Third

Yeah so far its blending pretty funky, cool and groovey down tempo R&B and Soul with 70's prog rock elements, and just a dash of outerwordly synths. Very cool from an artistic perspective. I very much love acid jazz, progressive rock and that sweet buttery smooth Curtis Mayfield swagger. So this is a nice step into something more abstract whilst still borrowing all those qualities. I think because the two core sounds sort of pull at eachother for dominance (that being the weird psychedelic synthesis of progressive fusion) I'm going to have to ding it a star. I wouldn't require this as listening for you on your journey. Instead i would get you into this much later.

alien orgy music

Pretty beautiful and spacey, ahead of its time for sure. Standouts are pretty much everything except the intro.

Trash

Glad I listened. Almost certainly won't again.

This is music with its head so far up its ass it comes out the other side. Prog jazz? Don't know, don't care. Skronky, alienating, and weird without redeeming qualities.

If you're not willing to follow this one down the rabbit hole, like I was not, listening to it is a fairly torturous exercise. The word pretentious is overused but cmon, if there was ever a proper fit..

Interesting, not really for me. 5.1/10

No private session used for Spotify. Didn't know what I was getting into and the start of the first track was a little rough, but I powered through and got into this album. It's different, with a lot going on. Early progressive rock.

uh on first glance, 1h15m and only 4 songs. that's ambitious but it makes me nervous. these guys are still playing - they're on tour. i didn't hate it but i don't think i have anything nice to say? facelift has a familiar riff

This was a funky, psychedelic rock/jazz fusion that I found myself really enjoying. I feel like you don't listen to this album so much as you just vibe with it. It feels like the rock version of freeform jazz, and while I can understand why that wouldn't be for everyone, I found myself along for the ride it was taking me on. It didn't have any standout songs that I can even remember, but I could see myself throwing this on again someday as background music as I'm doing work.

liked the bit towards the end where it just turned into the minecraft soundtrack

# Album Name: Third # Artist: Soft Machine # Rating: 1/5 # Comments: Absolutely not for me. Bored the shit outta me. Way too long and crap # Top Tunes: None # Would I listen to it again? No

As Hopper took another hit off his joint, he turned to his bandmates and said, “You know all that stuff people like about music? Let’s do none of that here. And let’s make it the opening track of a 2-LP release where each side is its own song, with a total runtime of 75 minutes. Doesn’t that sound awesome?” And thus was born “Facelift,” the opening track on Soft Machine’s *Third*. It’s a mishmash of sounds, an attempted prog-rock jam session infused with what sounds like Ron Burgundy playing jazz flute, and then partially played in reverse toward the end. By the time it was over, I was questioning every decision I had made since birth. Track one is a true agent of chaos. I can only imagine where the rest of this album is going to take me. And just when I thought this album was going to be absolutely terrible and earn a one-star rating, it lifts itself up just enough with track two, “Slightly All the Time,” to make me question every decision I’ve made all over again. This one isn’t even awful. It’s definitely not for everyone, but since I enjoy prog rock, I can actually see the appeal. By the end of track two, I had cooled down considerably. Almost too much, as I started to fall asleep at my desk. Unfortunately, the vibe got weird again with track three, “Moon in June,” where vocals are introduced. And now it seems like whoever is singing is mimicking whatever is being played on the guitar or organ—or maybe the guitar and organ are mimicking the singer. At this point, who knows? Because apparently what I wanted to hear was someone singing scales while an organ player simultaneously plays scales. I know it’s more complicated than that, but that’s what it sounds like to someone with an untrained ear. Let’s see how long my sanity holds. Will it survive another 18 minutes so I can find out if the final track redeems this piece of garbage? Only time will tell. By the end of “Moon in June,” I felt like I had partaken in some mind-altering drugs. Watching those final two minutes slowly tick down to zero gave me plenty of time to reconsider every decision I had made in life that somehow led me to listening to this record in the first place. And not in a good way. Five minutes of swirling sounds open track four, “Out-Bloody-Rageous,” which wasn’t particularly promising. But then something strange happened. It started sounding like traditional jazz. And I actually didn’t hate it. Let’s see how long that lasts before this band blows it up and makes me hate my life and everything I’ve done leading up to this moment. Listening to *Third* is a lot like watching the *Star Trek* movies: the odd-numbered entries are often the weaker ones, while the even-numbered ones are either masterpieces or at least considerably better than average. That’s basically this album. Not sure you need to listen to the entire thing, but if you’re curious, put on tracks two or four and your day may not actually suck. If you hate yourself and life, start with “Facelift.” While I would never have purposefully sought out Soft Machine or this album, and despite how much of it I absolutely did not like, I’m strangely glad I listened to it before I died. At least now I can say I survived *Third*. And, more importantly, I got to make fun of it while writing this track-by-track commentary.

This has a few spots that were bearable, but the rest was just complete madness

People complaining about the first track like they've never had a dial-up internet connection before. *laughs in elder millennial* No surprise that this isn't very highly rated. Y'all do not like this kind of thing. It requires patience. How does one cultivate patience in a culture of 24/7 instant gratification and infinite scroll? I'm enjoying it anyway. Robert Wyatt is such a goofy goober: "no you're not playing it right, here let me sing it to you, dee dii dibby dibby na nana na na" .

Acid and jazz but not acid jazz

Far out, man. Cool find. I would have never listened to this if I weren't trying to complete this project. I will probably never listen to this again unless I find it on wax. These albums are meant to be listened to all at once in one sitting. I'm glad I had the opportunity to do that today. The opportunity to turn on, tune in and drop out (with just music, no other substances) doesn't come around enough in my current life and I'm always grateful for moments like this. Thank you for the strangeness, Soft Machine.

sounds like they had fun making this i guess, wasnt super fun to listen to

This was Out-Bloody-Rageous.

Started off as a junior high band warming up with a back track, moved into a high school band and then became a new agey jazz band. I am almost done with this project and I still don't like jazz and this album is no different. Its random, REPETITIVE and just becomes so long that I am constantly checking when this is over.

This would've been excruciating to experience live (though it wasn't an actual live show, just a live recording), and the only thing that made it less excruciating to stream was that I could consume it in small chunks, instead of all at once. 954 albums in, and this is one of the worst I've heard. A double album with four painfully long tracks that go absolutely nowhere. It made me angry to listen to.

The proggiest of prog, meanders a bit.

I enjoyed the first half of the album. I think that the jazz rock is very complex and fun and they switch it up every couple of minutes or so it doesn’t get stale. I do think that the third track is to the detriment of the album. I think the singing is very amateurish and rough. I think they played to their strengths by making the album mostly instrumental. I can probably see that this is an influential album in the setup of PROG rock and other jazz rock down the road however at face value I don’t think you have to hear this before you die.

This was weird.

This is like a jazzier version of King Crimson. I dig it.

I had read about Soft Machine (particularly when reading about Pink Floyd,) but I don't think I had ever listened to any. So this is jazz. For some reason based on what I remembered reading, I was expecting it to be more proggy, like Hawkwind or King Crimson? But this is jazz. Ah - reading more about them online, I see that they were described as prog rock early on but evolved into fusion jazz over time. Got it. This is OK. Not really my cup of tea.

No, under no circumstances do you need to listen to this before you die. They play instruments. Cool bro, next. Save the time.

First listen. Fun album once you get past the first section of the first song. Frequently, classic albums bolster such terms as groundbreaking and avant garde without producing something appealing. This album shows its inventiveness with ease while pumping out some bops.

