Comments for Soft Machine, 5

Lineup: Mike Ratlege: Organ, electric piano, celeste Elton Dean: Alto sax, saxello, electric piano Hugh Hopper: Bass Phil Howard: Drums (1-3) John Marshall (4-7)with Roy Babbington: Double bass (4-7)Soft Machine really hits its stride this time. Robert Wyatt left to from Matching Mole, and Dean`s friend Phil Howardtakes over on drums; after he left to form Just Us, new drummer Marshall rounds out album after leavinganother fusion group, Nucleus. Highlights are Dean`s sax solos, and the intertwining electric piano lines developed from the opening of Out-Bloody-Rageous (Third). Well-recorded, too.