Album Review: Soft Machine – Floating World Live
In my recent look at Soft Works’ Abracadabra, I laid out a very rough sketch of the convoluted timeline that is the Soft Machine story. One of the mileposts in that journey came in 1975 when the then-current lineup made a live album, Floating World Live. The personnel for that date included founding member Mike Ratledge on keys, guitar/Synthaxe master Allan Holdsworth, multi-instrumentalist Karl Jenkins (previously a member from 1972 to ‘84), bassist Roy Babbington (in the group during the ‘70s) and drummer (and ‘70s mainstay) John Marshall. A supergroup indeed.
They made that album, but they didn’t release it until 31 years later.
The aforementioned lineup did make and release one studio album, 1975’s Bundles; it would be Soft Machine’s final outing with Ratledge. Bundles earned critical praise, but Ratledge’s departure kept the group from capitalizing fully upon that momentum. But the live recording – which dates from after the Bundles sessions but prior to the album’s release – stands as an organic document of the lineup representing the tail-end of the original Soft Machine era.
Floating World Live, not surprisingly, features much of the then-new material. The sound quality ranks somewhere between okay and very good, but the performance quality more than offsets any deficiencies. And for listeners who prefer the early material, Floating World Live is a splendid summation of the band’s progress to that point. The meditative “Floating World” may remind some of Mike Oldfield, where “Bundles” takes off on an aggressively jazzy trip to the outer reaches. “Land of the Bag Snake” has it both ways: angular and accessible.
On this set, the ensemble moves seamlessly from uptempo, knotty tracks to placid, atmospheric ones like “The Man Who Waved at Trains.” Fans who seek solos will be satisfied by what’s within (see “J.S.M.”), and those who seek inspired ensemble work will find much to savor as well. As the hype sheet for the remastered version of this archival album emphasizes, Floating World Live is a document of “a band at the top of their game.”
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day for several years). The more than 5000 interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he taught a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- some 40 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 30 Great Concept Albums is available now. Read even more about him here.