Canciones demasiado largas. No son malas, pero no es lo mío

les albums de jazz doivent s'écouter de A à Z pour être appréciés et c'est un plaisir que je ne retrouve pas dans beaucoup d'autres genres

20 minutos cada música eh foda mas o som eh legal

Prog has never really been my thing, as evidenced by my prior reviews. I did at one point own the self-titled debut from The Soft Machine, but wasn’t hooked enough to continue investing in the catalogue, hence why this was a first listen for me. Overall, it was challenging, which I liked, but it’s not the kind of music I’d play for company.

Why did they start with the first track. That needed to be near the end after I had gotten used to all of that. I mean it's not my cup of tea, super long songs. Some were interesting, some annoying as hell. I wouldn't listen again.

background noise

Spotify in it's mercy only has Disc 1 of this album, but even that is over an hour and I still don't have clue what is going on ...

I had this playing while I walked around the house and every time I came in the room I thought, that’s not good. I didn’t stick around and listen to any part of it and probably OK with that.

Unhinged weirdo jazz rock with great horns and flutes... SIGN ME UP! This is so awesome!

I don’t feel any particular way towards this album. It wasn’t bad and it wasn’t anything to write home about.

A very strange musical band. I can see why they are on this list due to their unique sound though I must admit they are not my cup of tea as they are what I would consider synth jazz and not the pure comforting jazz using instruments.

interesting...

skipeada historica

A lengthy cacophony. The sum of its elements didn't add up for me. That being said, there were a few moments I was reminded of newer artists, so I could see how this could be influential.

Ok

Okay so I think they put 4 musicians in different rooms and had them try to jam with eachother. I question how this ever made the list and how the list was picked. Also I question life now. Is this real? Maybe that’s why this albums here. To show us all this is an assimilation. Beware of this album.

Only half the album was available. Feedback-laden, improvisational, Jethro Tull/Zeppelin/Band sound…? ‘Moon in June’ is a good listen, did a lot of the heavy lifting for my score. 2.5/5.

My tolerance lever for 18 minute prog tracks is pretty low, so four of them in a row doesn't sound promising. However, there's the free-jazz, experimental rock adjacent side of things that I can at least appreciate a bit more than the stuff that is about musical virtuosity and goblins. Soft Machine are more the former than the latter. I heard shades of Can and Crimson a few times though this was a bit less focused than either. I thought Moon in June was the best track.

I think it's varied enough to be fairly listenable.

Facelift is definitely not something I ever want to listen to again, and its an odd choice for an opening track. And then on the other end you've got the last track Out-Bloody-Rageous that is a jazzy, psych, electronic jam.

Artist: Soft Machine - an oxymoron. Album: Third - It's their third album. Genre: Progressive Rock - But it's actually more aligned with Jazz Vibe: Technical, innovative, and a showcase of each member's skills with heavy iconic "70's sound" Best Played On: Stereo headphones or an Orange Sound System "Pyramid System" Best Experienced: On a Fall Friday evening with a glass of red wine and the lights low and the windows open; that late October air - slightly chilly with last nights' rain still fragrant on the oak-leaf foliage. A candle that smells like vanilla and your stomach full of slow-cook pot roast. Your eyes heavy and the buzz turning your brain like a rotisserie. Replayability: Situational Rating: 7/10

1.5

Some parts weren't terrible. Some parts were very terrible. There has to be a better Jazz Fusion album out there somewhere that should have been in this spot.

When I first came across Soft Machine it was via this album. I enjoyed parts of it but it's not one I return to often. Meandering jazz rock that you need to be in the right frame of mind for. Out-Bloody-Rageous hits the right places for me but I seem to remember liking their Peel sessions more. I'll have to try those out again.

Feels like a spin off of king crimson

This was not my jam. Veryyyyy long tracks. Not quite jazz and not quite rock

Way too pretentious for me.

Ugh, another prog record. This starts out grim with what I assume is the studio setting levels or the band tuning up or just noise. It gets better, and by better I mean more jazzy and less proggy, but still not my cup of tea.

3.2 Thought it was fine. I like weird and progressive but it was a little droning

It's like hearing prog rock crawl through the birth canal of a live jazz album. The live setting makes it feel chaotic and sloppy at times, but that's all part of the show. I'll definitely come back to this.

not bad. i think the appeal of 20 minute jam sessions for me comes out of those little triumphant musical moments that bubble up and burst like "whoa that was kinda dope". there are enough of those in here to validate the album. favorite song is Out-Bloody-Rageous, it's got some particularly juicy bits. solid 3

Rating: 8/10 Ayyy another Robert Wyatt project, and this one isn't quite in the bottom 20 but it's pretty damn close. Another one too that is just aggressively British. From a sonic point of view I was surprised this is a 1970 release, feels like something almost no one was doing at this time. Its long, improvisational structure, composition of wacky time signatures, and instrumentation choices (fun fact, this is a rock album with no electric guitar credited, that's kinda nuts, is that even allowed?) give it this crazy feel of experimental rock meets Miles Davis influenced jazz. Facelift has to be the weakest track here, it's a decent start, but Slightly All the Time really makes you start to see some of the genius. Moon in June actually kinda ruined the vibe a little with Wyatt's horrible vocals taking up the entire first half, but it's still a pretty insane song with an interesting progression that ended strongly. Out-Bloody-Rageous has a real spacey psychedelic flair and finishes the album well. All in all, it's obviously a musically tough 75 minutes to get through for all but the most devoted listeners, especially when that time is split up as four 20 minute marathons, but it's a real achievement in the early days of avant garde experimentation within modern music. Final score of: a hell of a lot more cool and interesting than some of the bland shit that passes for a good album on this site out of 5

I don't know if I'm getting soft or this was actually a cool jazz album. Really cool, especially with the proggy bits and injected fuzz rock. Baseline "good" with a few really strong/interesting songs (parts of songs - the songs are 18 minutes long). Overall, prog jazz is fun and scratches my brain 6.7/10

Screechy noise.

Very cool prog rock/jazz album! A bit more avant garde in places than I was expecting, especially for 1970. It's not perfect, but pretty close.

Okay I’m biased because I don’t love jazz

This was great! Not something I'll be jamming to in my car regularly, but excellent music for lounging around or to have on while studying. I really enjoyed the long, slow-building jazz rock.

Was not sure how to rank it since it’s mostly an instrumental album. I did not like it at first, but eventually I started recognizing that it offers an interesting fusion between prog rock and jazz.

Are you kidding me? 20 min/song?!

I found this quite enjoyable -- it is a nice fusion of rock and jazz, although it does drag too long and lacks overall melodic flavour.

I forgot to rate this right after I listened to it. Honestly, there are some good parts and some incredibly tedious parts. I'll probably never listen to or think about it again, but it was decent.

Dudes making random noises for almost the length of a feature film. Like look I get that you like being bad musicians but maybe throw some more lyrics in idk then you'd at least be interesting bad musicians

I hated this less in the moments where there was a melody or some vocals. The first track sounded like a migraine. I have learned that I simply prefer music with structure, and this is really not that.

This is awful music. Pretentious crap. 4 long tracks of varying unlistenability.

Too ambitious. Four tracks that are all suites which start good, but end up meandering too much by the end, Of course, they're all great musicians, and the whole way through you can hear how meticulously planned it all sounds, but that fire gets lost due to the thing that was supposed to make it great: it's grandiosity. It takes very hard musical movements like jazz, classical, and the brutal side of prog and stitches them together into a hodgepodge that's hard to digest. Maybe if I forced it more down my earhole, it would become a favorite of mine?

Why is the idea of prog always better than the reality?

My God! Brits love their prog rock and their electronic dance music. This album ended 2 hours ago and somehow I feel it's still going on. People hating on the first song, Facelift, and somehow that's the only one I found interesting. (Although I much prefer Alice In Chains' response album to the song)

The beginning of the first track suggested I was in for an AMM-like album, but sadly this quickly revealed itself as a sort noodly jazz rock snooze-fest.

