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NEKTAR

Psychedelic/Space Rock • United Kingdom


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Nektar biography
Founded in Hamburg, Germany in 1969 - Disbanded in 1982 - Regrouped from 2000-2016 - Reformed in 2018

NEKTAR is probably the most German-like of the Seventies British bands, a fame that owes a lot to the town in which this band was founded (Hamburg) and to their stylistic approach (Assimilated to Krautrock). NEKTAR was formed in 1969 by Allan FREEMAN (keyboards & vocals), Roye ALBRIGHTON (guitars & vocals), Derek MOORE (bass, Mellotron & vocals) and Ron HOWDEN (drums).

Their earliest albums were hard rock that drew heavily from the space-rock and PINK FLOYD styles of the same period. The 70's gave them the occasion to issue some masterpieces, like for example "Remember the Future" (1973) and "Recycled" (1975). Each is a conceptual album that is a nice blend of melodic guitar and keyboards with a vocal story. "Journey To The Centre Of The Eye" is a mindblowing epic with lots of echoplex guitar and dual Mellotrons which is quite in tune with the Krautrock stuff going on around them, yet is definitely British. "Tab in the Ocean" and "Magic is a Child" had shorter songs and were less less satisfying. Fortunately there is a compilation album just called NEKTAR (1976) which has all the best bits of the albums and is highly recommended.

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NEKTAR discography


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NEKTAR top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.80 | 433 ratings
Journey to the Centre of the Eye
1971
4.09 | 710 ratings
A Tab in the Ocean
1972
3.40 | 250 ratings
...Sounds Like This
1973
3.97 | 595 ratings
Remember the Future
1973
3.47 | 248 ratings
Down To Earth
1974
3.85 | 405 ratings
Recycled
1975
2.98 | 159 ratings
Magic Is a Child
1977
3.22 | 117 ratings
Man In The Moon
1980
2.92 | 86 ratings
The Prodigal Son
2001
3.42 | 122 ratings
Evolution
2004
3.22 | 96 ratings
Book of Days
2008
2.75 | 97 ratings
A Spoonful Of Time
2012
2.96 | 95 ratings
Time Machine
2013
3.06 | 34 ratings
New Nektar: Megalomania
2018
3.78 | 132 ratings
The Other Side
2020

NEKTAR Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

2.68 | 35 ratings
Sunday Night at London Roundhouse
1974
3.38 | 35 ratings
Live in New York
1977
2.58 | 23 ratings
More Live Nektar in New York
1978
3.14 | 22 ratings
Unidentified Flying Abstract - Live at Chipping Norton 1974
2002
3.15 | 17 ratings
Greatest Hits Live
2002
3.80 | 27 ratings
Sunday Night at the London Roundhouse
2002
2.37 | 15 ratings
Door to the Future - The Lightshow Tapes Volume 1
2005
3.50 | 6 ratings
2004 Tour Live
2005
3.00 | 1 ratings
Live in Germany 2005
2005
3.03 | 22 ratings
Fortyfied
2009
3.50 | 6 ratings
Live in Bremen
2017
4.07 | 5 ratings
Live Anthology 1974-1976
2019
4.00 | 3 ratings
Space Rock Invasion Live
2019
3.00 | 2 ratings
Live from the Wildey Theatre
2020
4.32 | 6 ratings
...Sounds Like Swiss
2021

NEKTAR Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

3.98 | 21 ratings
Live
2002
4.00 | 23 ratings
Pure: Live In Germany 2005 (DVD)
2005

NEKTAR Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.37 | 21 ratings
Nektar
1976
3.60 | 5 ratings
Best of Nektar
1978
4.54 | 15 ratings
Thru the Ears
1978
3.44 | 9 ratings
Highlights - The Best of Nektar
1994
2.50 | 10 ratings
The Dream Nebula - The Best of 1971-1975
1998
4.42 | 12 ratings
Retrospektive 1969-1980
2011
3.00 | 2 ratings
Man in the Moon / Evolution
2012
4.00 | 2 ratings
5 Essential Albums
2019

