Land of Cockayne is the in conclusion album yesteryear the band Soft Machine, released inwards 1981. By this point, the band contained none of its original members. The championship refers to the medieval nation of plenty.
The album came most as the upshot of a projection inwards which Karl Jenkins together with John Marshall had been involved featuring travel yesteryear session musicians. The advertising hoc band, Rollercoaster, had of late recorded the Stevie Wonder tribute album Wonderin' together with decided to tape to a greater extent than or less other album together. Many of the musicians included on the Cockayne album would brand upwards Soft Machine's in conclusion alive line-up which played a six-night residency at Ronnie Scott's inwards 1984. This is the solely Soft Machine album to characteristic a string section.
Excellent task remastering together with adding an informative booklet to this wonderful cd. the championship of this cd is based on a medieval vision, Land of Cockaigne, a misfortunate man's paradise of effortless abundance. i've been a soft machine fan for decades together with absolutely loved the progression inwards trend this band developed. to my constant surprise are those critics to dislike the changes this band had made. alter is the solely thing permanent inwards life people. this cd is really melodic, together with romantic, with added strings from the composition together with musical direction of karl jenkins. jack bruce on bass, can marshall drums, can taylor, allan holdsworth, alan parker, dick morrissey together with ray warleigh circular out the band. most of the music is really beautifully composed together with gentle. at that spot are a duo of pieces that "rock" to circular out the residual of trend on this cd. sadly this is the in conclusion of the modern business upwards of soft machine cds. at that spot has been a lot of older textile beingness issued, which as good is wonderful. precisely if you're a fan of progressive jazz, this is a delightful cd to own.
This, the in conclusion album recorded nether the call Soft Machine, has been much maligned as beingness extraneous to the legacy of a band who forged a unique together with genuinely progressive path through the tardily sixties together with seventies. The truth of the affair is that it actually is a Karl Jenkins projection inwards all precisely name, precisely it should non last unfairly filed with the library music of the posthumously issued `Rubber Riff'.
One await at the players listed hither should say anyone that this non a bland collection of half-baked instrumentals, precisely quite a feast of surprisingly rigid musical sketches. Jenkins leads (as keyboardist together with conductor) such talents as the mighty Jack Bruce together with Allan Holdsworth together with twin sax maestros Ray Warleigh together with Dick Morrissey. John Taylor contributes to a greater extent than or less starting fourth dimension shape Fender Rhodes, piece Softs cohort John Marshall is as reliable together with vibrant as always on drums.
The album is a suite of varied instrumental pieces ranging from appealing, sunny pieces for sax together with wordless vocals, melodic ambient excursions, string sections, together with rigid themes which allow ample fourth dimension for character soloing from the giants gathered here. Yes, it is slow on the ear, precisely it carries a gravitas which relates dorsum to Jenkins' compositions for before incarnations of Soft Machine. The extended `Panoramania' together with `Hot Biscuit Slim' both retrieve the joy of a beautifully scored caput topic ushering inwards a collection of solos yesteryear musicians who yesteryear virtue of their pedigree brand every Federal Reserve notation count. `Black Velvet Mountain' is a wonderful showcase for Allan Holdsworth's powerfulness to travel within a melody, which similar his function with the Bruford band of this era, exude the authorisation of a seasoned player. `Sly Monkey' offers farther prove that an Allan Holdsworth solo is a thing of slap-up joy, peculiarly when complemented yesteryear the every bit purplish saxophone of Ray Warleigh.
Tracks Listing
1. Over 'n' higher upwards (7:24)
2. Lotus groves (4:57)
3. Isle of the blessed (1:56)
4. Panoramania (7:07)
5. Behind the crystal pall (0:53)
6. Palace of drinking glass (3:22)
7. Hot-biscuit Slim (7:27)
8. (Black) velvet mount (5:10)
9. Sly monkey (5:00)
10. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lot of what you lot fancy... (0:35)
Total Time: 43:51
Personnel
Karl Jenkins – keyboards, synths, orchestration
John Marshall – drums, percussion
Jack Bruce – bass
Allan Holdsworth – Pb guitar
John Taylor – electrical piano
Ray Warleigh – alto saxophone, bass flute
Dick Morrissey – tenor saxophone
Alan Parker – beat guitar
Stu Calver – vocals, backing vocals
John G. Perry – vocals, backing vocals
Tony Rivers – vocals, backing vocals
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