3/10

Elevator jazz played better

the first song on this album is up there as the worst song on this entire list

This sounds like me at 8 years old messing around on my Great Grandmas organ while my little sister fist fights geese in the background

That's hard but I am trying. Probably you have to take a little bit of acid to listen to that one... Ahh, feeling fatigue

Prog meets experimental jazz. Not my thing. Less showily self indulgent than most prog though, and with some nice atmospheric moments.

Interessante, estilo meio psicodélico e experimental, a construção da música é bem parecida com algumas do Pink Floyd (talvez pela mesma época, né?) O que me dá um pouco de agonia é a sensação as vezes de que vai vir um rockzão foda e entra um instrumental meio jazz KJKKKKKKKKK

Has some cool parts but very drawn out.

Pretty wacky, wild and goofy.

Its shit. Don't bother.

Why are all the songs like 20 mins long... also, just not my thing, too much going on to enjoy listening

Really like that I've heard this now! Track 3 is... not great. You don't need to sing guys. It's okay.

Pretty neat. The last track the wheel kind of fell off. Definitely interested in hearing more rock/jazz fusion. Similar to some Zappa.

1.5

3.0

It wasnt bad, but not that interesting. Good background music

skating between prog rock and the rock side of jazz fusion is never something i'm gonna complain about. lots of good part writing and soloing, though i'm not sold on four single-track sides.

It did the trick for background noise while working on tasks requiring focus, but wasn't a particularly compelling listen. Very meandering, which I suppose is by design, but didn't strike me as something I'd ever want to listen to again.

Not very good

I was worried because the first 7 or so minutes of this album is basically just noise, but about halfway through Facelift it improves. This is still mostly just an experimental jazzy sort of thing. There's a bit of singing on Moon In June, but nothing really that memorable. I think the second half of Out-Bloody-Rageous is probably my favorite part, but that's literally the last 10 or so minutes of a 75-minute album. It's easy background noise at least.

Experimental and very long songs. Could see it as ok background though, the music wasn’t necessarily bad. 4/10

I’m sure it was ground breaking, but I won’t be listening again.

Had moments of being interesting. 3/5

Very crazy music. Not really mine, I liked the Robet Wyatt solo record a lot more.

You can argue all you want about jazz being incredibly wise, but for me, it's mostly just a few musicians inventing their own completely different parts and then playing them simultaneously. This double album has only four tracks, each nearly twenty minutes long, taking up one side of the record. Within the first five minutes of the first track, the album could easily have been a one star — I haven't heard such cacophony in a long time, but fortunately for the band, it gets a little better. The second one is simply unremarkable jazz-rock, the third is a bit simpler and slightly reminiscent of the band's psychedelic roots, and the flowing saxophone on the fourth is actually enjoyable, despite the long ambient intro. This album, like the entire genre, is for a very dedicated audience, but putting this nightmare as the first track was a crime.

This thing morphs and jumps and dives and screeches and does all sorts of things across its 75-minute runtime. It's kind of absurd. Also weirdly ahead of its time in a lot of ways. Not recommended if In The Court of the Crimson King is your threshold for prog weirdness. Recommended if you think Larks' Tongues in Aspic wasn't batshit enough.

Robert Wyatt, you've done it again you sly dog you.

Couldn't get through the first song

Yaaaaawwwwwwwnnnn

This is so long, and so uninspired. Judging by how sloppy the horns are on the last track, even the band was tired by that point.

Pretty cool listen, nice blend of jazz/prog?

Endless Jam, Boring.

I mean yeah, fusion jazz/prog/electronic, right up my alley. Good album.

Ehhhh… too weird for me

buena instrumentación

No fav song

This was quite a chore. Kinda thankful much of the album was blacked out by Spotify.

well that was trippy. Too trippy. I get it though, it was the mid 60s..

Third time's the charm (pun intended). I tried once playing this in the background. I would give that listen a 2. Then once in the car. Better. Still had some "what the hell am I listening to" moments. But amazing passages would emerge from the muck - bump that up to a 3. So today I try headphones - outside. under a tree. in the shade. And while there are still some passages that get stuck in the muck - I have a much better sense of what they are trying to do. And boy do they do it. My main take away - listen we the headphones. Quite a journey.

3,5

It’s like someone said, “Oh, you don’t like jazz? Let us show you just how bad jazz can get.”

Sucked. Whenever I felt like it was about to redeem itself, it'd get worse.

I only know this artist because this site had me listen to Robert Wyatt's "Rock Bottom." I didn't really enjoy that album, but let's hope this one is more enjoyable. I enjoy prog rock and jazz. This is somehow neither and both. And on top of it all, still not enjoyable. To paraphrase Dr. Ian Malcolm: These musicians were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.

Forgettable.

Massive double album of dry, academic-sounding prog that sounds like it cares more about music theory than it does about actual human emotion.

wow. this is blowing my mind. its perfect.

Prog Jazz Rock.

het werd gwn beter en beter! naaaah toen ging het einde van moon in june downhill

het was oké maar echt langdradig

me aturdió

Very interesting. It seems to be between prog and jazz. I think this deserves at least 3 stars. I particularly enjoyed the last track ("Out-Bloody-Rageous") and "Slightly All The Time" (probably the most "conventional" track among the four).

Quick tip, don't listen to track 1 first! (Unless you're already acquainted with length/breadth of Soft Machine (SM), and/or love noise jazz, or are extremely open-minded.) I'd heard of SM, without having any idea what they might be about. I made it through track 1, I did not immediately warm to the rest (while recognising various parallels in jazz rock, experimental and fusion scenes), but I have been re-listening at length - as well as checking out some later and earlier SM, and reading up. I'm quite interested in this album, the 'scene' and industry contexts in which SM emerged and gigged and in which this album was made/released (and sold quite well!), and the reviews here on the Generator (as well as other write-ups). It seems many Generator users would really like to give this album less than 1 star, and many others are happy to give it 5 stars - which is quite interesting in itself. 14 hours in, I still haven't decided how I'll rate it. I did have an early thought that this album shakes up my rating approach - apart from established aspects (ie do I like it, will I replay it, coherence as an album, professionalism and historic impact), I am likely to give this one some boost for innovation, and chutzpah. Before I comment on the four tracks (each one side of an LP) I will just note that they are definitely four suites, rather than four songs, okay. Also noteworthy that each suite was composed by one individual member, would have been interesting discussions about the selection and sequence. Track 1, Facelift - Live, is questionable on many levels. Smol quibble, it's live components but stitched together in studio, rather than one live take as per any specific live experience. Bigger question for me, why is it placed first on the album, when it opens so inaccessibly? Prog artists relishing being difficult? I think it evinces an expectation that anyone consuming the album should already be familiar with SM's earlier work and/or live shows. But given sales were higher than for previous albums - I think there would have been some shocked and dismayed living rooms. The organ-through-fuzz-box section is certainly striking, couldn't go much harder. (Saw a comment on reddit that [jazz fusion / prog like SM] is "why punk happened" - to which someone rejoined that SM "had a bit of a proto-punk vibe with their driving, unrelenting, and noisy sets", yeah :-) Track 2, Slightly All The Time, is much more familiar jazz rock. Familiar sense that bass and drums can hold a groove indefinitely and meanwhile soloists ?do noodling? but periodically two instruments play in unison as though to demonstrate that they had a plan all along - but why did they have that plan? No part of it is a 'song' to hum along with - it's a groove, and a workout for band as group and individuals. (What did their shows look like live? People sitting concentrating, or dancing as best they could? Well, I found a clip from 1968 that includes a handful of audience members dancing right in front of the band, plenty of busy drumming - reminded of SM supporting Jimi Hendrix tour https://youtu.be/RFDVTbLxBHA :-) Track 3, Moon In June: what is this trying to be? I learn that Wyatt not only composed and sang but also played all parts for the first half of the song, wow. But whimsy is out of control. Seems that he planned the music and then improvised the words?? Then the jam in second half of the song is pretty cool. Track 4, Out-Bloody-Rageous, composed by Ratledge, starts with (Terry Riley inspired) repetitive and layered tape loop minimalism (electric piano - no attacks or releases). Which would have been a lot of physical/process work in those days of analogue recording, shows depth of commitment to the 'experiment', or 'mode'. And it sounds fine! (Easy-on-the-ears build up and phrasing). Then there's a fusion movement - sounds like Frank Zappa and the Mothers, including v industrious drumming, also has fantastic (and long) distorted organ solo. Then after a recap of the fusion 'theme', there's a quite brief recap of tape loop piano, then a somewhat more conventional jazz section - which evolves into a heavier tape loop section (lots of speeding up). All of which leaves the question, why is the suite called Out-Bloody-Rageous? I guess jazz composers did not necessarily see song titles as a program to aid understanding of their compositional intent. After all that, how do I rate it? It's a very different type of album. In the spectrum of my musical experiences these days, it's less like a popular music album, more like a classical/art music concert. It's very estimable for depth (ie would repay repeated listens) while also off-putting, perhaps confrontational, in the intensity of its energies. So I'm not quite ready to say it's Incredibly Wonderful, but I'm comfortable to say it's (at least) Quite Wonderful, 9/10.

