Soft Machine - Kings and Queens (1971)

Album: Fourth

Fourth is a 1971 studio album by the Canterbury band Soft Machine. The album is also titled Four or 4 in the USA; the numeral "4" is the title as shown on the cover in all countries, but a written-out title appears on the spine and label. This was the group's first all-instrumental album, although their previous album Third had almost completed the band's move in this direction toward instrumental jazz, and a complete abandonment of their original self-presentation as a psychedelic pop group, or progressive rock group

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Soft
• Machine
• Fourth
• Kings
• and
• Queens
• Jazz
• canterbury
• Scene
• Robert
• Wyatt
• Hugh
• Hopper
• Prog
• rock
• Mike
• Ratledge
• Elton
• Dean

[philipatoz]

Timeless stuff, from a long-gone era when record companies actually gave artists creative freedom to develop unique music that was introspective and thoughtful. As well, especially in Europe, there was a more sophisticated audience that was LARGE enough to economically sustain great bands like SM. This music is more about the experience and the exploration along the way, than the destination. The themes develop slowly, but beautifully. After 35 years, I still find SF incredibly wonderful!

[gbut]

Hugh Hopper RIP.

[notsenseoftime]

Soft Machine is one of the greatest bands of ever

[Jazzadelic94]

Soft Machine, what a great band!

[johnmoore1311]

Yet another masterpiece

[MrMballan]

Do the (does) there'a changn' ?

[philipatoz]

@ExtravaganzaBullshit, music like SM's is only going to remain intensely appreciated in smaller circles. It's got everything to do with what people are exposed to, have available and seek out - ESPECIALLY when they are very young. I remember when (I was around 17 - I'm 53 now) cool jazz and especially improvised, syncopated stuff with weird scales sounded difficult and strange. But the more I listened, the more I liked it. But most importantly, I was exposed to quality music when quite young.

[ExtravaganzaBullshit]

@philipatoz Yeah! Very well said. I find similar attention spans exist today in jazz and experimental music audiences, but unfortunately they comprise a small percentage of the live music-viewing population.. How do we get this music popular again?

[TJWombat]

Their best album if you ask me. Ratledge's "Teeth" is nothing short of a masterpiece.

[alcohalls]

Fantastic.

Thanks.

[Liddledriver]

British jazz and jazz fusion has really been neglected by the Yanks. Robert Wyatt was a monster drummer who could compare well with guys like Art Blakey, Tony Williams, and many others. The musicianship is of the very highest caliber. The influence of the Canterbury movement during the late 60' to mid 70's is severely underrated also.