RECYCLED

Although Remember the Future set an almost impossible to beat standard for Nektar, Recycled is every bit as good a concept album, with an added "maturity." The writing, arrangements and atmospheres on Recycled are handled beautifully, and are truly "appropriate," rather than simply being "thrown in." Recycled Part 2 (Sao Paulo Sunrise, Costa del Sol, Marvellous Moses, It's All Over) is among the best "sides" in prog-rock.

This is one of those rare magical albums which feels like its own planet out in space somewhere, inhabited by little sounds and creatures that you become familiar with over time and pay repeated visits to. Great keyboards, great vocals (even a choir, masterfully done), and one of the most grand and epic atmospheres possible to experience on record. I think Larry Fast's synth contributions make for a large part of this, which is why, for me, this is the Nektar album that stands apart from the rest and breaks through into the realm of classics. Flowing concept-style albums don't get much better than this.

Without a question NEKTAR's "Recycled" is an album you simply must have in your collection. In traditional NEKTAR fashion, "Recycled" while capturing all their NEKTAR'isms also expands into a space-like dream sequence throughout the album. Essentially "Recycled" is 2 album long songs each one containing some of NEKTAR's most memorable musical moments of all time. Overall "Recycled" is a highly intense piece of work with great care in song writing and theme building. Larry Fast performs synth work throughout: "Recycled" with tremendous results.

RECYCLED, released in 1975, is the last of Nektar's five-star works, and their crowning achievement. (Prior releases REMEMBER THE FUTURE and DOWN TO EARTH are also indispensable for the band's fans.) If you were to buy only one Nektar disc, this is the one that I would urge you to select.

RECYCLED, in classic progressive rock fashion, is a concept album with two suites of thematically-linked songs that segue, one into the next, to form a seamless whole. The first suite, "Recycled Part One," deals -- almost presciently -- with a future in which "recycled energy becomes the only form of life as it was," while "new forms are molded from patterns already used in a struggle to survive." (Thanks to man's ongoing devastation of natural habitats, we now forever lose a different animal species each day. Genetic engineering, anyone?) The lyrics are rightly disquieting, and are more timely and relevant now than ever. For example, though penned several years before the emergence of AIDS, and its horrific decimation of sub-Saharan Africa, a line in "Flight to Reality" could well represent the plight of poor countries like Uganda, whose populations desperately need, but cannot afford, the West's anti-HIV medication: "A nation's urgent need fulfills another's greed."

The second set, "Recycled Part Two" (the original vinyl's side 2), is less futuristic in scope, but no less urgent in theme. "Sao Paulo Sunrise" and "Costa Del Sol," with ironically danceable beat, tell of the despoiling of a tropical "paradise" by ever-increasing numbers of developers and tourists. Next, the lighter-hearted "Marvelous Moses" presents the tale of a modern-day miracle man and "tourist attraction," before the album comes to a moving close with the requiem-like "It's All Over." As the title would suggest, the song warns of the seemingly inevitable result of humanity's suicidal obsession with economic "growth," at the expense of the ecology that makes life on the planet worthwhile, and even possible.

The music accompanying this clarion call for greater environmental and humanitarian responsibility is harder-edged progressive rock, which expertly incorporates jazz, psychedelic, Latin, Caribbean and funk flavors. Guitarist Roye Albrighton's trademark catchy riffs and soaring slide work have never sounded better, and his vocals are delivered with impressive conviction and passion. Ron Howden's drumming is precisely as it should be, and bassist Mo Moore's thunderous Rickenbacker gives a solid foundation to the proceedings, while propelling them forward with tremendous impetus. Keyboardist Taff Freeman provides evocative synth "atmospherics," and displays a seasoned virtuosity on the piano, while guest musician Larry Fast of Synergy (who would go on to a fruitful collaboration with Peter Gabriel) supplies lush "orchestral moog arrangements" to further sweeten the prog pot. Top all this off with some moving choral sections and backdrops courtesy of The English Chorale, and you have a true progressive rock masterwork!

While all too many may elect to tune out RECYCLED's rather grim message, the music which sweetens this acrid but vital medicine is not to be overlooked! Mercy, mercy me -- an essential classic! Start "Recycling" today!

Folks unfamiliar with the band Nektar think they are from Germany. What actually transpired was the quartet of Englishmen met in Germany in 1969 and formed the band. Ron Howden (drums, percussion), Derek "Mo" Moore (bass, vocals), Alan "Taff" Freeman (keyboards, vocals) and Roye Albrighton (guitar, lead vocals) would become huge in Germany and nearly broke big the in the U.S.

Eclectic Discs/Dream Nebula Recordings have reissued the four critically acclaimed albums that defined the band's career. "A Tab In The Ocean", "Journey To The Center Of The Eye", "Remember The Future" and "Recycled" are lovingly remastered with detailed liner notes for former fans and the newly indoctrinated to enjoy. Their well- known masterpiece "Remember The Future" was appropriately chosen for the SACD format as well as "Journey To The Center Of The Eye".

Their sound was a progressive-psychedelic mixture of rock that was far ahead of its time. For this listener this was a new wonderful listening experience. Prior to receiving these CDs, I had not heard any Nektar music besides a video of "Remember The Future" on a DVD compilation. I can understand now what all the talk has been about the band reforming and going on tour.

Roye Albrighton was the driving force of this band. His skilled guitar playing set the table for his fellow band mates. Each recording was outstanding and stands as a testament to their importance to the history of prog-rock music. What made this so interesting was how the label broke up each album into two parts respectively, the original recordings versus the newly remastered versions. You are now able to hear succinct differences between the two formats for the first time. Both versions are excellent and it was a treat to get the best of both worlds.

Any prog-rock listener will most certainly enjoy taking in this musical paradise in more than once, I listened to each CD four times myself and I know there will be many more spins of each CD down the road. I look forward to catching Nektar 2004 on the road this year to relive all of these great songs in a live setting. I never would have decided to see them in concert if it wasn't for this remastered series.