NEKTAR Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

3.00 | 5 ratings
Do You Believe in Magic / 1-2-3-4
1972
4.00 | 2 ratings
Remember the Future
1973
5.00 | 1 ratings
Live!
1973
4.00 | 2 ratings
Astral Man
1974
3.80 | 5 ratings
Astral Man / Early Morning Clown
1974
3.29 | 7 ratings
Astral Man / Nelly the Elephant
1974
3.25 | 4 ratings
Fidgety Queen / Little Boy
1974
3.07 | 5 ratings
Flight to Reality / It's All Over
1976
2.67 | 3 ratings
Too Young to Die / Can't Stop You Now
1980
3.20 | 5 ratings
Always
2005
3.00 | 1 ratings
Collectors Corner - The Boston Tapes
2008
2.00 | 1 ratings
Collectors Corner - Live in Detroit 1975
2008
4.00 | 2 ratings
Skywriter / Devils Door
2019
0.00 | 0 ratings
Drifting
2024

NEKTAR Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Collectors Corner - Live in Detroit 1975 by NEKTAR album cover Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 2008
2.00 | 1 ratings

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Collectors Corner - Live in Detroit 1975
Nektar Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by zeb1981

— First review of this album —
2 stars Now as disc 3 and 4 in the HIGHLY reccomendable "Live Anthology" Box Which per today 2023 is very affordable, and lets see....in 2028 expensive as hell This cd-r were made by Nektar or friends of Nektar as far as i know, and was released in a very limited quantities (probably sold on their concerts) I have not heard this version, but the one is the mentioned box have more song on it And that one i will gladly give an easy 4 our of 5 stars, even if the guy who mastered it, probably is either deaf or he was too stoned, whar i mean, is with some adjustments on your hi fi, it can sound very good, but if just played with a neutral eq, it is VERY sharp on the ear, so i suspect someone atleast 15-20 year older than me did the mastering but, hey thats the only minor complaint i have with this concert, the setlist, overall sound quality is top notch. to me it beats the [&*!#] of the (overrated?) Live In New York / More Live in New York, which i have never been able to buy a good sounding version of, AND people have truly reccomended the cd where the entire concert is on 2 CDs, I downloaded it and i wasnt super thrilled, THOUGH i must admit i played it on my TV Speaker (ugh) So that MAY explain it, either way with the LIVE ANTHOLOGY Boxset i just dont care for that one that much. There are some audio flaws during this disc, but thank god for me, its mostly on songs which is better on other LIVE albums, but this box mentioned is a TRUE MUST (It covers 3 concerts. 1974.1975 and a special live in the studio where Nektar freaks were invited, and they got to choose what songs to play...do i need to say more. And there is a bunch of songs never released on their studio albums, sounds good doesnt it, stop reading, go buy it ! Last words when it comes to LIVE albums of Nektar, It is always a hit and miss, the other ones i think is any Nektar fans dream would be the 2 CD Edition of "......Roundhouse" and also Sounds Like Swiss, which have 2 full concert from early 1973, and they even play a work inb progress "Remember The Future" which is top notch, no matter if its in its embryonic form, there are no words for its musicianship and craft......And last but not least Id reccomend the Live in Chppington 74 concert live in studio, which in here havent got the best score, i DO wonder why, cause this is amongs my very favourite. And yes there are many crappy sounding Nektar bootlegs around, some sounds uninspirited but good audio quality others are plain killers music wise, but autricious whwen it come to sound quality...........
 Sunday Night at the London Roundhouse by NEKTAR album cover Live, 2002
3.80 | 27 ratings

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Sunday Night at the London Roundhouse
Nektar Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by Heart of the Matter

4 stars Think of this album as a double shot of well-aged classic seventies progressive rock, boasting all the main ingredients that are necessary to be immediately recognized as such:

Tremendously propulsive bass line going far beyond the call of duty all the way through, to the point of assuming the leading instrumental role at certain passages. Assertive vocals founded on the strong raw power of the lead, and enhanced with very solid harmonies. Muscular drumming, perfectly able to keep tempo without resort to any metrognomic aid (something so good, and so missed in these days!). Those charming vintage synths from the era, pouring tasty solos all over the place (you know, it's never too much).

