It’s easy to conscript SOFT MACHINE to the legions of the past – but not for nothing their torch has been carried on, for years, by SOFT MACHINE LEGACY where the old band’s members tapped into the spirit of yore. Yet it would be difficult not to get rid of the last word in the ensemble’s name in time for their debut’s 50th anniversary. That’s why the veterans’ new album “Hidden Details” will be released on the same memorable date, September 8th, as “The Soft Machine” LP back in 1968. Recorded in Jon Hiseman‘s studio in December 2017, the follow-up to 1981’s "Land Of Cockayne" features the same line-up as LEGACY’s "Burden Of Proof": John Etheridge on guitar, Roy Babbington on bass and John Marshall on drums – all of them first worked together on 1976’s "Softs" – plus Theo Travis on reeds.
As for the music, alongside a couple of improv pieces and fresh numbers, the record contains updated versions of the group’s classics: “The Man Who Waved At Trains” from "Bundles" and “Out Bloody Rageous” from “Third” – the same LP that had a cut which gave name to the quartet’s current label, MoonJune. The band are on the road now, and hopefully, I’ll be able to catch them in a few months to report more. As of now, the album’s tracklist looks like this:
Hidden Details
1. Hidden Details
2. The Man Who Waved At Trains
3. Ground Lift
4. Heart Off Guard
5. Broken Hill
6. Flight Of The Jett
7. One Glove
8. Out Bloody Intro
9. Out Bloody Rageous, Part 1
10. Drifting White
11. Life On Bridges
12. Fourteen Hour Dream
13. Breathe
14. Night Sky (bonus track)