I thought I remembered these guys being more like Syd-era Pink Floyd? I was all ready for some whimsy about elves, and did not want over an hour of jazz rock!

Being a big fan of Robert Wyatt I had high hopes for this album but those hopes were destroyed when I heard the first song. It sounds like the soundtrack to your worst nightmares.

Soft Machine's "Third" is widely regarded as a progressive rock classic and a blueprint for the jazz-influenced Canterbury sound. Although I have an extensive Soft Machine collection, I have always felt somewhat at odds with this supposed masterpiece. With four long compositions originally spread across four LP sides, I tend to lose the thread. In particular, I find the first two tracks, “Facelift” and “Slightly All the Time”, aimless and haphazard. 'Moon in June' is certainly the highlight of the album. Robert Wyatt sings improvised lyrics about summer and his longing for rain and retreat. Even though all the tracks on the album were very roughly edited, the vocal passages lend the song more structure and create a summery, melancholic mood. 'Out-Bloody-Rageous' is reminiscent of the music of Terry Riley, the highly influential founder of minimal music at the time, and feels more self-contained and thoroughly composed than the first two instrumental tracks. "Third" marked a radical departure for Soft Machine, moving away from the psychedelic proto-prog of the first two albums towards jazz. It would be in the years and reincarnations that followed that the band would more fully return to its rock heritage. I prefer almost all of the band's other albums, even though I find this radical shift in sound revolutionary.

Zum Zeitpunkt der Aufnahmen im Jahr 1970 befanden sich Soft Machine an einem entscheidenden Wendepunkt. Das englische Quartett – Mike Ratledge (Keyboards), Hugh Hopper (Bass), Robert Wyatt (Schlagzeug, Gesang) und der neu hinzugestoßene Saxophonist Elton Dean – verabschiedete sich endgültig von den psychedelischen Wurzeln und vollzog den Übergang in einen dichten, instrumentalen Jazz Rock. Third entstand teils live – der Eröffnungstrack „Facelift" wurde an den Fairfield Halls in Croydon und im Mothers Club in Birmingham mitgeschnitten und im Studio von Hugh Hopper per Tape-Collage montiert – und teils in den IBC Studios in London. Veröffentlicht wurde das Doppelalbum über CBS in Großbritannien und Columbia in den USA. Die vier langen Suiten – „Facelift", „Slightly All the Time", „Moon in June" und „Out-Bloody-Rageous" – dehnen sich zwischen 17 und 19 Minuten und folgen keiner konventionellen Songstruktur. Ratledges Orgellinien schichten sich über Hoppers hypnotische Bassfiguren, Dean entfesselt seine Bläserarbeit in Bereichen zwischen freiem Jazz und kontrollierter Improvisation, und Wyatts „Moon in June" – auf dem er nahezu sämtliche Instrumente selbst einspielte – bleibt das einzige vokale und zugleich zutiefst persönliche Stück. Die Musik atmet, ohne je ins Beliebige zu gleiten. Third ist kein einfaches Hörerlebnis und war es nie; die Platte verlangt Ausdauer, belohnt sie aber mit einer strukturellen Dichte, die kaum ein zeitgenössisches Album zu bieten hatte. Die Einflüsse auf den europäischen Jazz Rock und die Canterbury Scene sind bis heute kaum zu überschätzen – jede Begegnung mit diesem Werk offenbart neue Schichten. Eines der kühnsten und folgenreichsten Alben des britischen Jazz Rock, das auch über fünfzig Jahre nach seiner Entstehung nichts von seiner Wucht verloren hat.

Meget spesiell psykedelisk prog, dyktige folk Catcher meg ikke sånn sykt

a bit inconsistent for me, but some great moments too

Facelift: might be the worst 18m of music i’ve ever heard 1/5 Slightly all the time: yk i kinda fwt its like jazz. Comping is rlly Bill Evans ngl. 4/5 Moon in June: meh it’s a bit of a mess ngl 2/5 Out bloody rageous: just white noise w annoying beeping ngl but then gets interesting and not that bad 3/5 overall: 2.5 but minus points for putting that trash as the opening song bc it was just unlistenable. Also way too long.

What are we doing here guys?

I probably would have enjoyed the live song if I was there and high on LSD. As it is, I was not a fan. It got pretty decent at about minute 9 or so. The second song was good though. And I thought the rest of the album would be pretty decent. Then the singing started in the 3rd track.

Not my style

Kind of boring. Not for me but sown song ha were funky in a good way

tired spongebob phew meme

Me by the third track: "They sing now?" .... "They sing now"

To get away with this nonsense it's got to sound like everyone is an absolute virtuoso. There are moments in track 2 when they manage it, when it's just drums, a bit of organ and the sax isn't trying too hard, but I don't think it's possible to be a stylophone virtuoso. Track 1 is truly awful. Track 2 is mostly ok, like a 70s soundtrack and occasionally quite listenable. Track 3... The singing and lyrics make me wish it was another 18 minute instrumental. Oh my god it's horrible. It's actually painful to listen to. I'm determined to make it to the end, because how can this go on for 19 minutes??? Oh great, more stylophone. I don't care if it isn't actually a stylophone, it's probably not because there's too many notes. Finally it's (genuinely) good to get to some speeded up and slowed down violin that sounds like The Clangers. That's what the song was missing. Holy fuck this is terrible. Track 4 starts more interesting with a bit of electronic drone, but then goes into average jazz rock plus more stylophone again. This one is ok or maybe it's all relative at this point. I'm not a fan.

I knew when I saw a four-song album ran 75 minutes that I was gonna be annoyed listening to this, and sure enough, this was truly awful. Just noise and precious few melodies. The track with vocals had a few interesting moments that kind of reminded me of Mars Volta (I'll bet those dudes LOVE this band), but overall this was not for me at all. Yeet this shit into the sea.

While I'm not in love with this album, I do think it is a solid psychedelic jazz fusion album. It goes on too long, but I could see myself listening to it while reading or doing house work or something. Also, for the time it was released, I could see it inspiring some other jazz fusion acts that would come later.