Rating: 5/5 overall

Well I still remember the first time I saw the cover picture of this important album and the way I have been blown away for many years (along with Dice's "Four Riders of the Apocalypse", the present experimental album has not been outdone by any stunning concept,at least till the advent of bands such as Anglagaard and ECHOLYN...) !!In fact, apart from the splendid front cover with beautiful colours, the present long suite is an ever-green and I forget the uneven moments of the second half only;even though at the end the blend of space rock /progressive music, combined with a sort of progressive jazz, is exceptional.I have always been appreciating their experimental breaks-through within their development of this music "puzzle", during my first experience with this English band...well a "German" feel They have.Therefore,by considering the present remastered version as a real jewel still today, you can add their clever use of power chords at the guitar and a good taste at the piano as well (listen to track #2 for instance), in order to love this amazing debut album...of course the second half-as already explained to you above- is a bit uneven, but the final output is an unforgettable concept album, based upon 2 long songs and for me that's enough!!

Check this remastered version out!!

Rounded up to the upper star!!

Nektar is a band I have been aware for some almost 30 years , but I only really discovered in the mid-90's when I decided that they would not stay on my want-list forever. Having waited so long might have been a fatal blow to my liking the band as much as some of its contemporary groups. I have never really managed to appreciate the band's sound and hold the band's merits to the level it deserves. And this is because in between the release of Nektar's albums and my listening to them some twenty years later, a lot of groups came in and out of my sight/ear range.

Nektar , at least in the classic albums always had a very specific sound that with retrospect now was years ahead of other bands. If you just follow my train of thoughts for a bit, you will see what I am getting at. First , the fairly heavy and very guitar-ey sound of the band and the clear forcefull voice of Albrighton must've been so recognizable (i would even call it Nektar's signature) that many bands came to be inspired by it.

And many of those bands were 80's hard-rock, heavy metal or hair metal stalwart of that decade copied this sound . And it is no wonder that I think of groups/songs like Europe's final Countdown or many others (Survivor's Eye Of The tiger and so on..) , since I heard all of that terrible 80's FM rock well before I heard Nektar. Not one second would I suggest that Nektar is to be linked to the bands/songs I mentioned above , but to those who investigate this album, you might get an idea how modern the sound was/is and one may be surprise at the release date of this album just upon listening to it.

What my reasoning of course has not mentioned yet , is that if the sound is a bit 80's- ish, the format of the tracks certainly is not. Two long tracks cut in different movements , full of good interplay between Albrighton and Taff Freeman , swirling around the ever-changing but solid rythms are stunning! Just a tad directionless IMHO , mostly because I listened to this some 20 years too late. Some of these tracks would've made huge hits in the following years (most notably Automation Horrorscope).

However impressive I find this album (and other classic Nektar albums) I cannot bring myself to fully appreciate (not for a lack of trying) this band and this might explain my first statement in this review.

Rating for Recycled was, before mine, 4,69! So here's the very first less favourable point of view - in fact I can't listen the whole album through without headache. I don't quite understand why this is considered as a prog masterpiece. It would be exactly albums like this one that might some day make me sick and tired of the whole genre.

The opening track takes your breath away and the rollercoaster ride begins. The problem, for me, is that the speed of the ride - the same motifs appearing again and again - doesn't come down until the lovely final song 'It's All Over'. After Remember The Future (which I started to enjoy immediately some weeks ago and have learned to like it even more) I'm very disappointed at the SOUND of Recycled. It's too loaded and too full of synths; only in the final song there's that honest guitar rock feel I really can enjoy at ease.

The edition I listened to includes the whole album twice, the second round being the original (unreleased) mix that didn't yet please the band. Well, I rather listen to it, because the music was full enough without adding choral and orchestral stuff. Too much on my plate. (Edit: But I have later come to a conclusion that this deserves three stars. I was really too harsh on it at first!)

"Recycled" is Nektar's second master opus. This album is the culmination of the symphonic exploration that had got started in the "Remember the Future" album and had been partially interrupted in "Down to Earth". In no small degree was synth player Larry Fast an important item for the band's achievement; even though he was just a guest, he was given plenty of room to create massive orchestrations, cosmic layers and complementing leads on his arsenal of Moogs, in this way, enhancing the melodic richness of the new repertoire's basic compositions. Most of the time it happens that Fast almost buries Allan Freeman's deliveries on organ and pianos (grand and Wurlitzer electric); also, given the fact that Roye Allbrighton is more focused on riffing and rhythm waving than on soloing, Fast ends up functioning as the band's major melodic asset at the end of the day. not being a real band member. Paradoxes aside, the most important fact is that this album manages to recreate the band's penchant for big conceptual narratives articulated in ambitious musical frames going far more places than "Remember the Future" or "A Tab in the Ocean", as well as recapture the sense of energy and taste for melodic richness that had been somewhat lost in the "Down to Earth" album. As I see it (or, more likely, hear it), Moore and Howden are the Nektar members who deliver the most impressive job all through the album: Moore's bass guitar sounds really loud and relevant, many times reinforcing the melodic stuff by creating effective counterpoints against guitar riffs and synth adornments, while Howden's drumming and percussive sources are more inventive than in any other previous Nektar album. Let's check over the repertoire now. The seven sections comprised in Part One fill a well organized symphonic amalgam, which recaptures and enhances the epic spirit of "Remember the Future": the aforementioned synth orchestrations by Larry Fast and the use of choral arrangements near the end help to build a consistent musical journey from the initial tympani-driven storm signals right to the climax and the synthetic coda. What is left then for Part 2? Part Two mostly retakes the jazz-pop leanings that had first appeared in "Down to Earth", albeit with added colours of Latin jazz and funky: that's what happens during the sequence of the first 3 songs. The notable presence of synth stuff helps to build a persistent connection with the Part One material, although the musical ideas are clearly oriented toward a more optimistic attitude. Part One was focused on a criticism of the power of destruction that man inflicts on the environment he's supposed to cherish and protect; now, Part Two conjures images of a better future, as if the voice of hope was speaking its wishful thinking out loud. 'Costa del Sol' and 'Marvelous Moses' benefit from a harder use of guitar by Allbrighton and a more featured presence of organ and guitar in the keyboard department. But the gem of Part Two is the beautiful closing ballad 'It's All Over', whose melodic richness and emotional imagery may remind us of BJH or The Moody Blues at their most majestic. This song is typical romantic Nektar, and it serves as a realistic goodbye to a dream of happiness and harmony that is very unlikely to come true. Additionally, it is also Allbrighton's goodbye to the band, since this was his last album in the ranks of Nektar for a while (the same goes for visual associate Mick Brokett). Generally speaking, I like Part One better, but I also feel that the album works quite well as a whole: in short, "Recycled" is an excellent addition to any good prog collection.

