Fourth (Soft Machine album)

Infobox Album |
Name = Fourth
Type = Album
Artist = Soft Machine


Released = February 1971
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://wc10.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:f9fixqu5ldke link]
Recorded = October-November 1970 at Olympic Studios, London
Genre = Jazz
Length = 39:13
Label = Columbia
Producer = Soft Machine
Last album = "Third"
(1970)
This album = "Fourth"
(1971)
Next album = "Fifth"
(1972)
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption =
Type =


Lower caption = 1999 re-release of combined "Fourth" and "Fifth" |

"Fourth" is a 1971 studio album by the Canterbury band Soft Machine. This was the last of their albums to include drummer and founding member Robert Wyatt who afterwards left the band to found Matching Mole.

In 1999, Soft Machine albums "Fourth" and "Fifth" were re-released together on one CD.

Review

At the time the band's music was moving away from their original brand of psychedelic and progressive rock towards jazz fusion; "Fourth" is the first of their purely instrumental albums. [ [http://www.progreviews.com/reviews/display.php?rev=sm-four Reviews at www.progreviews.com] ]

Track listing

LP Side one:1. "Teeth" (Mike Ratledge) 9:15:2. "Kings and queens" (Hugh Hopper) 5:02:3. "Fletcher's blemish" (Elton Dean) – 4:35LP Side two:4. "Virtually part 1" (Hugh Hopper) – 5:16:5. "Virtually part 2" (Hugh Hopper) – 7:09:6. "Virtually part 3" (Hugh Hopper) – 4:33:7. "Virtually part 4" (Hugh Hopper) – 3:23

Personnel

* Mike Ratledge - Lowrey organ & Wurlitzer piano
* Hugh Hopper - bass guitar
* Robert Wyatt - drums
* Elton Dean - alto saxophone & saxelloplus
* Nick Evans - trombone (1,2,4)
* Jimmy Hastings - bass clarinet (1,6), alto flute (6)
* Alan Skidmore - tenor saxophone (1,6)
* Roy Babbington - double bass (1,3,4,6)
* Mark Charig - cornet (2-4)

References