Had a few fun bits but just didn’t click with me.

Track 1 was a trippy slog to get through, and then the album alternated between that and somewhat digestible. Slightly All The Time with its swing influence brings this up to a 2.

this fucking rules yall just hate fun this is going on the sex playlist

I really liked it. Psychedelic jazz is one of my all-time favourite genres, but this doesn't come anywhere near the levels of a Davis or a Sanders. It doesn't lean heavily enough into the psychedelic for me, but I still enjoyed my time with it. Standout Tracks: Slightly All The Time, Out-Bloody-Rageous Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

- It was okay? I just can't get into jazz... - I liked the third song... It was a little more psychedelic, and I liked how it moved forward. - The songs and album were all too long, imo. - I can't see myself ever listening to this again, but it was good enough as background music while I worked.

Definitely need another listen to this band. Wild!

Well… I see whyyyy it’s at a 2.45 out of 5, but…. can y'all just like good music? Instead of that awful AC/DC album? Anyway this album is great. "Facelift" is great, even though it does have this one moment a bit past the 10 minute mark where the music does like a really unceremonious fade-out-fade in. That being said it's a really fascinating piece of jazz-fusion/experimental rock. It really moves as if a machine, not living but definitely doing something worth paying attention to. The tape loops, weird guitars, and instrument timbres all help make the song a worthwhile experience. "Slightly All The Time" is a bit more conventional in its incorporation of jazz, but hey!! I heard that “Love Supreme” reference at around 2 minutes in! These guys know ball! Anyway that song in particular is really great, just a classic, good ol’ 18-minute jazz song. Just… you know it. Awesome stuff. Doesn’t stray too far away from the direction of the first song, but goes a little more straightforward in its communication of intent. “Moon in June” is nice, lovely even, but Wyatt’s voice can be a bit grating. No one’s gotta be trained in singing, but make sure that your voice is more than just listenable. Because his is just below that. That being said, it has arguably the best instrumental passage on the entire album. Arguably. Finally, after a 5-minute progressive electronic introduction, “Out-Bloody-Rageous” starts in earnest and it is just ridiculous. ~14 minutes of the best closer this album could’ve had. Jazzy, crazy, quick-moving, and utterly beautiful. I didn’t know how I was going to like this, but that last song solidified that I loved it. One of the better albums this site has given me. 75 minutes in an incredibly consistent and beautiful musical world that doesn’t overstay its welcome, but certainly does not understay it. I adore this album. 9.6/10

I audibly groaned when I saw that Robert Wyatt was on this album This is so much better than Rock Bottom; I know the bars basically on the floor but yeah turns out when you get actual talent on board you can cover up the dudes shortcomings. Slightly All the Time was genuinely a solid song, a bit too freeform for me to truly love but I enjoyed it. Saxophone track is nice There’s plenty to dislike though; Wyatt’s vocals are a bit better in this one but unsurprisingly the only song he sings on is my least favorite of the ones on this album, just does not have a great voice. Not a huge fan of the guitar sound in the first song, just feels sloppy and a bit ear grating at times. Variety’s pretty bad on this one, which isn’t too surprising since there’s only 3 songs on this one (I know there’s more songs on this album but Spotify only has 3 and I really didn’t feel like searching the web to find more of this shit) Pretty crazy to say I’m “pleasantly surprised” about an album I’m about to give a 2 star review for, but that grudge over having to listen to Rock Bottom is still strong. I just strongly dislike Robert Wyatt, and although his influence is diluted pretty heavily with actual musicians working their ass off to make this record sound good, you can’t help but notice his rancid lack of musical talent

Shockingly did not hate it as much as I thought I would after getting Wyatted. Neat fusion of jazz and prog, where I actually did vibe with the ambience and atonality. Wish the full album was on spotify but what can you do

Long, boring, repetitive, and straight up sounds bad. I despised listening to this, it drags on. I knew it was going to suck when I saw that it was more than an hour long and only had 4 songs. I wish I never had to listen to albums like this again.

Oh boy, when you open an album up and see 4 tracks with over an hour long runtime, you're either in for a great time or a miserable one. My experience was mostly the latter. This album lies somewhere between prog rock, psychadelic rock, and jazz. It's a lot, and it's a slog if you're not into it. I hope these guys stuck to instrumental work though, the lyrics and vocals on "Moon In June" were... pretty bad. That whole song rubbed me the wrong way to be honest. I really liked the beginning of "Out-Bloody-Rageous" but then the horns came in and killed the whole vibe. There are some good instrumentals in parts, and sometimes that guitar comes chugging in with some nice distortion and I have hope but then nothing truly epic ever pans out. I have to give this 1 star. Its just not good enough in my opinion. There are just so many jarring sounds. It's way too much. I heard this before I died and wish I had that time back.

86/100. Some of the most captivating experiences are often the ones that seem to think for themselves, unfolding with such freedom that they feel discovered rather than deliberately constructed. Some of the most fascinating blends of jazz, rock, and psychedelia I have heard. The compositions drift and evolve naturally, giving the impression that the instruments are simply floating wherever they want to go. The distorted organ gives the album a unique character, the saxophone improvisations constantly push the music into new territory, and the complex drumming provides a foundation that is adventurous. I am also a complete sucker for saxophones, especially when they become a little screechy and abrasive. There is something about that sound that just activates a flow state in my mind. I stop analyzing every detail and instead find myself completely lost in the music, sitting with my eyes closed and simply experiencing it. That is really what makes this album special. Despite how complex and ambitious it is, it never feels academic or clinical. The music pulls you into its world and gradually takes over your attention until you are no longer thinking about it, only feeling it.

You never want to see a 4 song, hour and 15 minute album pop up when you're behind on the project. An hour and 15 minutes can be a slog when like the band in question and there's 16-17 tracks. When it's 4 tracks?! You know you're in trouble.....Or so you think. The album is listed as 'Rock' in apple music, but "Slightly All the Time" is 'Jazz' not sure what they're talking about. I like it a lot. Track 1 didn't leave much of an impression, but "Slightly All the Time" is a great jazz track that went straight into my instrumentals playlist.

I just didn’t get it

Still not sure how I feel about this album. It starts off really experimental and tricky to listen to but as it goes on it gets more prog rock/jazz sounding, which I was a fan of. 6/10

A pretty exhausting listen. Found myself checking how far along I was before the second song even finished. Just way too long Favorite Song: Moon in June

Too long. Won’t listen again

Has potential if I’m in the mood. Originally was a Double album that had one song on each side. Hazard profile is a nine minute plus banger.

No. Just, no. Not even bothering adding one of these to my playlist.

Not super familiar with this band except as a note from other bands. Not quite sure what I was expecting. From the opening notes, I got the idea that this was going to be skronk jazz; the kind of music that those steeped in John Zorn and his games would be familiar. The first number had parts that made me think of Jethro Tull. It moved along with noise and floated into pieces of musicality that felt very jam band like. How much was improv and how much was this free flowing stuff? Not quite 50s cool hep cat stuff but something going forward. There was a section in Slightly All the Time that smacked of Stereolab. The instruments, the fuzz and the occasional droning. Maybe even that joint that they did with Nurse with Wound. Not sure that these guys come from music concrete because I don't hear anything that isn't instruments. Moon in June. Did Art of Noise listen to these guys? Maybe Peter Gabriel or Pere Ubu? Many may have taken from this scene if not this band. The last cut of Out-Bloody-Rageous is like primitive Binaural Beats or ASMR freakiness in parts. The whole piece feels a numbers of snippets jammed together without making a whole. So, this won't be a lot of folks cup of tea. To me, there is a driving force through each song. Sure, there is some meandering but it is like a dog off a leash following his master's trail. It more or less goes somewhere without being super structured all the way through. Some pieces have a direction that is understandable to untrained ears while others feel cobbled together. This went by fast but I could see how some folks would find this interminable. There is something to knowing where something is going that is helpful. It is relaxing and feels moored and not so noisy. I liked this album. I didn't find it too noisy. It does feel a bit dated. Not like a new band reaching back but rather something of its own time. I don't think this is super brilliant nor just a piece of trash noise or just sounds. It is musicians doing their thing and reaching a moment where they feel confident. This is what pleases them. I'll give it a 3 although I may put this on at some type of swingers orgy to sort the wheat from the chaff, if you know what I mean.