Environmentally friendly

Released in 1975, "Recycled" was light years ahead of its time in terms of the message it contained. Apparently inspired by all the throw away plastic cups, packaging etc. in the studio, the album conveys the "save the planet" message which even today is struggling to be heard.

The recordings were mainly undertaken in France but, as with a number of other British bands, (Jethro Tull and Uriah Heep for example), the band were not particularly happy there, and returned to the UK to complete the album. Beatles engineer Geoff Emrick originally mixed the album but the band were not entirely satisfied with the finished product. They therefore secured funding from their record label to commission the services of the English Chorale. The album was then remixed, and further overdubs added.

An interesting aspect of the album was the guest performance of Moog synthesiser pioneer Larry Fast, this being one of the first albums to feature "polyphonic" moog sounds.

The original Geoff Emrick mix can now be heard in full on the remastered version of the CD in the form of "bonus tracks". It is very much a matter of taste which version you prefer, both have their own appeal, and of course the actual music is identical.

Although there are eleven titles on the album, there are effectively two tracks, and even then the split was only down to the logistics demanded by having two sides to an LP. The tracks flow seamlessly together, with various themes recurring throughout. Part one nominally consists of seven short tracks, but when heard as a complete piece, it is a wonderful, fast moving suite. There are suggestions of Yes, in particular the guitar of Steve Howe, on "Automaton horrorscope", and of Genesis on "Recycling". I was also reminded at times of Beggars Opera's excellent first album at times. The final track of part one "Unendless imagination?" brought to mind Utopia's "Ra" album, the pace finally relenting for the first time towards the more ambient, twinkly end of the track.

Part two opens with a reprise of the mood music which closed part one before bursting into life again for "São Paulo sunrise", apparently an ironic title reflecting the obliteration of the sun's light in that polluted city. The track veers towards the country rock of Crosby Stills and Nash, the following "Costa del Sol" having echoes of Home's magnificent "The alchemist".

"Recycled" has many of the ingredients which make for a great prog album. On first listening, it is thoroughly enjoyable with toe tapping melodies, strong hooks, and excellent production. This perhaps is where it is the album is slightly flawed, it is rather commercial. The instant accessibility of the music belies an underlying lack of depth which means after repeated playing, the album loses rather than gains appeal.

In summary, a thoroughly enjoyable album, even if it is in prog terms is a bit of a Bimbo.

This album was ahead of its time in ways that are both good and bad. As a socially conscious concept album that touches on environmental issues and the pros and cons of an automated world, Recycled is conceptually strong. However the actual music on display has a strong commercial sheen, sounding at times like a series of fused AOR anthems, well before the genre existed. In fact, considering that it came out in 1975, that prog-disco portion that kicks off the beginning of part 2 is pretty cutting edge too!

Although there are individual sub titles, and distinct sections, the album plays as two reasonably seamless chunks ... Recycled Pt 1 is 17 mins and Recycled Part 2 19 mins (the latter half of the secon part is my favourite segment of the album). It is full of catchy rock music of a kind that I almost never countenance nowadays ... I'm thinking Survivor/REO Speedwagon/Foreigner ... but with a proggy slant. A lot of people have said that as an English group based in Germany, Nektar bears a Krautrock influence, but to these ears, the music has a distinctly polished American feel.

The clean sound may be a progression from the earlier blatantly psychedelic stylings of an album like Journey To The Centre Of The Eye) but I must say it doesn't totally convince me. And while the band (the staple quartet of Albrighton, Freeman, Moore and Howden augmented by synth player Larry Fast) is extremely tight and competent, the boys demonstrates a singular failure to excite. God knows I'm lambasted many a player in the past for being too flashy, but I dare say that Nektar's music is a little too restrained for my liking (I can scarcely think of a good solo).

I must emphasise that I'm no fan of Nektar's and I think I've heard enough to be certain that tne group will never assume a place in my affections. This is not a poor album by any means, but I'm also left wondering what the hell the fuss is all about. ... 53% on the MPV scale

Having just seen them this past Friday in Morristown, Nj USA, this was the only album left to purchase from their classic period for sale in the lobby of the theatre. And it so happens to be my favorite by the band :-). Right from the get-go, its in your face, sonic and frightfully fast. The album is in two parts, and as all the other reviewers mention its about the ecology of planet Earth and our slow destruction of it. Music- wise, its the most symphonic of all their albums courtesy of synth wizard, Larry Fast. "Recycled Part 1" is as fast paced as symphonic prog gets. Mind-blowing and hectic, it gets your juices flowing and by the end with a chorus singing, and guitars crashing its exhausting, but satisfying. Side two, "Recycled Part 2" starts out slowly and builds itself into a more symphonic groove ending with an absolute beautiful choral, piano and light strumming guitar fadeout, (I crank it up because its just so tearjerkingly wonderful). Some people tend to pigeonhole this record as more AOR. I disagree. There's tempo changes aplenty. More groove-like, maybe, but its definately NOT AOR. It's aggressively symphonic without being bombastic. One of their best albums. And as a bonus, if you purchase the remastered version, you'll get the first mix of the album which is definately a different slant; no choral work, and less synths. Interesting but I enjoy the original recording. 4.5 stars!

