NEKTAR

I could not help laughing heartily while listening to this "prog's greatest hits reworked" from the improbable space rock legends Nektar , I mean I still sadly remember the 70s when the top selling albums were LPs sold by the über-commercial K-Tel Productions , the great white shark of the glory days of radio rock. Proves you can never say never, I guess. The songs proposed here are all basic classic hits from those heady days when FM radio ruled the roost. Obviously (and it was clearly not the intent) the versions here are nowhere near as evocative as the originals, I prefer to view this collection as a tribute to the giants of the past and as such I can only state that at least these songs stood the test of time and where clearly more intricate that the sugared garbage offered up by the AM crowd.

Nektar brings in a slew of prog stalwarts, looking like a who's who of progressive rock, from Rod Argent, Patrick Moraz, Edgar Froese, to the Wakeman/Howe/Downes trio , then throw in Nik Turner, Mel Collins, Simon House, David Cross and Jerry Goodman, you have the Prog Hall of Fame cornered! It would be way too easy (and therefore crass) to start blasting this as "a pile of morass, not as good as, why worse, blah, blah, blah". Let's get a life, bygones be bygones and just sit back and enjoy, for Peter Criss-sakes! I actually really put my rarely poisoned pen down and just decided to go down memory lane and let the music wash over me. By doing so I realized that these tunes really do stand the test of time, albeit as a spoonful instead of a whole buffet. There are some outright classics here, Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" is outstanding whilst featuring Tangerine Dream's Froese, Nektar being a space ?groove band this should not surprise. "Riders on the Storm is equally interesting, Argent's luscious keys combining with bass maestro Billy Sheehan to lay down some spooky justice. "Fly Like An Eagle" stays very close to the Steve Miller Band classic as Downes controls the spacey keys. Then you have Hawkwind's violinist Simon House screeching on the Stones "2000 Light Years from Home" and on Roxy Music's "Out of the Blue", funny that pairing as Ferry never forgave Jagger for stealing away the sultry/skanky Jerry Hall. Oh well, that's for the gossip column readers. Both tracks do well, in the short run. Steve Winwood penned "Can't Find My Way Home" actually works nicely with cameos "traffic" by Howe, Collins and Derek Sherinian. "Blinded by the Light" has Ginger Baker pounding the skins, how can you go wrong? Dave Albrighton's wicked wah-wah drenched solo does Dave Flett justice, but it's not a note for note cop, thankfully. Some others are plain bizarre , such as the Gamble/Huff classic "For the Love of Money" with Ian Paice doing some disco drumming and Nik Turner howling on sax, I mean it's good but weird! Mark Kelly guesting on Rush's Spirit of the Radio"? Okay! But it's not 'rushed', that's for sure! Toto's classic pseudo-prog "Africa" has original singer Bobby Kimball revisiting the mike while Pat Moraz does the ivory thing. Finally 10cc's sardonic tearjerker "I'm Not in Love" gets the Wakeman treatment , I really laughed hard at that?? Neil Young's "Old Man" is pretty awful though, crucified by David Cross's violin. Just be glad that there was no "Smoke on the Water" remix featuring Jon Anderson, hahahahahaha! "Dream Weaver" is a Gary Wright classic that gets the Goodman treatment, a Little Mahavishnu groove to "get you through the night ?..and reach the morning light". Good god what a chuckle that was!

Hey, we elitists take our fandom way too seriously most of the times and lest we forget that a strong sense of humor is what kept our beloved genre alive during the bleak years, when the mellotron was stranded in the Sinai, searching for the Promised Land. So liven up, proggers and progettes! This was pure entertainment, lots of fun, nothing worthy of five stars, absolutely no profound philosophical referencing here, just good clean revelry. Now, where are my Anekdoten albums? I need to listen to those, now. (Laugh track loop)

4 shovels of hahahas

Nektar's fourth studio album is an ambitious suite piece of music which occupied both sides of the LP record. Although not as accomplished as "A Tab in the Ocean", the challenge asumed by the band makes it worth the fourth star in my opinion. The music is great at especific times as the piece evolves and develops itself in its musical terms but I have to admit there are weaker moments and some of the singing parts are a bit poppish to my taste. Nevertheless, the strong rocky parts sufficently balance the whole content into a very valuable piece of music.

Remember the Future can have been Nektar's attempt to make something like Jethro's "Thick as a Brick" -in terms of duration- though the purpose is definitely in some other direction. At a time when this kind of records proliferated as happily as mushrooms after the first autumn rains (think not only of Jethro's classic masterpiece but also of "Tubular Bells" and subsequent Oldfield's recordings), it is not strange that Nektar felt the need of doing something similar, having been always an adventurous band in what style, influences and production concerns.

