Six (Soft Machine album)

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


Released = 1973
Recorded = 1972
Genre = Jazz, rock jazz fusion
Length = 76:25
Label = Columbia
Producer = Soft Machine
Reviews = [http://www.music.com/release/six/1/ www.music.com]
[http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_CD.asp?cd_id=3240 www.progarchives.com] [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:7wkqoaeabijz www.allmusic.com] [http://www.progreviews.com/reviews/display.php?rev=sm-six www.progreviews.com]
Last album = "Five"
(1972)
This album = "Six"
(1973)
Next album = "Seven"
(1973)

"Six" is a 1973 instrumental album, originally released as a double LP by the British psychedelic, progressive rock and jazz/fusion band "Soft Machine" who were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene. It is their first album with Karl Jenkins (reeds, keyboards, from Ian Carr's Nucleus) who had replaced Elton Dean. The album is unusual in having the oboe as a featured instrument in a jazz-rock setting. The "B.O." to whom the track "Stanley Stamp's Gibbon Album" is dedicated is Bill Oddie. "Six" won first place in the Melody Maker British Jazz Album of the Year award in 1973.

Track listing

"Record 1 (live) 41:45"Side 1:"
#"Fanfare" (Jenkins) – 0:42
#"All white" (Ratledge) – 4:46
#"Between" (Jenkins, Ratledge) – 2:24
#"Riff" (Jenkins) – 4:36
#"37 1/2" (Ratledge) – 6:51"Side 2:"
#"Gesolreut" (Ratledge) – 6:17
#"E.P.V." (Jenkins) – 2:47
#"Lefty" (Hopper, Jenkins, Marshall) – 4:56
#"Stumble" (Jenkins) – 1:42
#"5 from 13 (for Phil Seamen with love & thanks)" (Marshall) – 5:15
#"Riff II" (Jenkins) – 1:20

"Record 2 (studio) 34:40"Side 3:"
#"The soft weed factor" (Jenkins) – 11:18
#"Stanley Stamp's Gibbon Album (for B.O.)" (Marshall) – 5:58"Side 4:"
#"Chloe and the Pirates" (Ratledge) – 9:30
#"1983" (Hopper) – 7:54

Personnel

*Hugh Hopper - bass, sound effects on 1983
*Karl Jenkins - oboe, baritone & soprano saxes, electric and grand pianos, celeste
*John Marshall - drums, percussion
*Mike Ratledge - organ, electric and grand pianos, celeste

Record 1: Recorded at the Dome, Brighton and at the Civic Hall, Guildford and mixed at Advision Studios, London during the months of October and November 1972.

Record 2: "1983" recorded and mixed at Advision Studios, London. All other compositions recorded and mixed at CBS Studios, London during the months of November and December 1972.