Soft Heap or, later, Soft Head seems rather a musical experiment than a band. I say this because it is a group of musicians – united under the same name – that have just released two albums, nearly in twenty years apart from each other, and a recording of a concert in 1978.
On the latter one I got to hear it in a happy story. It all started from a combination of intentional names, then I found it: the soft word comes from a band that I like in a special way, Soft Machine. Soft Heap is a project of saxophonist (Elton Dean) and the bassist (Hugh Hopper), in a conjunction with two other artists of the band Hatfield and the North.
Looking back at a time for jazz-fusion explosive when Weather Report had already launch Black Market, Santana joined the typical the Latin instruments besides the rock instruments or Hancock combine the jazz with funk, Soft Head appears as a discrete experiment – but no less valuable – in the bold category of artists gathered under the name Canterbury Scene.
Rogue Element is the only live recording of the band and, if we take as sincere and enthusiastic note on Allmusic, thank God that there was someone to do it one night in France late ’70s.
The album is likely – especially if you’re not a musician – to fill with awe when you realize how complex and clot – and everything in a fire – can call plays, both in it and in transition from one to another. Nor can you tell it’s a live recording if you hear vague in places, the applause of the audience.
Seven Drones achieve, for example, all sorts of shades, from the initial tone, dynamic and colorful, the flaps on the lyric and then agitated the saxophone, all ending in a strange sound, lost. C You Again emphasizes the virtues of Elton Dean, One Three Nine equals or dynamic throughout, Hopper’s bass coming to the ramp and laudatory descriptions may continue.
All in all it’s a good album, refined and not easily available if you have not heard a complex that sound very expressive and not necessarily in terms of emotional impact.