As in "A Tab in the Ocean", the musicianship the band shows is astonishing and the sound is so tight and the music so well performed you fell you are in front of one the greatest rock bands of the seventies. I can't imagine now why Nektar didn't have the status other contemporary bands had at their time (and I'm not speaking only of Yes, Genesis or E,L&P, but of Van der Graaf, Strawbs, Camel, etc).

If you haven't listened to Nektar, this can be a good point to start, which can be implemented by getting the 2011's remastering (The Nektar Deluxe Editions) with a double cd including a live version of the whole two-part title piece and a bonus cd with a whole live concert recorded in Brazil (Vivo Niteroi- Live in Brazil) in 2007, where Nektar played live for the first time and were acclaimed as heroes by a 30-year longing audience looking forward to seeing one of their favourite bands play a classical repertoire, including some of their best pieces from an over 35 years careeer.

An excellent Progressive Rock addition to your music collection: * * * *.

Ibnacio

If you're into Space Rock, like me, one day you'll end up bumping into this band called Nektar. In my case it took a few years but I eventually got there. There are all sorts of oddities about Nektar, starting with the fact of this being a British band based in Hamburg. They were well into the German progressive scene of the day and were of one of the first bands working with Dieter Dierks, along side names like Embryo, Gila, Wallenstein and Tangerine Dream. Naturally this has lead some folk to simply classify them as a Krautrock band; a closer look reveals otherwise.

Their second LP, A Tab In The Ocean, was recorded in 1972, with Dierks already well established as a master of the Krautrock scene. It proposes a surprising and exhilarating voyage through some futuristic landscapes never explored before. All wrapped in a recording very particular of its place and place. The strident sound of the guitar and especially some drum elements may make it a though hearing for some, especially those used to Hi-Fi quality. But with some effort the melodies eventually emerge and overwhelm the listener.

A Tab In The Ocean

An epic journey through different soundscapes with beautiful alternating tempos and instrument effects. The vocals are very melodic, several times pulling the song out of instrumental chaos into comfortable territory. It's a roller-coaster of sounds that remains brilliantly coherent throughout, spanning all of the A side. It is like a sort of spring mechanism that emerges you back and forth into exhilarating melodies. This is really one of those epic pieces that cannot be described with words, only by hearing.

Desolation Valley/Waves

A gentler track that opens the B side, contrasting with the breathless pace of the opener. Desolation Valley eventually evolves into a more muscled chorus but beautifully slowly dies off into the soothing Waves, a mellow composition that makes justice to its title.

Crying In The Dark

A mellow start follows on the steps of the previous track into a less intricate melody. The organ commands this composition that is a slow build up into the closing of the LP. Roye Albrighton tries his most ambitious vocals here, and to some good effect; brilliantly, King Of Twilight arrives as a natural sequence.

King Of Twilight

A short epic piece meandering mellotron and vocals with organ and guitar in alternating tempos, reminiscent of the opening track. Although an intricate composition for Rock standards, it steel creates the space for a sing-along chorus that will stick in the listener's head. It is the right closure for the album and the B side, making it feel complete in itself.

The album is only 35 minutes in extent, a short run for today's standards, but without a single second wasted; there is much more music in this LP that in most over one hour long CD released today. The end feeling is to simply press the replay button, or you're lucky enough, to flip the disk back to side A.

The Veredict

A Tab In The Ocean portraits a more melodic side of Space Rock, lacking Free Jazz elements, more underpinned on the lascivious atmospheres created by the organ and the mellotron, in effect quite apart from the bare and emotionless explorations of contemporary Krautrock.

The fact is that by 1972 only Pink Floyd had achieved this level mastery in the Space Rock genre; bands like Hawkwind or Eloy were still on the build up to their finest moments. This is the first point that make it deserve the title of a Masterpiece: it was not only the first great record engineered by Dieter Dierks, it was one of the very first Space Rock alba ever recorded, contemporary of Lonesome Crow and Doremi Fasol Latido. It presented new paths that were followed both in Britain as in Germany.

The second point that makes me call it a masterpiece is its uniqueness. The strident drumming and guitar make this LP sound clearly dated, but it ends up lending it a distinctive charm; it would be impossible to make something like it today. I'm still in doubt if the apparent low quality of the recording was really technical in nature or a mere artistic option to make it sound apart from British music, just as UFO did with Flying. The strident guitar is an hallmark of early Krautrock (Michael Schenker and Manuel Gottshing come to mind), but even their recordings sound somewhat more polished. Intentional or not this is a definitive characteristic of this record, that ends up highlighting the brilliance of the compositions, rising above all else, overcoming any possible technical shortcomings and engulfing the listener into its distant universe.

