By the release of 1975's
Bundles, Soft Machine were on shaky ground in terms of quality. While they hadn't produced a bad album, they had had an unfortunate run of competent yet forgettable records, these being a far cry from the innovative, mind-expanding sounds they displayed on classics like their debut and
Third. With the addition of a young and furious Allan Holdsworth, Soft Machine were rejuvenated and revitalized. The undeniable chemistry achieved due to Holdsworth's arrival brought forth some of the most exploratory and adventurous heights ever reached, not just by Soft Machine but within jazz fusion as a whole.
Although having earned a reputation among a certain sect - wrongfully - for his alleged "sterile" and "soulless" playing,
Bundles showcases Allan Holdsworth at his rawest and most off the rails, clearly coming off the heels of Mahavishnu's insurmountable influence on fusion. Even Holdsworth's detractors would admire the unrefined nature on display. This is not to suggest, however, that this is unrefined in a piss poor, horrible-sounding way. This is not NOFX or Counterparts. This is
tight like your mom's pussy. Holdsworth's domineering brilliance more or less makes him the de facto conductor of this hellhorse symphony through beauty's bungole. The album's twenty-minute opener, the tour de force "Hazard Profile," ebbs and flows like crazy. Tension and release are on display - Soft Machine are having sex, and it's good. Ejaculation! On high. Turn up the volume on a hit of potent LSD and you will know tripping. This song climbs and climbs until heaven is reached, but they don't stop there. A series of shorter pieces provide a safe breather until the transcendent closer "The Floating World," a self-explanatory piece which achieves the atmospheric intentions it sets out with.
Bundles is an overlooked masterpiece of a musical journey. The last truly great offering by these titans, and a true launching pad for the maestro Holdsworth in every sense of the term.