Jazz isn't something I'd listen on a regular basis, this is a good listen, but I don't think I'll get back into it.

Holy shit this one is good! Lock in cause it's a journey through groove. 10/10, required front to back listen.

If a band like Yes made this stupid album, I’d be like, “whoa, what a genius concept and execution.” But if Yes made this album, it would be so much better because it would have genius execution. Instead, this is a four song double album of self indulgent jazz drivel. Good, but forgettable.

This period of Soft Machine, before they went into total prog jazz soulless showboating is highly enjoyable. Third is a nice transition from the very English first 2 albums, seems to me like they are incorporating a lot of ideas from Albert Ayers, Ornette Coleman, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and Terry Riley into this. Gets a bit too noodly at times, but overall a very satisfying psychedelic excursion.

I really couldn't wait for this to be over.

Do you like random sounds that go nowhere for over an hour? Then Soft Machine have the album for you. The only thing that’s Out-Bloody-Rageous about this album is that I had to waste my time listening to it. As clear a 1* as you’ll find.

This album had some good moments. Tracks 2 and 4, had some nice jazzy elements which I enjoyed. Overall, however, it was far too long-winded and impenetrable to be truly enjoyable.

I’m no prog or jazz-rock hater, but Jesus was this album hard work. It’s so meandering, shapeless and self-indulgent, painful and hideously dull. The pattern is set with ‘Facelift’, the opening track, as we get five minutes of ambient noise before anything vaguely musical comes in. It improves later on, but never becomes more than okay even in its best moments. This applies to the whole album really. I liked ‘Moon in June’, the only track with vocals, even less, due to the terrible singing and lyrics. The album also suffers from weird edits, and poor sound quality and production.

tom for ord

Some real jazz fusion, not that Steely Dan stuff. Absolutely terrible tho.

Bloody hell, utter tripe.

2 mins in, what is this - some avant garde noise recording. Low fi, widely panned. Please let it turn into music.. Nearly 6 minutes to reach something musical in any sense. I do like it now it's started but why sit through so much noise before starting. Style is hard to describe, it's somewhat atonal/out of tune. Ah then it gets to a jazzy/funky section, bit like a 70s action film score. Levels are so low I'm at full volume and can barely hear it. I guess the best way to describe this is an avant garde improv jazz album Ooh, singing comes in in Moon In June It is all quite skillful, and pleasant in places but it's just too out there for me I like the end (16:00 onwards of Out-Bloody-Rageous). Polymetric, arpeggios, like Animals As Leaders or something Best track - Slightly All The Time 3 stars

Some kinda avant-prog psychedelic jazz. An absolute behemoth of an album with 4 tracks and an almost 80 min runtime. These guys are far out in space man, and they’re determined to bring you with them. And there’s a whole lotta cool shit in there if you open your ears and take the trip. The bass held my attention closely, anytime I got lost it brought me back in. Did I mention there’s not even a fuckin guitar??? Who cares once you’re seeing the universe on the atomic level man. It’s an album that’s almost impossible to rate after only 1 day, but after listening I’d like to spend more time with it because it’s original, innovative, and intriguing. And thats good enough for me.

Not really for me. I can kinda get bits of it - and I like the idea of each band member writing a song/ side.. Mostly, I didn't like the vocalist.

i like some of the chord progressions. a bit weird for me

My only solace is that Spotify had grayed out the 4th side of the double album so I couldn't listen to it. Drudgery.

I liked parts and can appreciate some of the weird sounds but come on.

Prefer their debut! Moon in june is great! The rest is decent, but at times self indulgent prog jazz that doesn't seem to end.

I mean this was better than the Playing With Fire album we reviewed before it. But I couldnt be arsed with the self indulgence of this typa jazz after that. Generous 2.

Don’t get it

I didn’t know Keyboard Cat made an album in the “70s! Seriously, once I saw Robert Wyatt’s name in the band lineup I knew I was in for a long one. It actually ended up slightly better than Wyatt’s solo work, so cheers to his band mates.

I’d listen again, but it would be much better with sections of each 15 minute song eliminated and the third song abandoned. SOME good jazz sections.

It kind of feels like dudes just noodling on their instruments for an hour, and I'm someone who likes instrumental music a lot, but these songs don't feel like they're going anywhere on rhis,

4*

Didn’t hate it!

I'm usually a sucker for this type of music and while I did like this one, I wasn't as drawn in as expected.

Phew, listening to this album was a real slog. What’s surprising is that it’s a live album. It was certainly innovative for its time. I doubt, however, that it was as influential on the genre as the accompanying article claims. In the end, I couldn’t bring myself to listen to the whole thing. The first track, in particular, is downright nerve-wracking and ear-splitting. 2/5

Oh for fuck's sake...

okayyyy

None of these songs are savable or worth revisiting. There are plenty of good moments, but I don't want to sit through any of these songs again to find them. 2.1/5

I tried, with this I really did but no matter how good a song might sound, 18 mins of instrumental won't do it for me so it came to an early end. Some things just aren't made fro everyone.

Favorite songs: There were passages in most of the songs that I liked but as a whole the songs on this album were not for me.

Lovely psychedelic jazz-fusion which even gave me Coltrane vibes at points. The only thing keeping it from 5 stars for me is the extremely poor vocal performance on (ironically) the third track.

Best Song: Slightly All The Time. This had some nice jazz sax to counteract the sludgy prog. Worst Song: Out-Bloody-Rageous. I just don't find this kind of "everything but the kitchen sink" songwriting style compelling at all. Overall: Not great psychedelia. 20 minute sprawling songs, without much purpose or unity between them. Instrumentals are okay but nothing particularly memorable. Vocals are weak. Electronic aspects sound particularly dated. Very meh.

Kind of excited for this one after reading GPTs breakdown. It is described as Jazz Rock. There are only 3 tracks on Spotify though. But that's a combined total of 56 min. This first track is a little anxiety ridden, like nails on a chalkboard. that whole first track is just noise man, couldn't even finish it. The second track was a little more enjoyable but damn this is brutal. 2 stars.

This had parts I enjoyed along with weird parts. Overall I think if it was slightly less of the weird I would have liked it better.

Super super interesting Starts off jazzy and by the time the last track comes it’s just this amalgamation of sounds and fades back into the haziness I loved the flute in the first song Favorites: moon in June, out bloody rageous I expected a lot less because this generally isn’t my genre although I was pretty impressed Probably 3/5 but 3.5 is tempting

It should never have started out with such a long intro - but after those 6-7 minutes it actually gets pretty cool. I will say, though, that I need a break before the end of the record. But two listening sessions make it work

It’s a great album if you skip the first 15 minutes and the last 45 minutes

Incomprehensible progslop for the most part

Glad that half of this album wasn't available on Spotify. Nearly an hour was about all I wanted to hear of this one. Some segments were decent but overall I did not like this one.

I trudged through the first time and found peak. 3/5

Very different when you listen to with only 1 headphone at a time.