An unavoidable element in any Space Rock catalogue.

This has to be my favorite Nektar album. It all came togetherso perfectly. The progressive nature of the Nektar never seemed more prosperous than here. At least in my opinion. Nektar is one of those bands unfortunately enough partly forgotten, partly ignored. Their albums are all worthy several spins and offer great music.

As always, making one track (or in this case two) ranging over 10 minutes, and as on this album, nearly double that time, takes skill and genius and Nektar possesses both. They manage to make these two sidelong tracks feel short, like a regular 5-minute song. I guess the secret lies in the changes of melodies and riffs and the re-occuring themes. But that's not the whole secret, just partly. The greatest secret is Nektar itself who makes the music so worth while, never allowing it to grow boring, disoriented or in other ways lose focus or the listener. That's truly genius.

4,5 stars, in my book and an obvious buy.

Aah, yes, the old "Tab in the ocean" has to be one of my all time favourite prog albums. Hearing the tremendous music behind the glorious cover was sheer bliss. And still is, mind you, the odd 15 years after I first. Heard it. Listening to it again, for the first time in a year or two I still get the same sensation of joy and amazement. I've always stated that a song lasting anywhere between 15, 20, 25 or 30 minutes but feels like two must be some sort of masterpiece. The way the music flows in the title track is amazing. It pulsates, grooves, intrigues, fascinates and brings great pleasure, never allowing me as a listener to wander off elsewhere in the mind. I'm there, concentrated and stuck in the moment for the whole duration. That's class and classic, in my opinion. The remainder of the album is in similar quality - great music, steeped in hard rock but firmly grasping the progressive genre, encompassing space-rock. The music is intriguing but not too overly complex. There's much to discover but I find it to be likeable in an instant. The recording will not provide you with the clearest sound you'll ever hearbut for me that's besides the point. The music is what matters and though I sometime wish they'd been able to record it in a slightly more crisp way I now feel it's part of the charm. A true classic and a timeless album. Not in the sense it could have been recorded at anytime between then and now. It's a timeless album in the sense that it's just as good today that it was back then. Not dated, only matured and rich in taste.

The grotesque, Iron Maiden-like cover made me curious about what Nektar could be up to in 2012. Upon reading the track list, I thought, "Gee, these aren't very creative titles." Then it occurred to me that this was a collection of covers. That could be fun, but what's disappointing is the selection of the songs. All of them are overdone. "Spirit of the Radio" and "Wish You Were Here," for instance- what can really be added to these songs? Maybe if Nektar had done an acoustic rendition of the former and a hard-rocking version of the latter, it would be worth checking out, but no- these are almost note-for-note covers that do nothing that makes the hearer not wonder why he didn't just listen to the original.

"Sirius" About what could be expected for a cover of this Alan Parsons Project intro, this does feature a fuller, more modern sound, with great guitar and synthesizer tones.

"Spirit of the Radio" A competent rendition with synthesizer and a fuzzier sound. Unfortunately, this song just doesn't suit the vocalist, who doesn't reach the notes and lets some of them drop off.

"Fly Like an Eagle" Nektar's take on this Steve Miller groovy classic is fairly faithful to the original, even down to the Nintendo-sounding tones wafting ever upward. The bass is deep and satisfying, but once again the vocals are lacking.

"Wish You Were Here" Pink Floyd's most famous acoustic song receives a gritty guitar solo, but the vocals are languid and lack the cynically nostalgic tone of the original. The driving outro in double time is fun.

"For the Love of Money" Yes, this is a cover of the now forever recognized as the theme song to The Apprentice, a funky ditty by The O'Jays (who are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by the way) that has the word "money" repeated in falsetto. Nektar's version concentrates more on the flashy brass in a repetitive jam mode.

"Can't Find My Way Home" Yet another tune that's been covered to death,

"2000 Light Years From Home" From The Rolling Stone's psychedelic rock album Their Satanic Majesties Request comes this spacey rendition that sounds like it could have been made in the 1970s.

"Riders on the Storm" I've always disliked this song from The Doors, considering it boring. Predictably, this remake doesn't make me like it any more, although the organ solo is cool.

"Blinded by the Light" It's hard to improve upon Manfred Mann's exciting and famous adaptation of this Bruce Springsteen tune, and Nektar doesn't. It plods along with half the energy and enthusiasm the tune deserves.

"Out of the Blue" The "Out of the Blue" in reference here is the only by Roxy Music, which Nektar slows down a bit and makes a little louder.

