshall drums and angry organ tones. A brief, quirky 'Lefty" segues into the near 10-minute, upbeat & funky "Gesolreut", Marshall again putting on a clinic behind the kit, supported by Babbington's thick walking bass lines and battling keyboards. Other highlights include an almost free-jazz "Chloe and the Pirates", an early take on "Hazard Profile", the busy "Down the Road", and a final jam on the "Gesolreut" theme once again, complete with some wild fuzzed-out organ freakouts to close the show.
Not for everyone certainly, but it's hard to deny the importance of the music of Soft Machine to both the prog & fusion genres during this time period, and The Dutch Lesson is another excellent live recording from the band, who, around the corner, were set to welcome into their ranks a certain guitar player named Allan Holdsworth.
Track Listing
1.
Stanley Stamps Gibbon Album 07:16
2.
Between 02:12
3.
The Soft Weed Factor 11:05
4.
Lefty 01:58
5.
Gesolreut 09:30
6.
EPV 04:33
7.
Down the Road 10:40
8.
Ealing Comedy 05:33
9.
37 1/2 07:17
10.
J.S.M. 04:39
11.
Riff II 00:41
12.
Chloe and the Pirates 09:57
13.
Hazard Profile 13:56
14.
Improvisation 05:20
15.
Gesolreut Jam 07:41
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