Alive & Well: Recorded in Paris

By this time, no original members of Soft Machine were left. Mike Ratledge was on the previous Softs album for "Ban-Ban Caliban" and "Song of Aeolus". On Alive and Well, Ratledge only programs the synthesizers for Karl Jenkins on the last song "Soft Space." Jenkins has now fully taken over and brings a bit more of a new age element to the band. This is evident on "White Kite", "Song of the Sunbird", and "Surrounding Silence." But they also jam, such as on "Eos", "Odd Bullets and Blades", "Puffin", and "Huffin."

　　There are a few similarities. For instance, if you have their Six album, you may find that "Song of the Sunbird" is similar to "EPV" and "The Nodder" is like "Day's Eye" from their Seven album. "Puffin" reminds me of something Allan Holdsworth might do. It could have been on the Bundles album. "Number Three" is a solo acoustic guitar piece from John Etheridge.

　　Anybody who likes this period of Soft Machine and has the Bundles and Softs albums, you really should get this one too. I think it's almost every bit as good overall. It does get a bit weak near the end though. "Surrounding Silence" shows off Rick Sanders violin playing, but in the background is a droning of two notes that never seems to end. Then "Soft Space" with its heavy-synth disco leanings doesn't sound like Soft Machine at all. Aside from the last two, the rest of the album is up there with Bundles and Softs.