Soft Machine: Other Doors

It’s difficult to believe this band has been around since 1966 and have morphed many times over the years. Names like Allan Holdsworth, Andy Summers, Robert Wyatt and many others have passed through the bands revolving door of musicians. The bands two newest members are Theo Travis (horns, flutes, Fender Rhodes) and Fred Thelonious Baker (bass). Sadly, drummer John Marshall who has a number of go rounds with the band passed away in September 2023. Marshall makes his final recordings with the band on their latest release Other Doors.

The album opens with dreamy Floydian soundscapes of “Careless Eyes� and “Penny Hitch�, the latter featuring some excellent guitar work from John Etheridge. I really enjoy the horns from Travis as well. The title track has a nice gritty guitar combined with Travis’ horns providing a darker tonality than the opening tracks. Etheridge jumps in to provide more of his intricate soloing making this one of my favorites. Things begin to meander on “Crooked Usage�, more improvisation and openness, at times it feels directionless. Improvisation is much better served in a live setting, where band and audience can feed off the energy. On a studio album, for a good improvisation to make a lasting impression, it needs to be very inspired, and unfortunately I don’t find that on many of these tracks. A string of short forgettable tracks follow as the energy level continues to sink. I guess I’ll never be considered a “sonic explorer� as tracks like “Fell To Earth�, “The Visitor at the Window� and “Maybe Never� come off as noise to these ears. There is some nice playing to be found, but not nearly enough engaging moments to inspire repeated listens.

Track List:
1. Careless Eyes
2. Penny Hitch
3. Other Doors
4. Crooked Usage
5. Joy of a Toy
6. A Flock of Holes
7. Whisper Black
8. The Stars Apart
9. Now! Is The Time
10. Fell to Earth
11. The Visitor at the Window
12. Maybe Never
13. Back in Season

Added: October 19th 2023
Reviewer: Eric Porter
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 502
Language: english

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