The best from them , no doubt. Why this band don't hit the big time like other bands i don't know and understand. The quality of music on this one is excellent. I think one of the best conceptual albums from the '70. For me a inventive one in every way, and a classic in prog genre. One of my fav from the "old school" in prog. Enjoy the smoothness of Nektar, worth it. 5 stars without hesitation. Among the best albums in music, and my favourite from them.

Nektar is a BRILLIANT and I mean brilliant English Progressive Rock band of the 70s, I absolutely adore their style and their music, but Recycled here is one of their best albums.

Recycled is a 11 song, 37 minute long strong album featuring short interludes and sections which remind me heavily of Gentle Giant and other great Prog artists, but this one has added ooomph which I must really say gives this album the mark of "A Masterpiece of Progressive Music". Especially the song, Marvellous Moses, a Nektar masterpiece and a real hit on this short album.

Not really much to say here, except this album is marvellous itself and highly recommended for any serious Progger.

Warning: To really enjoy this album I must recommend several listens and there you go, you have devoured one of the best German-like English Prog albums of the 70s, congratulations!

Flossy's rating: 92% or 4.4 stars

It is 1975 and Nektar have once more moved their personal goalposts, subtly redefining and refining an amalgam of earlier styles. Recycled has the lightness of touch and overall quality of musicianship of Remember The Future but instead of extended disco-funk-poppiness is a return to more conventional Europeanised Prog song styles. A typical economy of arrangement is still prevalent as all passages progress quickly without ever being allowed to become stale.

This is the last of the 'classic' Nektar albums with Roye Albrighton at the helm, yet it is not his superb singing and guitar which immediately grabs the attention, for Recycled is awash with the sound of synthesizers, especially unmistakeable Moog moods provided by pioneer Larry Fast. But, though there are indeed guitar and synth leads, no instrument stands out from the crowd: the sound is one of a harmonious blend of all instruments working together as a team, including the inevitable piano and organ.

Needless to say though, it is indeed Roye Albrighton who again dominates proceedings. His mellifluous singing is now totally assured and matured, quite at ease with soaring ballads, or harmonising with The English Chorale or deliberately playing with some tricksy timing, without doubt one of Nektar's main assets. As of course is his guitar: while no longer as prominent as it once was, yet it oozes quality, his phrasing both authoritative and delicate without ever becoming overbearing or flashy.

The eleven tracks on the original album can be divided into two parts: the first part is the main concept piece - we might call it The Recycling Suite - which consists of tracks 1 - 7; the remaining four tracks constituting part 2 are stand-alone compositions which nevertheless have a thematic connection with the main concept. That concept is one that is ever more relevant today than it was 30 years ago: the effects of humankind on our environment "forcing natures' slow decay"; how "recycled energy becomes the only forms of life"; how we are "song-birds, recycling the same old tune .... till it is all used"; and how "there's not much time before we go down, down".

The 'Recycling Suite' itself is a true Prog 'epic' built upon two principal musical themes. The first is very 80s AOR, [a dead ringer for A Final Countdown], but remember this was 1975. This is Recycle/Recycle Countdown which sandwich a brilliant instrumental that sways between sound effects, fat synths and a rockist thrash. A second main theme encompasses the remainder of the suite [with intermissions of course] but is based on a somewhat underwhelming melody, though the finale - Unendless Imagination? - builds and builds to a stunning crescendo.

Sao Paulo Sunrise could probably be considered a prelude to Costa Del Sol, both returning to a predominantly upbeat disco funk style. Marvellous Moses is Prog at its best, with hypnotic rhythms, tempo changes and a seriously excellent instrumental centre section, but It's All Over is the jewel in the crown, a masterpiece of melodic Prog Rock balladry with a big drum sound, lush strings and, at last, acoustic guitars!

The gloomy message of Recycled is unremittingly bleak and full of negative imagery. Unlike Remember The Future, there is no room for hope this time despite some rousing and uplifting music. The two grand gestures - Unendless Imagination? and It's All Over - each reach towards heights of musical ecstasy yet emit a sombre tone from a delicious melancholy in Albrighton's voice. The album ends with the ominous words "it's all over"!

In 2004, Dream Nebula re-issued a remastered version of Recycled with bonus material: no less than the entire album as originally mixed by Air Studios engineer Geoff Emerick. This mix was rejected by the band who went on to add further overdubs, including the choir, ultimately producing the album as released to the public. The Geoff Emerick version is extremely interesting as it is cleaner and less cluttered, with better dynamics and less compressed bass, though some stereo placement is not to my taste. It is now by no means certain which is the better version.

At this stage in their life, Nektar had reached a plateau of inventive musicianship allied to thought provoking concepts and intelligent lyrics: the culmination of several years hard work with a stable line-up. While accruing a degree of commercial success, they never did break through into Prog's premier league despite relocating to the USA. Sadly, the end of the road wouldn't be far away. Recycled remains as the last of their 'great' albums, in my opinion not quite a classic as some might suggest, but certainly very good indeed and a worthy addition to any Prog collection.

"...natural supplies once numerous...now lapse into eerie silence..."

And so Nektar entered their peak of maturiry with Recycled, possibly the concept epithome of all the industrial era, its problems and opportunities. The sound alternates in fact some cold and mechanics interludes and noises with warmer and summery tunes. This two tendencies are so evident in such tracks as "Cybernetic Conspumption" + "Automation Horroscope", absolutely pieces of art and "Sao Paulo Sunrise" + "Costa del Sol" (spanish for sun coast).

