Soft Heap - Soft Heap (1978)

The only studio album from this Canterbury super group. With a name with "Soft" incorporated, comparisons with Soft Machine is automatic made. Soft Heap consisted of Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean, Alan Gowen and Pip Pyle though. Only Hopper and Dean played in Soft Machine. Gowen and Pyle played in other bands though. All of them very gifted musicians. Sadly, all of them has passed away now.

This album starts out like an avant-garde jazz album where Hopper is probably the biggest driving force. This album is a slow, slow starter which promises nothing. It opens up though after the first two compositions and the Gowen - Dean solo team really gets going with some very good solo runs. The album turns into a pretty intense groovy jazz album from there on. It never gets easy accessible or even melodic, though.

Unfortunate, this album does not turn out any really great melodies either. It is only saved by some really great musicianship. Musicians which does the best out of a pretty barren material. This is one of my least favorite albums from the "Soft" family. A very weak good award is awarded.

3 points