Talk:Third (Soft Machine album)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is within the scope of WikiProject Jazz, set up to organize and expand entries on jazz and related subgenres, as well as other related subjects. If you would like to participate, you can choose to edit the article attached to this page (see Wikipedia:Contributing FAQ for more information).
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Albums, an attempt at building a useful resource on recordings from a variety of genres. If you would like to participate, visit the project page, where you can join the project and/or contribute to the discussion.
??? This article has not yet received a rating on the quality scale.
??? This article has not yet received a rating on the importance scale.

The article has not been rated for quality and/or importance yet. Please rate the article and then leave comments here to explain the ratings and/or to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the article.

In fact, Third predates Bitches Brew by a few months. And, except for the final track and parts of tracks 2 and 3, it is not a typical jazz fusion record. The band's imaginative use of collages is here at its most radical, to the point that the first track is actually built from two full-length live renditions (recorded early 1970).

Apart from the extraordinary beauty of the music in the whole of this album, and its early placement in the history of jazz fusion, a remarkable feature that strikes anyone interested in the complex evolution of the band itself is the fact that the Soft Machine was at a transitional phase, one full of tension but also of fascinating originality. Between the Second and the Third they added a four-member brass section (Dean, Dobson, Evans, and Mark Charig, not featured) that allowed Ratledge trying written arrangements of new as well as earlier material. Thus the complexities of tracks 1 and 2, mainly. The Fourth album still has this sophistication, mainly on the opening track Teeth, but the live performances by the 4-men lineup (Ratledge, Wyatt, Hopper & Dean) were far from that sound. To listen to the septet on late 1969, One should look for the collection BBC Radio 1967 - 1971 Sessions.

Track 3 is the only vocal track and, if for some an oddity, for most of the rock fans it is the favourite. Composed two years earlier by Wyatt and also collecting from other of his ideas, the vocal part itself is almost completely played by him, to be collated with the collective sections of the instrumental half.

Third is also marking the height of the keyboard playing by Ratledge with this band and the full maturity of Wyatt's playing. The latter is considered by many as one of the best drummers ever to appear in pop/rock/jazz records, if not technically at least musically speaking. The contributions by Dobson in track 1 are quite interesting and Elton Dean is rather restrained in his avant-garde playing, which in the context of this album appears to be quite fortunate.

[edit] Try again

"In fact, Third predates Bitches Brew by a few months."

In fact, it does no such thing. Take another look at the recording dates. If you have any time left over from your verbose waffling, that is. (And if you also consider Bitches Brew a "typical jazz fusion" record, you have a few other issues to sort out as well.)

[edit] Fair use rationale for Image:Soft Machine - Third.jpg

Image:Soft Machine - Third.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to ensure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images lacking such an explanation can be deleted one week after being tagged, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.

BetacommandBot (talk) 04:58, 18 February 2008 (UTC)