Jesus

You cannot deny this is an album. I like prog a lot more than the average guy but this isn't good in any sort of way.

Baustelle, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Weird shit.

“There’s no option to give you a zero so I give you a one”. Dissonant, unsettling, lost the plot Playlist add: "Moon In June" because I had to put something there

gosto mt da vertente do jazz "free peidinho molhado"

Talvez se eu peidar em um microfone por 1h54 min e publicar, eu entre nessa lista.

I should have taken the advice from the person who said not to listen to track 1 first. It didn't get better for me, just a slog of a listen. Not for me at all.

I don't think this is for me. This album (and the songs) are LONG. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but this just didn't keep me interested all that much. I fund myself wishing it was over several times throughout, so that is not a good sign.

Look I don’t think any of these are bad but I don’t have 2 hours to listen to an album at the moment so the rating goes down on that one

Awful I hated this so much

Starts out dogshit Then gets less bad Never gets good

High highs and long periods of noise

This feels like a very "you had to be there" album. I was not there.

the hell

This was pretty friggin weird and cool. Gotta let it seep in.

At first I was disappointed that Spotify didn't have the 2nd disc of this release, but quite soon after starting playing the 1st disc I was very happy about that. Awful.

Another prog-rock "classic" from an English band is in this book. I was already on edge because Robert Wyatt is involved with this band and I have not totally enjoyed the two albums he has in this book. The first track sounds like a song that Chicago (whose debut album is in this book) would have written, except I didn't like it quite as much as I like Chicago's jazzy horn sounds. I had a difficult time determining where the first song ended and the second song began. The last song, Out-Bloody-Rageous, has less than 100,000 plays on Spotify which seems bizarre to me considering that's about 20% of the plays the 3rd least popular track has on this album. These are all four really long songs and I don't see the purpose of this album's inclusion in this book. Facelift takes about 7 minutes to actually get moving in a direction that doesn't sound like just jazz-ish noise. Other groups do prog-rock, and even jazz prog-rock, better and they are already represented.

Like a progressive/jazz jam band. I'm intrigued and enjoyed it but probably wouldn't really listen to it much.

Now it took me a bit to get into this, the first track is a doozy on the start up. I did like it though! Kinda just zoned out and went with the vibes. for sure not an album for everybody though if you don't like prog rock/jazz noise type of stuff.

3.5/5 Jazzy and odd

Un ascensor COOL.

Some of the most self-indulgent bullshit I've ever listened to. There is some prog I absolutely love, but this ain't it.

Got a bit confused at first, and I don't think Spotify has it all, but this one was a banger for sure!

i will have to revist i think i could like it but this is just too much for me.

1,5 Highlights: Slightly All The Time, Moon in June

Once I got past the painful cacophony of the first track, it settled into a very cool avant garde jazz fest. Groovy and enjoyable.

Na een radiostilte van drie weken head first in een prog jazz album duiken. Ik kan er niet eens boos om worden dat dit geen succes was. Dat eerste album van ze had nog enigszins een normale structuur, wat toch wat meer houvast biedt als je geen prog rock liefhebber bent. Dit daarentegen registreert mijn brein moeilijk. 5/10

Zoals vaak bij progrock werd ik hier niet warm van. Er zaten hier en door nog wel wat leuke fusion dingetjes in maar over het algemeen niet een plaat die ik perse had willen horen alvorens ik sterf. 5/10

It felt kinda self indulgent at first, but when it started to progress, I realized that there's no wrong note here at all. Great mix of prog and jazz, great discovery

Startet rart. Tok seg opp.

Way too long and the first track was borderline unlistenable

Imagine members of Soft Machine had to give up being freeform musicians and applied their undoubted randomness skills to other occupations... Imagine one of them performing surgery on you and you wake up after an operation to find your knee bone is connected to your head bone, your head bone is connected to your finger bone, etc. You'd have similar feelings of discombobulation as listening to their cats-on-piano "music" for over an hour. Physically and mentally scarred I am after an hour of this bollocks in my ears... Bollocks in my ears? Sounds like one of their surgical manoeuvres 😬

This one is a mixed bag, and it took a few listens to figure out properly. I like tracks 2 and 4, not 1 so much. I like elements of 3, but find the singing really grating. Interesting listen though - some talented musicians on here.

just some bullshit

If your opening track is 18 mins long at least make it interesting from the get go… Haha, turns out they love a 18-19 min track and all of them are a yawnfest! To much noodling and a doodling for my taste.

some songs i had to skip entirely, and others part of... it felt like pure noise at times rather than a flow of music that was enjoyable

Too obscure for me... And the songs are extremely long

Kinda scary honestly.

that was weird. background music.

Сперва не въезжаешь, а потом как въезжаешь.

After reading some of the reviews I was prepared to really dislike this. So it was a pleasant surprise to find it quite wonderful. It builds. The first track takes a while to get into its stride. By the end I was loving every minute. The musicianship is so skilled, and the composition flows from one idea to the next until it feels like there's a surprise around every corner. Delightful!

This was an extremely long album, with two discs, but luckily the second one was unavailable on Spotify, so I got away with listening to only around an hour and 20 minutes of noise. This is possibly worse than the out-of-tune jazz that some people like listening to, but the general idea is that it's not really something enjoyable, but it is something that I would listen to in the background of a very intense chase scene in an old movie.

Lots of things lately show not available in my country. Frustrating.

i don't have a problem with longer songs, i quite like the buildup in them, but nothing on here besides moon in june really piqued my interest. i'm not opposed to doing this one again sometime, i think with time it'd grow on me

Wow, the beginning of the last track feels really ahead of its time and beautiful. I like all of the last three songs quite a bit.

Very jazzy, enjoyed it.

my brother in Christ, I can’t do this

It was good, solid prog rock I’ve never heard before. Not the whole thing was on Spotify but I liked what I heard. Four stars

I actually like this more than the first two soft machine albums, which I have on CD someplace it’s kind of more meditative probably not something you’re gonna put on at a party, but it’s kind of nice instrumental music for the most part.

At first i hated it. By the end I could dig it.

What a start on track 1, nearly ten minutes of rather unpleasant noise. After that it becomes actual music for a while. Some of the music is fine in a vacuum I guess, but this presentation is probably not for me. A double album of long (18+ minutes EACH TRACK), meandering jazz tracks. When there are vocals, they feel half-hearted and they're nearly drowned out by the instruments. I'd much prefer shorter self-contained tracks. I can see it working for someone, but I can't get into it.

Neljän monsterimitallisen Pehmytmasiina. En ole näin ristiriitaista levyä kuunnellut vielä tähänmennessä. Noi jazzisaxot yms erikoisuudet pistää irvistämään tosi pahasti, mutta sitte taas välillä basso, urut ja rummut laitto höristämään korvia että ompa ihan kivan kuulosta. Mutta ei niin kivoilta että olisin päässy yli jazzeilusta. Levyllä vedetään niin yli genrerajojen että en ihmettele ollenkaan että on ollut jotain todella jännää tullessaan. On kyllä vieläkin.

