Elastic Blog

  Nucleus: Live At Loughborough University 1976 (Esoteric Recordings) This double CD was previously released under the title UK Tour ’76 (Major League Productions, 2006). The following review of this album is reproduced in its entirety. The 2006 release included sleeve notes by Ian Carr’s biographer Alyn Shipton and Nucleus keyboardist Geoff Castle. There were eight photographs or illustrations included and it was presented in a double jewel case. The newly reissued version (Esoteric Recordings, 2026) contains six different photographs or illustrations. It also has a four-page essay by Sid Smith. The new remastered release is presented in a digipak format. (Recorded live 18 February 1976 and from information garnered from Ian Carr’s engagement diary for 1976: the concert took place in the Student Union Edward Herbert building of Loughborough University in Ashby Rd, Loughborough) This was a remarkable double CD released in 2006 by Major League Productions Ltd. It was remarkable ...

  Soft Machine: Slightly All The Time (Sony Music/Columbia) 17-disc box set. 14 CD + 3 Blu-Ray   A gargantuan 14-CD, 3-Blu-Ray box set celebrates the classic Soft Machine 1970-1973 recordings for CBS (plus, by way of a bonus, the Allan Holdsworth enhanced line-up in 1974) spanning five studio albums from Third to Seven , ultimately by way of a departure of some of the key members (Robert Wyatt, Elton Dean and finally Hugh Hopper) and a necessary infusion of some ex-Nucleus members, Karl Jenkins, John Marshall, and slightly later Roy Babbington (who had previously guested on double bassist on Fourth), consolidating a jazz-rock feel as opposed to Third's less categorizable yet undeniably jazz-influenced sound. Bulking out the five studio albums are a further nine CDs incorporating live and studio radio programmes and a hitherto unreleased alternate version of Fifth, plus the Royal Albert Hall Prom concert and three Blu-Rays of various televised concerts. Also included o...

Elastic Blog Welcome to my blog where I'll be posting reviews of new (and maybe some old) albums. I'm a jazz journalist and author and have contributed articles and reviews to  Jazz Journal  and  All About Jazz and have written sleeve notes for various albums and box sets. I also wrote the book Elastic Dream: The Music Of Ian Carr - An Annotated Discography (Jazz In Britain, 2023). The Ian Carr & Nucleus Website