The band manages to builded up a convincing concept opus, well thought and played with "scientific" precision. The most evident difference with their other big success Remember the Future are the more elaborated instrumental parts and the sense of falling headlong from the beginning to the end, without even perceive the 37 minutes of running time.

As usual for the band, keyboards are omnipresent and varied but never in the front line. It's not certainly space rock a la Pink Floyd or Hawkwind. Nektar owe their formation and musical "mentality" to the german scene of the seventies. The band formed in Hambourg in 1969 and rapidly established themselves as a great live ttraction. I don't know very well the german scene of that period neither the so called "Krautrock" experience, despite some bands as Eloy and Amon Duul II, so I could not say and recognize their roots and influences.

Oh, I it cannot be forgotten that Nektar was also a major attraction in USA, since they sill haven't even toured that country.

The correct evaluation is near the five stars (4.5). Still nowadays I'm not able to understand if this album deserves a full five stars treatment or not...

The first seven songs blend into each other without any breaks forming "Recycled Part 1". This first section features vocals that are not very good and way too many bad synths from guest keyboard player Larry Fast. The first part really is a recycling of the same stuff throughout. "Recycled Part 2" starts off with "Sao Paulo Sunrise" that sounds very dated, while "Costa Del Sol" has some good piano melodies.

The saving grace of this album for me is not only that it is short, but the last two songs "Marvelous Moses" with a good and catchy melody, and "It's All Over' with acoustic guitar and strings make this at least a good purchase for NEKTAR fans.

For my tastes this is simply a poor album.

I still like their (admittedly immature and highly derivative) debut but starting from their second album they developed a more and more polished and pompous sound that appears (at least to my ears) rather mainstream than Prog. With "Recycled" they reached their pinnacle in this sense which obviously fits with many prog lover's taste. I'm probably not a very typical Prog fan (however one might define this) and I'd rather call this one a perfect alienating example for people not yet familiar with that genre. I totally agree to the (few) other reviewers who gave as well a low rating to this album. There are awful synth sounds, cheesy choirs, pomp unlimited and the long track is a repeat of the same stuff over and over again. Then there are these two awful tracks "São Paulo sunrise" and "Costa del Sol" sounding like disco music to my ears and "Marvellous Moses" isn't much better. The only nice track here is really the last one but this one can't save the whole disk. Conceptially this might be certainly a remarkable work and I really appreciate the idea of saving the environment but this type of music just can't approach me but obviously did to many others which is quite positive on the other hand. The band had been undoubtedly far ahead its time with this album which is usually very good but not in this case since it sounds rather 80's-alike than being released in 1975. I'm very sorry but I can't give more than 2 stars to this album and honestly would not recommend it to any newbie.

A RETURN TO FORM!!

After the disappointing REMEMBER THE FUTURE , NEKTAR comes back with a more proggish album than the last 2; Goodbye, soul, good riddance, funk. We are not going back either to their early space rock sound as RECYCLED is again on the hard side of prog with tight musicainship throughout the album, the guitar is 'heavy'', the rythm section powerfully rocking with ALLBRIGHTON singing- a lot. I guess he had a lot to say as this album is one of the first environmental -conscious recording to be published back then in 1975.

Some NEKTAR fans love this album, some don't! the reason is the presence of synth wizard LARRY FAST and some listeners cannot go through his ''cheesy'' sound. I am not one of those as it doesn't disturb me. There are 11 songs on this album, but it can be listen as one piece as there are no interruption between the tracks. This is not a dreamy album, it's full of energy, speedy vocal deliveries, scorching guitar riffs. The music doesn't take a break and keeps quite a similar tempo the whole album .I have to admit that i get tired listening to it after a while as there is a sense of sameness after a while.

The other problem with NEKTAR, i already have noticed in the past, is the weakness of the vocal melodies. You won't find gorgeous songs here except the first one and the last one .After a few songs, it sounds like 'deja vu'' or heard, should i say!

Thinking of NEKTAR as prog band, i am not sure they are. Of course, the first album JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EYE is a prog masterpiece as the suite A TAB IN THE OCEAN IS, but after that their music is kind of difficult to classify; ALLBRIGHTON loves his hard rock for sure; they even tried funk ; they jammed some blues rock as welL; I guess this is NEKTARl

The best tracks of the album are the first three that can be listened as one RECYCLE/CYBERNETIC CONSUMPTION.RECYCLE COUNTDOWN and the beautiful last track, the ballad IT'S ALL OVER that finally quiet things down at the end. I haven't mentionned yet the presence of a choir on many tracks; i let you judge on this one!!!

A good album, but not indispensable.

3 STARS

So far in their career, I only liked the first two albums from "Nektar". Some weak studio as well as live releases IMO. Mostly because they abandoned the great psyche / sapce rock music of their debut. At the end of the day, "Nektar" is categorized as such on PA, so ...

I wouldn't say that "Nektar" fully renew with their past, but "Recycled" sounds much better to my ears than anything between "Sounds Like This" and "Down To Earth". The ecological theme of the album is way before today's concern of how bad we have handled the planet, well thought "Nektar".

The first four songs are really good and are a mix of their adventourous psyche music combined to a more poppish sound. Most of the (short) songs are more-rock oriented until "Saõ Paulo". It starts almost like in the good old days (space-rock, I mean) but will turn into an awful synthetic pop after two minutes. Really bad. This song would have been cut after 1'50". The funky / soul beat is back again. And it is brought over for "Costa Del Sol". But a little more jazzy.

I am aslo rather mixed about "Moses". Same beat for most of it. If only it could have been more int thestyle of the spacey finale.

It's a real shame that the album changed direction from "Saõ Paulo" through "Moses". It could have been a better album. I will upgrade it to three stars thanks to "It's All Over" which is a good and emotional closing number.

