Nektar

hieronymous wrote: Tom Ozric wrote: ^ Correct - Mo used a Ricky during those days (after Tab and onwards). He had a great, crisp sound (not unlike dear Squire, bless his soul) and please do persist with Recycled. It's a beauty. I started listening to Nektar in the late '80s - a friend lent me vinyl copies of Journey to the Center..., Tab, RTF, Down to Earth, Recycled, and I believe one of the live ones. I taped them, found that Tab & RTF were the ones that touched me. The bass playing and sound was definitely part of the allure for me, being a bassist myself - finally chanced upon a Rickenbacker 4001 in 2002 (right before prices started skyrocketing) - but I was hooked ever since I heard Roger Glover, Geddy Lee, Lemmy, Chris Squire, and Mo Moore... Really coming to appreciate Recycled - thanks for the encouragement - I like the way you hear little riffs, runs, and chords that remind you of other Nektar things, and yet are different. Stuff that goes all the way back to Journey to the Center of the Eye, to which I am listening as I type. But I'm done with Nektar. These four albums are pretty much all I plan on listening to - will enjoy these, but don't plan on plumbing the depths anymore - maybe give the live album a shot but I can't get into an album whose theme is the circus...

Being a (try-hard) bass player myself, complete with a Ricky 4001, armed with the right gear, but hideous talent, All you state - Geddy, Squire, Mo, Glover etc. are my inspirations - can only play a few tracks well from each......
Anyway, you don't want to delve into the circus concept of DtE, let me say this much : on a day that I whopped from trade-school (i.e. - didn't want to attend....) armed with a 'friendly bud', I got blasted and headed down to my 2nd-hand record shop. I came back with Down To Earth, and also the album Circus (by Argent). Both are, coincidentally, Circus-themed..... and the NEKTAR album blew me away (the Argent didn't let me down, either) If you do decide to 'take the plunge' - yes, it's 'song' oriented, it's often overlooked, but man, Mo's Ricky playing sure wins out on this one. He is sooooo under-rated as a bassist........... At least Steve Harris (Iron Maiden) acknowledges his talent. 'Magic Is A Child' also sports some outstanding Ricky bass from Mo - sure the songs aren't mind-blowing (except for 'Listen') but still enjoyable. Be sure to check out the latest 'Time Machine' album from them - Billy Sherwood holds the bass (not a Rick, unfortunately) but does an A-class job.
The thing that really makes Recycled special for me, is the catchy compositions, Mo's bass playing, and the addition of Larry Fast on his Moog synths (modular 'telephone exchange' model, like Emerson). What a whopping album. I'm generally 'anti-commercial', but some things, if done correctly, win me over (Kajagoogoo being a case in point..........don't ask......)

yes, Recycled is a gem, all right. A unique and very special atmosphere it creates.

Finally picked up Recycled, the 2004 reissue with the original album mix & Geoff Emerick mix. Wasn't too impressed on my first couple of listens, which was only a couple of tunes each time. Now I'm listening again from the beginning and starting to get into it! The bass sounds wonderful - I believe that Mo Moore used Rickenbacker basses - sure sounds like it anyway! I was ready to write it off, sell it after one more listen, but now I think I finally see/hear what people like in this album.

dennismoore wrote: Rednight wrote: I'm game. Where did you meet Mr. Albrighton? Hi Rednight.  :) Sure, it was at the Nektar reunion(orig 4 and Larry Fast & Mick the lighting wizard) it was at a festival in Camden NJ around 2004-5. The band hung out at their hotel after the show, a connected Nektar fan told me where this was. I met all the gang.  Roye and his lovely wife were there and they were beyond gracious.  I had made a custom Nektar CD w\art for Man In The Moon & Remember...(neither were released on CD at the time, so they were vinyl rips...) Roye was very impressed by the CD I made and asked me where I got some of the Nektar pictures I put in the insert.  I asked him to sign the jewel box and we talked about Nektar.  I told him it was a dream to see Recycled performed complete since Recycled was my favorite Nektar record.  His eyes perked up and he shared with me that Recycled was his favorite Nektar record as well.  We talked further and then he got mobbed.  Later I went to a table where he and his wife were sitting(Roye was sipping a Heineken) and we all chatted.  Roye couldn't have been nicer.  Mo Moore was very busy and seemed like he was in a hurry.   Taff is kinda quiet, but I met his wife earlier during the day and she introduced me to him that night, he was then very gracious and he opended up a bit to me.   Mick Brocket was totally cool and he loved my art design.  Ron Howden was also super cool and chatty. I had waited since 1978 to see these guys.  Nektar had broken up just as I bought my first record(Recycled) Great show and a great bunch of gentleman.

I'm now jealous of both you and Ozric! What a time that must have been.

^ Man - what memories........treasured for a lifetime
I almost got to chat with Roye but he seemed comfortable sitting with a blonde American lady (his wife ??) at the next table to where I was sitting. I didn't want to bother him. I did, however, got to chat with new keyboardist Klaus Henacht and that was cool enough. Top bloke.
They only performed side 1 of Recycled at this gig, and it was a blast. All the classics were played (Day In The Life....., all of Tab, a bit of RTF, some new stuff, Dream Nebula etc.). I only got into Nektar in 1989, so the chance to see them whilst on hols in New York, well, a total knockout, even with the revamped line-up.
Larry Fast really synergised the Recycled album - Taff didn't use much synth, so Larry really made this album spectacular.
Now, does anyone know the date of the Live In New York recordings ?? Taff takes some cool synth (ARP ??) solos and of course some killer Hammond. The More Live In NY LP seems very elusive to me - haven't seen a copy to this day.

dennismoore wrote: Tom Ozric wrote: Recycled - seems side 1 is a perfectly conceived 'suite' of sorts - it flows along for 18 minutes (or whatever) flawlessly. Side 2 is more like 4 separate tracks on their own. Still, quite a special album regardless..... I see it the same as you Tom, BTW, Recycled is Roye Albrighton's personal fav Nektar record (Roye told me himself.) Don't worry about Barney, if a song checks in at under 28 minutes, he won't even listen to it.

I'm game. Where did you meet Mr. Albrighton?

Tom Ozric wrote: Recycled - seems side 1 is a perfectly conceived 'suite' of sorts - it flows along for 18 minutes (or whatever) flawlessly. Side 2 is more like 4 separate tracks on their own. Still, quite a special album regardless.....

I see it the same as you Tom, BTW, Recycled is Roye Albrighton's personal fav Nektar record
(Roye told me himself.)

Don't worry about Barney, if a song checks in at under 28 minutes, he won't even listen to it.

M27Barney wrote: It may be that I was listening - expecting something else - I certainly didn't class it as symphonic?? No long tracks on it for a start!

You silly, silly English Kah-niggggggitt!

Recycled Side One is ONE LONG SIDE.    The suite is "Recycled"

for real

Although I bear responsibility, since I made you buy Recycled.  I am still shocked you don't like it.
Noting wrong with hooks and vocal harmonies inside of a long epic.

I'm in favour of the gold old Nektar times, the 1970's. I still can remember a thrilling live gig at my hometown alongside with Welsh band MAN

my favourite album is 'Remember The Future', though all the albums released beforehand are also great.

I can't make friends with their newer albums from this century, and last time when I saw them live, it was in 2007, that was so so, not really engaging ...

I stopped listening to them after Magic Is a Child, from which I only favored two songs: the title track and another on Norse Mythology (perhaps only because I like Norse Mythology). Are there subsequent albums that are worthwhile in having rekindled their Prog origins?