"Old Man" Neil Young's famous tune gets a slightly prog rendition with some slick violin throw in.

"Dream Weaver" Gary Wright's favorite is treated to a halfhearted try. Again, nothing to expect here.

"I'm Not in Love" 10cc's tune gets remade with some keyboards, but is still just a bland piece.

"Africa" This is a sad, sorry, cheap "Africa." Nintendo could have done better in 1992. It's terrible.

Real heady stuff from 1971, this extraordinary slab of acid-drenched psychedelia introduced the world to the sounds of British outfit Nektar. Continually mistaken for a German group due to their success in the land of krautrock, Nektar are one those curious groups who boast a large-and-loyal fanbase almost everywhere apart from their own homeland. Why you say? Well, it might have something to do with the fact that like The Beatles and many other British acts before them Nektar decided to hone their craft on the German club circuit, before the inevitable local chart success was followed by recognition throughout both mainland Europe and, latterly, the USA. However, whilst their later material embraced a much more progressive aesthetic, their first two albums mined a distinctly cosmic style that embraced strange sound effects, trippy sonic soundscapes and strange, sci-fi style concept themes that featured a distinctly teutonic streak. Not unlike Ash Ra Tempel bonded with Uriah Heep, 1971's 'Journey To The Centre Of The Eye' tells the mind-frying tale of astronauts experiencing strange happenings during some outer space quest to unknown alien galaxies and beyond. Its all rather bizarre, and don't be surprised if you can actually sniff the marijuana fumes eminating from the lysergic tones of Roye Albrighton's cosmic guitar licks, as yes, its that kind of album. However, it has to be said that 'Journey To The Centre Of The Eye' also features some incredible moments amongst all the not-so-subtle drug references and science-fiction exploits, the album chopped up into thirteen sections that includes the roaring proto-psychedelic metal of the fearsome 'Astronaut's Nightmare' and the searing guitar licks and tribal percussion assaults of the suitably-titled 'Burn Out My Eyes'. Eventually, the album closes on a genuinely grandiose note, as screeching riffs, doom-mongering keyboards and sizzling sound effects erupt in a final blast of cosmic madness on 'Death Of The Mind', and the Journey is finally complete. Never before have the words 'one of a kind experience' been so apt. STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012

It sounds like everything Nektar ever wanted to be came to fruition on REMEMBER THE FUTURE. This album is at worst the blueprint to FUTURE, but TAB IN THE OCEAN can at least stand on its own.

The excellent half of the album is actually the second side. The blistering hard rock of ''Cryin' in the Dark'' and ''King of Twilight'' is up there with the best of them. They envy REO Speedwagon in terms of sound, but strike that headbanging lobe in the right spot with a dash of their prime psychedelic tone. Add that to the smoother psych/blues/jazz of ''Desolation Valley'' and the world's most interesting void in ''Waves'' (recent CD remasters merge those two tracks), and the end result is psych rock nearing excellence.

Unfortunately, the epic could have used some working the kinks out. While the riffs are dynamite (particularly the opening march), the singing is dramatically there and the psych is proper, the connecting/flow is poor. It's a bunch of cool psych riffs ruined by haphazard cutting and pasting. I could crab that more streamlined jams needed to come out of these sessions, but then Nektar dropped SOUNDS LIKE THIS on the world, an album with some of the poorest jam sessions I've ever heard.

If you want Nektar to sound more prog, TAB IN THE OCEAN is right for you. However, REMEMBER THE FUTURE is where one should start discovering Nektar.