I recently raised my rating for Remember The Future from three to four stars, and so I feel that I will have to do the same for Recycled. Just like Remember The Future, this is a slightly psychedelic piece of conceptual, quite hard rocking but melodic music. But unlike that album the instrumentation is much richer here. While the music on Remember The Future contained basically just the traditional instruments - electric guitar, bass, drums and organ - Recycled has, in addition, piano, lots of synthesisers and a choir! These additions put Nektar closer to Symphonic Prog than they were in the past.

The synthesisers are played by Larry Fast, a guest musician. And he is pretty fast too! But there is little room for long solos in the well structured and carefully arranged music, but more so than on Remember The Future. The bass sound is loud and strong throughout and this further puts the sound of Nektar closer to their Symphonic colleagues.

Just like on Remember The Future, some moments are soft and mellow, others are loud and hard rocking, yet others are almost funky or psychedelic. The lead vocals are stronger here and the added choir make up for whatever inadequacies the lead vocalist might have. The lyrics are quite interesting too. I will not tell you about the concept, try figure it out for yourself; I'm not too sure about it actually, apart from that is has something to do with environmentalism (an "ism" I am not very connected to at all, but I do not find the lyrics annoying).

The overall sound and production is better and clearer than on previous albums and all the instruments sound very good.

Recommended, and together with Remember The Future (I cannot quite decide which of these two is the better album) this is probably one of the very best albums of the whole Psychedelic/Space Rock sub-genre (not the best example of that genre though, since this is close to Symphonic Prog).

Two of NEKTAR's most irritating attributes even in their best work were their tendency to jam and their misguided penchant for hard rock, both of which are toned down on "Recycled", yet it registers an even further decline for the group.

They have joined the masses decrying the destruction of the planet, but with no significant insights and few captivating musical interpretations. The production is better as befits a 1975 release, and the first side, taken as a whole, is a reasonable concept piece with repeating themes and more dynamics than we have come to expect, especially in the vocal department. LARRY FAST has influenced the group to unleash a more variegated arsenal of keyboards to the mix, but at the same time imposed a synthetic sheen here as on most of his other work. While some of that may be intentional given the thematic objectives, I suspect most is just poor judgement.

If side 1 might warrant 3 stars, side 2 squeezes out already tired ideas by unlikely bedfellows like PABLO CRUISE and has all the trappings of a group that has finally reached a creative dead end. The songs are longer but rather formulaic, and bereft of melodic or lyrical inspiration. Recycled indeed.

Heavier, faster, tighter, and more epic than anything Nektar had done before, but somehow it often feels as if that extra something is missing to put this into masterpiece territory.

Masterpiece checklist (admittedly based on my subjective interpretation): epic structure (check), cohesive and interesting album theme (check), interesting melody throughout (check), no obvious flaws (i.e., no hares who lost their spectacles; double--check!), good musicianship (check)...

...and, it's all there, but for some reason, the parts just don't add up. At least not to a masterpiece in my book.

But let's focus on the positives, because there are many to talk about. First off, some of Nektar's previous work was simply too slow, too unexciting in spots. Well, they certainly have addressed that here, and then some! Vocals are also much better, and the choir is a very nice touch. Also, little touches such as sound effects here and a tympani there also really boost the overall effect.

Side 1 is an upbeat rocker, brimming with energy. I could use some wailing guitar solos--which I know Albrighton could easily provide--but that has never been Nektar's style anyway. I think it's a solid, yet imperfect, epic, probably in my top 100 of all time.

Side 2 changes things up, but provides a nice change of pace. Instead of hard-driving, this is more danceable--prog disco, if you will--but quite catchy.. Nice transitions to tie the songs together, and all finished by a lovely (though a bit depressing, lyrics-wise) finale.

Overall, a solid album from Nektar--in fact, for what little it's worth--my favorite from them. It may not get me to recycle more, but it will remain in my regular playlist!

I've been listening to this album with continuing amazement. Not just because it's the Spinal Tab of prog, but because it only garnered one 1 star so far. Folks are too friendly here.

Much of my discontent has to do with how this sounds, a sound that I would describe as David Bowie doing an AOR meets funky space-opera that is produced by Phil Spector in a particularly bombastic mood. Another reviewer compared this to the BeeGees in a serious identity crises. Well that's certainly a way to put it.

Tons of synths have to provide a spacey sauce on top of this funky-musical material, but it can't hide the fact that this isn't much different from Meatloaf's Paradise by The Dashboard Light, my number one of most-hated rock songs ever. Now, since about half of the earth's population would disagree with me on that particular point, it's still quite probable you would like this album.

I usually can always think of someone to recommend an album to. In case of Recycled I really wouldn't know. Beegees fans maybe? Or else I should pass this one on to a punk magazine so that they can relish at tearing apart another 70s album. And this time not without reason. If you don't take this album too seriously then it can be fun. It often gave me a good laugh actually. But I'm afraid the band was very serious about this.

Band,well-known as best ever English Krautrock team, on this album plays very different music, and there are just a small Kraut traces,if at all.

Their albums from early 70-s were all good,some almost excellent. After few years and some changes in line-up, "Recycled" doesn't sound as they were ever related with Krautrock at all.

OK, some synth/electronic effects don't mean nothing. This music is more British art-rock from the second half of 70-s. In moments even AOR elements could be found in albums compositions, but mostly this album sound as bad clone of Supertramp. With some breaks in composition structures, some trips to what few years ago was psychedelic, but on this album sound dated and artificial both. Plenty of melodic moments, even choral, soft-rock polish,etc.

To be honest, musicians are all professional, and there still some nice moments could be found. But in all this album is real disappointment, release for collectors and band's fans mostly.

My rating is 2+.

