Soft Machine - Bundles (1st U.K. pressing) - LP Album - 1st pressing - 1975/1975 1st pressing Country: U.K. Year: 1975 Label: harvest - SHSP 4044 Condition: near mint With original inner sleeve Soft machine -Bundles More pictures Label: Harvest - SHSP 4044, Harvest - 0C 062 o 96356 Formatting: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo Country: United Kingdom Released: Apr 1975 Genre: Jazz, Rock Style: Progrock, Jazz-Rock, Fusion Matrix / swag SHSP-4044-A (H) Matrix / swag SHSP-4044-B (H) Church bells announce the opening of this ceremony: The Softs have a new label (Harvest) and a different sound; there is now a guitarist in the line-up (which, as far as I know, has never happened before), and the truth is that he dominates the overall sound; it's not necessarily a bad thing either, as Allan Holdsworth's virtuoso style is crisp and accurate with fast legato runs or punchy picked lines and, unlike later shredders, not devoid of emotion and feeling. Bundles opens (after the bells) with what is probably one of Karl Jenkins' favourite riffs - there are two other versions of it on the Nucleus albums - and although not as complexly arranged as on those previous versions, AH guitar gives it a solid punch, and Mike Ratledge keyboards replace Nucleus' woodwinds well; this is the 1st part of a long multi-part suite that takes up most of side A ("Hazard Profile" ); KJ is the main composer on this album and his classical tendencies are reflected in the melancholic piano and acoustic guitar part that follows; Roy Babbington's bass is as solid as a bass can be, and he sometimes doubles AH lines as later on the song or keeps the groove going with a funky odd beat line along with John Marshall bombastic drumming, while MR lets his improvisational skills run wild; A short AH-written acoustic guitar piece, full of bell-like harmonics, closes this side. Side B is also a non-st Side B is also a non-stop succession of bound diverse tracks, ranging from feverishly odd time fusion mid-tempo soulful grooves to laid-back keyboard washes; the soprano sax appears only on the two tracks composed by MR (this will be his last album with SM), bringing back a touch of early SM, this time with the guitar as 2nd voice; JM solo piece (there's always one) is full of effects-laden splashing cymbals (or gongs?) and relatively short. The album ends with a contemplative piece based on a slow looped keyboard line, over which KJ's oboe and Ray Warleigh flutes float (a little too long-but relaxing and perfect if you play this before bed;-)) STATE Near Mint (NM) PRESSING 1st pressing INCLUDES Original inner sleeve