Bundles
Soft Machine · 1975
42 min · 12 tracks · progressive rock
A complex tapestry of jazz-inflected rock interwoven with intricate melodies and experimental textures.
Top tracks — play these first
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Hazard Profile, Part 1 — This nearly ten-minute opener sets the tone for the album with its intricate rhythms and shifting time signatures, showcasing the band's experimental prowess.
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Bundles — The title track encapsulates the album's essence with its blend of catchy hooks and sophisticated arrangements, demonstrating Soft Machine's unique approach to jazz rock.
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Land of the Bag Snake — With its playful yet complex structure, this track highlights the band's ability to juxtapose accessibility and avant-garde elements seamlessly.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
Bundles showcases intricate compositions and distinctive guitar work, marking a notable evolution for Soft Machine.
What we noticed
- The album features five distinct sections in the 'Hazard Profile' suite, each with varying tempos and instrumental focus.
- Allan Holdsworth's guitar work introduces complex, jazz-influenced solos that contrast with the more structured compositions.
- Composition 25% of the score
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8/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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7/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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8/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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6/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- dynamic emotional journeys
- long, immersive listening sessions
- layered, dense sonic textures
- gradual builds and payoffs
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Bundles marked Soft Machine's transition into a new era following the departure of founding members. Released in 1975, this album was their first with guitarist Allan Holdsworth and showcased a shift towards more structured compositions while still embracing improvisation, reflecting both change and continuity within their sound.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Can· King Crimson· Hatfield and the North
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Hazard Profile, Part 1 9:18
- 2 Hazard Profile, Part 2 2:21
- 3 Hazard Profile, Part 3 1:05
- 4 Hazard Profile, Part 4 0:46
- 5 Hazard Profile, Part 5 5:29
- 6 Gone Sailing 0:59
- 7 Bundles 3:14
- 8 Land of the Bag Snake 3:35
- 9 The Man Who Waved at Trains 1:50
- 10 Peff 1:57
- 11 Four Gongs Two Drums 4:09
- 12 The Floating World 7:12
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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