And, of course, the marvellous electric guitar of the great Roye Albrighton, always keeping an ear for dissonance, and the other for melody, rarifying for moments, but always conducting the proceedings to the point of sheer brilliance.

A splendid vignette of the era, painted with long forgotten colours, full of detail and liveliness.

In the case you were not already fond of this, then trust me, you need to give it a good listen and a serious chance.

 A Tab in the Ocean by NEKTAR album cover Studio Album, 1972
4.09 | 710 ratings

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A Tab in the Ocean
Nektar Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by Boi_da_boi_124

4 stars Review #77!

Within the first minutes of Nektar's 'A Tab In the Ocean', I thought of two other bands: Pink Floyd and Eloy. The ocean theme may have been the reason for the Eloy feel, but the Pink Floyd-ness was apparent. The grooviness, the vocals. Listen to 'Desolation Valley/Waves' and tell me the vocal effect doesn't sound like 'Pigs(Three Different Ones)'. The two shorter songs on that album are 'Crying in the Dark' and 'King of Twilight'. The former I think sounds much like Emerson, Lake, and Palmer. The latter's harmonies are very Beatles-reminiscent. The ending made me want my head open though. Kind of like 'I Want You(She's So Heavy)'. Overall, Nektar's 'A Tab In the Ocean is a great record for any prog lover. But if you want an entirely original-sounding album, look away.

 ...Sounds Like Swiss by NEKTAR album cover Live, 2021
4.32 | 6 ratings

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...Sounds Like Swiss
Nektar Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by zeb1981

5 stars I read one too many complaints about the sound quality of these two concerts.....so i had to buy it And i can understand hi-fi snobs to a certain degree, but if you listen to any Nektar 1970-1973, Live or studio. This is the typical soundboard recording from this period, so for me, im glad they didnt remix this to sound modern. Incredible 2 live CDs, and the DVD footage of one of them, VERY Good!

This 2 cd / dvd includes two FULL Concerts :

Palladium, Geneva, Switzerland February 14, 1973, which is featured as a DVD, and all but the encore is on CD 2 Soundwise this will get a 4/5. The Video is also intresting, but in black and white, Its on you tube

And Disc 1 and the first two songs on Disc 2 is from Lausanne, Switzerland. This is a little rougher in sound quality, but not in a bad way, not at all, id say considering we are in early 1973, soundwise id say a strong 3.4/5

Package is also nicely thought through, and thats not every day when it comes to old archive albums, so you know this release have been lovingly restored both CDs and Video. Booklet again, a little short on memories, or info, Nektar should hire someone to write good liner notes for them, or maybe even better a BOOK !?!?

Overall, i cannot give this anything less than top score, the musicians are on fire, the sounds is good, the video quality is amazingly good for 1973 !! And as i said, the packaging is good, there are tons of picures, but for me it lacks a little in terms of Nektar Live 1973, even if the (surviving) members tries their best to remember something that was 50 years ago, and if you think about it Nektar played ALOT until Roye was totally burnt out in 1976......But hey, They did survive for two more albums, into the 80s, not many progrock bands did, and their did their reunion as original line-up, HELL, there are only 2 surviving members (And their original lightman!!) still playing Nektar music, and yes, Its still great, even if nothing can beat Nektar LIVE 1971-1976......... Enough said, did i convince you to go buy it !?! If not listen to it on you tube, i know the DVD portion is on YT, Enjoy and realize u need this on psyical format ! cause you know u do !! or will soon find out u need it !!!

Reccomended to anyone who love Nektar 1971-1973 !

