The Soft Machine-Six (1973)

In 1973, Soft Machine released their sixth album, as the title suggests. On "Six", the British band moved away from the Canterbury sound to fully immerse themselves in jazz fusion. Released as a double album, "Six" no longer featured Robert Wyatt or Elton Dean, who were replaced by Karl Jenkins and John Marshall, respectively. Unlike the previous, more abstract "Fifth", this sixth album adopted a more elegant approach, presenting more concrete rhythms and music more accessible to the average listener. It represents the perfect fusion of rock and jazz improvisation. Divided into two parts, the first disc showcases the new live lineup, establishing an innovative style of rock and jazz with a pulsating bass and drum rhythm, along with the interplay of the horn section. However, the common thread connecting the two discs remains the distinct musical tones of Mike Ratledge's Canterbury sound, conveyed through his intricate keyboard work. The second studio album offers a more interesting use of keyboards as the main instrument, as demonstrated by tracks like "The Soft Weed Factor" and "Stanley Stamps Gibbon Album (for B.O.)", clear examples of Ratledge's cyclical keyboard loops, which cleverly filter through the rhythm section and allow for Jenkins' atmospheric saxophone passages. The psychedelic "Chole And The Pirates", on the other hand, reflects a clear nod to the band's Canterbury past, and in contrast to all of these, there's the dark and avant-garde "1983". With "Six", Soft Machine showcased their impressive instrumental interplay, partly due to Jenkins's organized dystopian approach and the remarkable accessibility of music with its manifest complexities, resulting in a hypnotic and relaxing masterpiece of avant-garde jazz-rock.