This album from 1975 felt to me as if the band was giving more prominent roles to the keyboard than previous albums. Roye and Mo's guitar and chunky bass work are still front and center but the fullness of the background sound seems to have changed. Obviously, I am speaking of the presence of synthesizer legend Larry Fast--a guest whose contributions definitely add another dimension to the Nektar sound. In getting to know this album I remember playing both sides through many times over. The album really felt as if it flowed seemlessly--maybe even moreso than either of the bands previous two masterpieces, A Tab in the Ocean and Remember the Future. For a while I even thought this was their best album. But, as time often does, I've grown a bit bored or tired with Side One while the highlights of Side Two have become super highlights--even in isolation to the rest: the KLAUS SHULZE- and YES-like 8. "São Paulo Sunrise" (3:05) (9/10) (a bleed over from Side One's ending song, "Unendless Imagination?"), 9. "Costa del Sol" (4:04) with its awesome groove, piano play and vocal performances (9/10), the wonderfully composed and sung, 10. "Marvellous Moses" (6:37) (10/10), and the gorgeous 11. "It's all over" (5:11) (10/10) with its amazing and emotional instrumental ending, make up one of those rare things in the music world: a perfect side. Not a prog masterpiece but pretty damned close. 4.5 stars.

Nektar's Recycled presents an absolutely electrifying first side joined at the hip with an extremely pedestrian second side. The first half of the album (from Recycle to Unendless Imagination?) is a demented thrill-ride through a nightmare future of "recycled energy" and runaway entropy, which I could listen to over and over again; the second side is a set of rather pedestrian songs about tourism which lack the dynamism, energy, aggression, or breakneck pace of the first side, and so rather squander the album's momentum. I'll give it a four star rating, but please note that it's a five star side A bolted to a three star side B.

Almost 'Ultravox-like' during the intro replete with wavy keyboards - then all of a sudden 'Supertramp' appear, kicking New Wave butts into touch. 'Ultravox' re-emerge with a vengeance using only synthesisers and wipe the floor clean with the still warm blood of 'Supertramp' forming pools on the floor.

Phew! what an opening... 'Recycled' is a strange one. Cod American accents that really annoy are lost in the gargantuan "BIG" sound that is created by Nektar on this very important and bombastic sounding album.

'Recycled' is loud, very proggy and is bursting at the seems with a full on sound that is quite unmatched for its time. There's no way this was recorded on 4 or 8 track that's for sure. It's easy to see why this recording polarises so many reviewers opinions. It's so damn loud, cocky and sure of itself, sounding a bit like 'Jesus Christ Superstar' in parts. There's also some dodgy disco goings on in 'Sao Paulo Sunrise' which will leave you scratching your head in bewilderment.

A really busy album which is far too full of ideas to make a coherent album. Personally I love this schizo chopping and changing from one style to another... and believe me, there's a hefty amount of that going on here.

'Nektar are not a band I'm particularly fond of but this one sounds really interesting to my ears due to the incessant information overload.

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.

At first I should say thanks to one of PA legends Peter for re-notifying me of such a great album. My first and quick listen to NEKTAR (a long while before) has let me keep them at a distance, sadly, because of their soundscape at their golden age "far from psychedelic progressive / space rock". But yes, we can hear obvious diversity via their material ... they have eclectic elements like psychedelic, electronic, heavy, symphonic, or jazz, like Pink Floyd in Waters' era. This album "Recycled", that gives us a warning for environmental issues even these days, has been released as their 6th album in 1975. Like "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd released in the same year, this giant creation might cause a clear sensation for "attenuated progressive rock scene in near future" as an eclectic prog one flavoured with acceptable pop essence, I suppose. Let me say please, we should not forget such a massive intensive action plan, due to suffering progressive rock acts in mid-late 70s.

"Recycled" can be called as another rock opera, totally. "Recycled Part 1" upon Side A has definite sound heaviness, swiftness, and smoothness all around. There are not tragic matters but hopeful brilliant sunbeams. Suggest they had exerted supreme inspiration upon a younger Heavy Prog combo Rush ... especially as for one of their masterpieces "Hemisphere" released in 1978. Roy's "crying" guitar plays and enthusiastic voices must build the 'core' in the centre of this album for constructing a giant that would influence upon everybody upon the earth previously, now, and forever. The rhythm section Mo and Ron launched perfect rhythm basis beneath the ground, regardless of its complexity. Texture of "Recycled Part 2" upon Side B is not only heavy but also jazzy ... as though they might have claimed they not simply sit in a small world but explode out to the unlimited space. We can hear some peaceful moments apparently with slight loneliness only in the epilogue but really "It's All Over"? Big NO. We should do a lot from now on.

The 70s era of Psych rock is an odd ball of a time for the genre. This was after its huge boom in the 60s that was revolutionized by The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix, but was before its later rise in popularity in the modern age with neo psych rock bands like King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and Psychedelic Porn Crumpets. It was in a weird middle ground where it was filled with more experimentation on what could be done with the genre which resulted in a ton of hits and misses from a variety of bands. A few big names came out during this period, namely Pink Floyd, Hawkwind, Eloy, and the star of today, Nektar. I have already reviewed a Nektar album before this one, but due to a request to check out this album from the band, I thought to check them out again and possibly get hooked on their more fun type of trippy music that they are known for.

The album is devised in two parts, however each part has their own individual songs separate from each other, with the first part starting with the song Recycle. This is a short opener to the album. While not too long, it does a good job with hooking you into this album, and establishes their sound immediately, like a snap.

The next track is Cybernetic Consumption, another 2 minute track. Unlike the first one, this is a very nothing track where it only really picks up towards the end with an actually coherent tune. Otherwise, the first half is very noisy, and weird, but not in a good way. It's all over the place with no sense of any direction and it feels way too messy for its own good. At least this is a pretty short song, so it does get a pass for that.