Somewhat undervalued by prog fans and often mistaken for a German act due to their popularity in that part of Europe, Nektar have nevertheless enjoyed a fairly successful career since the release of their 1971 debut, the dense psychedelic concept piece 'Journey To The Centre To The Eye'. Since then, the British outfit have slowly developed from an early-Pink Floyd style acid-rock group into purveyors of fully-fledged progressive rock, as evidence on the excellent sophomore effort 'A Tab In The Ocean', the 'live-in-the-studio' double album ''...Sounds Like This' and 1973's fan favourite 'Remember The Future', all the while building up a loyal following throughout Europe and North America. Like many of their colleagues, they produced their best work during the early-to-mid part of the 1970s, before pursuing a more commercial direction as the musical times began to change. Released in 1974, 'Down To Earth' - another concept album-of-sorts - can be counted as the last essential Nektar release before American success blunted their once highly cosmic edge. Featuring Hawkwind vocalist Robert Calvert as an eccentric ringmaster introducing many of the tracks, the album revolves around a highly-original circus theme whilst also employing a hard-rock approach that wouldn't again be utilised until the group's 21st century material saw them, like many others, returning to their roots as progressive rock started to rise in popularity again. However, unlike it's predecessors, 'Down To Earth' is fairly brief, featuring a selection of memorable, slightly quirky(as befits the them) but ever-so-slightly lightweight songs, a style that would also grace follow-up release 'Recycled' and also appear in a softer, gooier guise on 1977's sentimental 'Magic Is A Child'. Simply put, 'Down To Earth' was Nektar's first step on that tricky commercial road many popular progressive rock groups would tread as the synthesized 1980's loomed ahead. Thankfully, however, there are still some excellent Nektar nuggets to be found here, with the psych-tinged rock of 'Nelly The Elephant' backed up by some wonderful keyboard-guitar interplay courtesy of Roye Albrighton and Alan Freeman on the intense mini-epic closer 'Show Me The Way'. Although this is very much a streamlined version of Nektar, 'Down To Earth' is still recommended to those who enjoy the group's earlier recordings, though the cosmic ambience of the first two albums has been replaced by a more anthemic rock sound. Still, there is much satisfaction to be gleamed from experiencing the group's skilful mixture of complex themes and dynamic musicianship, making 'Down To Earth' the group's last real entry into the progressive rock canon. Recommended.

STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012

High concept to save the planet.

"Recycled" may be the most progressive album for Nektar, who were one of the most creative musical forces of the 70s. This album is a dynamic followup to the quintessential "Remember the Future" and "A Tab in the Ocean".

'Recycle' is a progressive catchy melody with many time changes and brilliant musicianship to kick this classic album off. It ends with a narrative talking about sustainable living and recycling, before it was in vogue to do so. 'Cybernetic Consumption' blends into 'Recycle Countdown' instrumental merging into 'Automation Horrorscope' with a strong melody and vocals of Roye Albrighton also excellent on guitars. He is joined by Allan "Taff" Freeman on keyboards, Derek "Mo" Moore on bass, and Ron Howden on drums. The music is a suite similar to the music on previous releases. 'Recycling' is part of the suite and then 'Flight to Reality' and 'Unendless Imaginations' finishes side one of the original vinyl.

The music is organic flowing perfectly from one section to the next. The guitar work ranges from lead soloing to slide guitar sweeps. There are harmonies in the vocals that lift up the atmospheres; speaking of the planet in turmoil "forcing natures slow decay" and the answer is "recycled energy becomes the only forms of life", but there is "not much time before we go down, down, down, down, down." It rises to a crescendo and a spacey synth and effects ending with a gong splash and a sprinkling of crystal chimes. Larry Fast was a pioneer of Moog synthesizer and his work here is analogue at its best. The English Chorale conducted by Robert Howes is also a strong augmentation to the powerful soundscape.

Side two starts with 'Sao Paulo Sunrise' where side one left off with high pitched chimes and an aeroplane drone. At last a song begins as a rhythm strikes up with psych guitar and vocal harmonies. The time sig changes dramatically leading to 'Costa del Sol' with rhythmic Latin flavours and some powerful arrangements of keys and sparkling effects taking the music into 'Marvellous Moses'. The melody is infectious and Albrighton's guitar soars wth fast lead work. The vocals are always a drawcard of the sound and this is a memorable song; "I've never met a man like Moses with so much time". The rhythm is a straight 4/4 for a time with pop nuances but it soon changes into an odd meter, with grandiose Moog synth chords and an instrumental break dominated by keys. The synth swooshes lend a spacey texture and a new sig locks in.

'It's All Over' ends the album on a high note as it is certainly one of the highlights, a song that grows on you. The track is heard many times in a live performance. It begins with a beautiful 12 string acoustic, and then balladeering vocals begin; with phrases such as "your world is so upside down, take the high road and you'll take the low one, I'm torn apart from your many changes, it's all over now." The Moog keys are layered and follow the simple melody with well executed bassline and percussion. It ends with dramatic piano and guitar picking; a melancholy atmosphere as our helpless planet awaits its fate.

Overall Nektar's "Recycled" is yet another blockbuster album for the band. It has a timely concept and a message to grasp I one wants to; Part One critiques the power of destruction at the hand of greedy man as he destroys the environment that he is meant to cherish and protect; Part Two tells of a better future, a sustainable lifestyle and it is an optimistic line of thinking as though it were already happening, which it isn't. Therefore the album conceptually may be a warning to protect the planet before there is no planet to protect. It meant a lot to Nektar, and the 70s generation, and it is perhaps a message that resonates more these days with the issues of global warning and campaigns to keep the planet green. It was to be the last definitive prog album for Nektar before they became distanced from the adventurous music only to embrace a more commercial sound.