MAGIC IS A CHILD

Since the beginning, NEKTAR always have kept the same line-up until 1976 until a mini earthquake shook the foundation of the band when guitarist-lead singer, the heart of the group ROYE ALLBRIGHTON left the band. That would have been a big blowto any band, but NEKTAR somehow managed the situation quite well. They found a good replacement in american DAVE NELSON.

We are now in 1977 and you know this was not the time to write great prog epics anymore, so for sure we were not expecting A TAB IN THE OCEAN part2. Moreover, it was already long ago that NEKTAR produced a real prog album, so don't be surprised to find here again a rock songs album! Yes, 4-5 mns rock songs that could fit for any FM -radio format. But there are real good jewels on this album. Also, not everything of the past is forgotten.

The arrangements are clever with a lot of prog touches- nice keyboards from FREEMAN, especially, on piano, nice harmonies. The new guitarist sounds...well, very american, some good hard rocking, but never too far from its predecessor like in EERIE LACKAWANNA. This is not straight rock without imagination, it's well thought, well arranged like the instrumental parts on TRAIN OF NOWHERE or the great LISTEN.

The title track MAGIS IS A CHILD is a little jewel with a beautiful melody, a great harpsichord playing throughout the whole song with a string quartet that makes this song the most proggish on this album.A real wonder! Obviously, this is the most commercial album released by NEKTAR so far; nothing wrong with that when the music is good. I am sure songs like SPREAD YOUR WINGS or AWAY FROM ASGARD were written with the intent of reaching radio airplay-which they didn't-

This is an album that can be listened with pleasure; just don't look for complexities, time changes or experiments; Don't try to find any remains left from JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EYE. There aren't any! This is even hard to imagine that it is the same band that made these 2 albums; 2 worlds apart.In a way , it is. At the beginning, they were recording in 1970 Germany in a burgeonning krautrock scene; Now they are living in 1977 New JERSEY at the time recording companies were putting pressure on their bands to record more straightforward FM-radio oriented music.

This is the last NEKTAR record i am reviewing presently as i was never interested to listen to their next albums. I read about them, confirming my intuitions, that there will never be another JOURNEY TO THE CENTER of something again.

The next album MAN OF THE MOON will see the return of ROYE ALLBRIGHTON, but MO MOORE and RON HOWDEN were not present. The 4 original members will reunite again in 2003-2004 and release a live album recorded at the Nearfest held ..in NEW Jersey where they would revisit their old classics . Now the band is still touring and recording, but only with ALLBRIGHTON and HOWDEN as original members.

NEKTAR was a good band, but never one of the best of the prog world !!they never were in premier league, but 2 albums of them JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EYE and TAB IN THE OCEAN belong to the best recordings ,prog music has produced.

Thanks for that; especially JOURNEY!!

I forgot to mention the cover is gorgeous and the girl gracing it is a 13 years old BROOKE SHIELDS!!

3 STARS!

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