Melekosta jatsia, kauheen hyviä ukot varmasti on soittamaan, mutta ei ehkä omaan makuun tämmönen pitkään junnaava jatsailu. Sinänsä musiikissa ei mitään vikaa, kävi vaan vähän tylsäksi pidemmän päälle

I'm glad I'm not dead. A great album I never would have listened to. It earns it's length. 8/10

could not get behind this

jazz rock be jazzing and rocking. some of the tracks, particularly track 1 drag on a little bit but overall a very good prog rock album. particularly enjoyed moon in june.

i felt ascended

I think it's really bold of them to have put this on the list: atonal, psychedelic rock with free jazz and prog influences! So, on a second listen, I have to admit that I enjoy this more than I thought I would. Sure, sometimes it's disjointed and takes a while to get going, but once it does, it becomes a slow simmer of many different influences. This must have turned some heads at the time—hell, it still does today! I particularly enjoy Robert Wyatt's drumming here—very precise and crisp, keeping the sound relatively earthy. I'm not a big fan of his atonal vocals on the third track, however. Sometimes Elton Dean's sax playing is more ugly than interesting, and the same goes for Mike Ratledge's organ noodling. The fourth track is actually the coolest of the lot, with its busy, syncopated, polyrhythmic approach, as well as a good mix of frenetic jazzy passages and keyboard-focused drones and interludes. Overall, a very interesting listen: dark and intriguing, but it could have used a little more weeding to be a top album. (I usually like cosmic jazz, but here it's a bit too much.) Way too long for what it is. 3, maybe 3.5 stars, depending on what day you put this on.

Third by Soft Machine is a terrible album. But at least it's really long. Track one sounds like a talented group of musicians trying to replicate the melody of a fax machine. Tracks 2 and 3 sound like a cacophony of sound that sounds like jazz, if you described jazz to someone who has never heard jazz. Track 4 sounds like something like prog, but it's still long and listless and pointless.

Neprišiel som tomu na chuť

I thought every part of this without vocals was great. Let's all just agree to forget about the singing.

Long instrumental tracks of psychedelic rock spiked with free jazz. The structures feel meandering and the mix is far from pristine. These guys seem like avant-garde weirdos who have little interest in making accessible music. The opening minutes are dark and drone-y, which is a pretty bold move considering that there are cool riffs and horn parts later in the track. Soft Machine don’t seem to mind potentially turning off the listener. They trust you’ll stick around. Parts of this reminded me of King Crimson’s “In the Court of the Crimson King,” which came out just a few months before this was recorded. But this album doesn’t have nearly the same level of songcraft and production as that album. And maybe Soft Machine didn’t even want that. Their music is built around extended jams, not songwriting. “Moon in June” actually has some vocals but man those vocals are grating. We’ve had two Robert Wyatt solo albums on this list and I felt the same way about his voice then too. There are some nice parts in this song but a lot of it feels queasy. Ooh I like the way this final track “Out-Bloody-Rageous” starts. Really beautiful. This track develops and expands nicely. The band finds some nice grooves. It’s probably my favorite here.

"Slightly All The Time" is a beautiful piece of music that really takes you places. My favorite section is around the 8:00 minute mark where the electric keyboard in the left ear plays a beautiful dissonant 3/4 part and locks in tight with the drums. Great feel and really intriguing part. Some interesting production ideas on the record, I feel like sometimes things conflict pretty hard when it comes to "space" in a track, but other than that it is a pretty nice listen.

Third feels like a musical journey, sometimes amazing, sometimes confusing, but always interesting enough to keep you curious and engaged.

Fun!

Improvisational jazz, by it’s very nature, will have some really nice moments. But the best you can say about the rest is “interesting “.

This is fine for a soundtrack. Or elevator music. The one song with lyrics/singing is Moon in June and it’s still to experimental to be what I’d call “enjoyable”. Pass.

hated it

Might have been great/groundbreaking at the time of relaese. But not something I enjoyed at all. Really basic

That's three for three absolutely terrible album recommendations.

How intense of a fever dream should I risk before practising self-care xo. (Read: Gave up towards the end of the first one).

fav song: moon in june messy, loose, disjointed 40/100

I tried with this one but this is probably for musicians more knowledgeable than I to enjoy. It feels like a noise project with jam band and jazz influences. Couldn't make it past the first track, although I did listen to it's entirety

Facelift 3.4 Slightly All the Time 3.5 Moon in June 3.3 Out-Bloody-Rageous 3 Score: 3.3

I was prepared to give this a 1 at the beginning but it really grew on me. It's a blend of Jazz and prog that I'm quite fond of. I think that you do have to be in a kind of specific mood to enjoy this but it was good thinking music.

I couldn’t get through this. It’s just too much. There wasn’t enough holding it together to make it a proper progressive record. The talent is there, I just don’t think I like this bridge between psychedelic rock and progressive rock. Maybe if I was insanely fucked up.

Fist Listen; 4; There is a lot going on with this album, and I'm really enjoying it. I've listened through it a few times, and there's just a lot to unpack. A big blend of avant garde, jazz, prog rock, ambient music, and others, mixed in with weird sounds and blasts of noise. Although I've given it a few listens, I still don't have a full handle on it. At the same time, I want to keep listening to it to see what else there is, and for that reason, it gets a high score for me. Favorite Track: Out-Bloody-Rageous

Gave it a whole three listens today. Wild, kosmiche-esque music, that's not quite too proggy or jazzy, but does both just the right amount. Brilliant album. Have to give it five stars, no way about it. Nyt tiedän myös, että Notkea Rotta on näemmä sämplännyt Moon in Junea Mielenterveyden timpuri -biisiinsä. Kaikkea sitä.

I know that this is THE canonical prog rock but it's too much for me. There were some cool parts but it's mostly background music with little dynamic. I get that it may be the point, but this thing is for people who really like this specific kind of music. Good for broadening the horizons and for work though.

I read "Third is a live and studio album..." on the Wikipedia blurb and knew I was gonna be in for an interesting time. It was a pretty good time, too. I liked all of the weird experimentation on the opener and the really long sax solo in the second song. The guy's singing got a little much on Moon in June but the song was still fun. I liked the part where he was singing the organ part in the start of that song and did little embellishments with the organ whenever he got to a held note. The soloing in general on this album was great, so good thing it took up 90% of the whole runtime.

Early prog rock/fusion. Not the best, but a good early start to the genres.

Not for me but not offensive. Just a little unmemorable.

ANGER is what i felt 5 mins into this "album", incoherent scales and an 18+ minute live opening track are not a good way to draw me in. It did get better though i must admit, hints of Pink Floyd in the later tracks. Still, I'm convinced some of the albums on this list are some sort of social experiment, we'll see the results soon enough.....

Third?? Wouldn't even put this last!

Worts and all this feels proper king crimson, there’s some nice ritualistic drone passages, some really interesting solo-ing on the first half but it does feel abit too Moonchild at points and the vocals are weak. Good overall

Orket ikke alt for å si det sånn

So texturally creative. It’s a joy to hear how all of the sounds come together and start expanding through the songs’ progression. Incredibly detailed with the direction of every curve and bend being very specifically chosen. Faves: Facelift - Live, Moon In June, Out-Bloody-Rageous

Rock-jazz/prog rock. It's a genre that doesn't usually do much for me. This was in that same vein, and it was fine. Not a bad thing to have on in the background.

I should have known that evil elf robert Wyatt was involved. Not as bad as his solo stuff at least

++

Album 1082 of 1089 Third- Soft Machine (1970) Rating : 1.5 / 5 This one was a bit of a tough listen for me this morning. The album leans heavily into experimental territory, and a lot of it feels more like sound exploration than what I’d typically think of as songs. There are long stretches where it comes across more as sound effects and abstract ideas than something built around melody or structure. That’s not to say there isn’t intention behind it - there clearly is. You can tell this is a band pushing boundaries and trying to do something different. It just didn’t line up with what I was in the mood for today. Sometimes with this 1001 Albums journey, you get something that immediately clicks. Other times, it’s more about just showing up, pressing play, and seeing it through. This one fell into that second category for me. I turned it on, I listened, I finished, and I turned it off. And that’s part of the deal with doing this. You take the ones that hit, and you take the ones that don’t quite land. On to the next one… let’s knock this last week out.

Tried to get through this, but it's just too jazzy.