Coming off of that, we got Recycle Countdown, which seems like a sort of second part to Recycle, sort of like A Concise British Alphabet by The Soft Machine where the two parts are split apart with a song in between them. This takes the mantle the first song had and improves upon it with a more symphonic feeling sound that gives this song a more epic feeling. I really like this cause it makes the band feel way more in tune with the music around them and not the music that would be most recognizable to psychedelic rock fans. It leads to a great diversity in sounds that continues through the album.

Next up is Automation Horrorscope. This song is a lot more jammy and hard hitting. It has a sort of space jam feel, like you are on a space jet flying to the moon with an electric guitar by your side. It is super fun and it never wastes its time with filler. However I do wish it went on a bit longer. It feels like when it was really getting to some epic proportions, it ends, which I wished didn't happen so quickly.

Recycling takes center stage. It is a bit more acoustic with a tinge of folk, however it really goes hard near the middle which is always appreciated, until it goes more baroque, creating a nice sense of rhythm and flow. It's very nice and has a lot of fun rhythms and playing. I do think it should've gone on a bit longer though. This is sort of a problem with the first side on the album where each song is really good, but they are pretty dang short to where they feel very lacking in the grand scope of this album. Just a nit pick though, but you will at least notice it when you hear them for the first time.

Fight To Reality, much like Recycle Countdown, is a continuation to Automation Horrorscope. It doesn't change too much with Automation Horrorscope, but it does give you more of that great space jam feel that was present before, which is always appreciated.

Next up is Unendless imaginations. This feels like a combination of all the songs from this side. The awesome space jams from Automation Horrorscope and Fight To Reality, the symphonic qualities of Recycle and Recycle Countdown, and it has its own original sound with the second half of the song being this space sounding ambient bit that has a lot of charm to it. While it definitely needs a bit of improvement, the first side leaves a good impression already and makes you very excited to see what side 2 has to offer.

Side 2 starts with Sao Paulo Sunrise. It starts with the same spacey ambience from the ending half of Unendless Imaginations, but then it goes into this funky and jammy song that is very grooving. It's super fun and danceable, and definitely gives me a lot of vibes from the old disco that was popular in the 70s. You can definitely feel the inspiration that sort of movement had on this song, which is always appreciated when you take into account bands of Nektar's nature. Heck this reminds of how Pink Floyd was inspired by the punk rock movement of the late 70s which resulted in Animals, but that is a story for another day.

Next up is Costa Del Sol, which is another fun and danceable tune. If side one was a series of great short songs, then side two is a series of fun and catchy tunes that still retains those psychedelic bits and pieces Nektar is known for. This song also has some symphonic qualities too, so it makes it feel even better when listening to it. Even if it's clearly inspired by a more poppy sounding music style, it doesn't feel out of place next to a lot of psychedelic bands, in fact with the eclectic nature of the genre it fits right in. I gotta say, it's rare for side 2 to shine as bright as side one, but definitely a welcomed surprise.

Next up is Marvellous Moses. Back to some familiar routes with a similar sound that was found in side 1, a more symphonic take of the psych rock sound. This is a super enjoyable song with a very enjoyable flow, but it does feel weak next to the other songs in the album with how traditional it feels in comparison to the more eclectic and varied works here. Obviously not that huge of a deal, but certainly one that should be addressed briefly. Otherwise, this song ain't half bad.

Lastly, and most appropriately, It's All Over. This is a very nice ballad that gives a fine closure to the album. Where the first half is a more acoustic and symphonic sounding song, the second half is a more quiet ambient passage that wraps a nice bow around this very nice experience, and certainly one that I think shouldn't be underestimated.

While this album does have a few small issues, it isn't a bad album, in fact it's very enjoyable. Lots of fun variations of sounds with a very nice flow through it all. It's not perfect, but it's great enough to where I'd say you should check it out if you want some fun psych rock in your life.

In keeping with their tradition of not pigeonholing themselves into a particular theme, neither with tabs on the oceans, nor with the fantastical memories that the future can generate nor the dazzling lights of the circus, Nektar, the most German Englishmen of the progressive scene, take a new turn of the screw and get very serious with one of the first known works regarding environmental concerns at a time when it was not yet on the global agenda: 'Recycled', the band's sixth album, released in 1975.

With no moralistic or vindicatory pretensions, Nektar exposes their visionary concerns about the future of the planet with a proposal that is closer to electronic and symphonic sonorities to the detriment of their increasingly less raspy creations, accompanied by the substantial collaboration of Larry Fast, recognised master of synthesizers, who nourished 'Recycled' with that futuristic instrumental touch that complements the album's narrative.

Separated into two major segments for a total of eleven pieces, the first half, 'Recycled - Part 1', unfolds consistently, without pause and at an agile pace, highlighting the epic melody of the opening 'Recycled' and its follow-up 'Recycled Countdown' with Allan Freeman's keyboards and Roye Albrighton's funky riffs, the industrialised arrangements of 'Cybernetic Consumption' with Fast's supreme moog, Derek Moore's robotic narration on the apocalyptic 'Automaton Horrorscope', and the fast-paced 'Unendless Imagination?' with a huge choral arrangement in Gregorian mode and the cosmic keyboard dissolving to conclude the excellent first segment of the album.

'Recycled - Part 2', which begins by picking up the keyboards where the first half ends, slows down and includes more heterogeneous rhythms, fusing Latin American elements and jazz touches on the laid-back 'São Paulo Sunrise' and 'Costa Del Sol' with great work from Derek Moore on bass, and reinforces its futuristic vision with the final minute synth curtain of 'Marvellous Moses', before Albrighton's beautifully arpeggiated guitars lead into the album's melancholic, orchestrated finale with the sombre 'It's All Over'.

The remastered edition of 2024, almost 50 years after the release of 'Recycled', the last album of Nektar's most classic period, includes a new mix by Geoff Emerick, and two very good sounding concerts from the 1976 tour in Toronto and Long Island. A valuable addition to the band's discography.

Very good

3.5/4 stars