 Down To Earth by NEKTAR album cover Studio Album, 1974
3.47 | 248 ratings

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Down To Earth
Nektar Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by Warthur
Prog Reviewer

3 stars Did you like Remember the Future? Because this is basically a rehash of the general sonic approach of that, with a shade less oomph. It's alright, but a lot of it doesn't come across as being very memorable, and it all feels like revisiting territory Nektar have already explored. The following Recycled would invigorate their sound - especially on the excellent first side - but here the band sound a little bogged down, though there's still some charming moments here and there, as well as Beatles-esque touches (particularly in some of the vocals) which would have given it a bit of a retro vibe even at the time of release.
 ...Sounds Like This by NEKTAR album cover Studio Album, 1973
3.40 | 250 ratings

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...Sounds Like This
Nektar Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by Warthur
Prog Reviewer

4 stars Deliberately made in a rougher, looser style in a bid to translate their live energy to the studio, Nektar's ...Sounds Like This may be jarring if you're coming to it from their more symphonically-inclined works like Remember the Future or Recycled, but makes perfect sense as a continuation of their early space rock/heavy psych-influenced sound. It's a style which may have felt a little dated in 1973 - an era when prog was largely pushing past its roots in psychedelic rock - but I think it's a perfectly solid entry in Nektar's discography and doesn't to be overlooked to the extent that it is.
 Journey to the Centre of the Eye by NEKTAR album cover Studio Album, 1971
3.80 | 433 ratings

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Journey to the Centre of the Eye
Nektar Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by JohnProg

4 stars Excellent debut that integrates -quite skilfully in my opinion- the hard rock of the time, psychedelia, the spatial sounds that derive from it and the dynamics that would later become the standard of progressive rock. An album, moreover, that is thought of as a single piece, although with two differentiated parts: the first -the 'side A'-, which flows as a single song with several mostly instrumental sections; and the second - side B-, which gives the impression that the band composed several songs or 'themes', to later order all the material and create a single piece that is more varied and has a more hectic pace than the first: being the common denominator the acid, distorted and sharp sound of the guitar; but also the dreamy melodies and understated harmonies of the organ and mellotron.
 Journey to the Centre of the Eye by NEKTAR album cover Studio Album, 1971
3.80 | 433 ratings

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Journey to the Centre of the Eye
Nektar Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by Kabajohnny

5 stars I have to be honest, as of November 2022, this is my all-time favourite album. The debut album from Nektar, Journey to the Centre of the Eye.

My longstanding favourite was The Dark Side of The Moon. It always made me feel like I was floating in the stratosphere, away from the entire world. But Journey, literally blew me off to a different galaxy. I had never felt so immersed and in sync with a piece of music quite like this before hearing it for the first time a couple of months back. Whether it is the obsolutely top-notch production( super impressive if you consider the era and the band's resources at the time imo), the screaming reverb-and-delay-fuelled guitars, the powerful yet gentle vocals, the naive lyrics which I always find a way to relate to, or the superb work on the keys, I find the overall sound very full and dense, in the best possible way.

From the very first listen, from the very first seconds, I realized this wouldn't be just another prog album with an intresting album cover. It starts with a creepy intro, but doesn't take long in introducing the spacey atmosphere. The third track "Countenance" is forever engraved in my heart. One time I was so immersed into the music, my forehead and belly were actually went numb for a few seconds. I am not joking you. Then the album takes an instrumental and exprimental turn, which I admire for how abstract it is while still being a part of constructing the mood. Then, The Dream Nebula suddenly bursts on and sets the direction for the rest of the album. Following is an amazing second side with many twists and turns, gorgeous melodies and emotional vocals. Eventually after such a Journey(pun intended), it all ends where it started, with a beautiful reprise of 'Astronaut's Nightmare" 's main melody.

The entire record is very cohesive and trully serves as a 40 minute continuous piece. In general, I believe Nektar is a band that can offer a lot to any listener throughout its discography, I think there is something for everyone to really enjoy within it. I absolutely love 'A Tab in the Ocean' and 'Remember The Future', but 'Journey' has that extra touch for me. There are moments where my whole life flashes right in front of me. Where so many emotions are created by what I am hearing that I only listen to it every little while because that's how sacred it is to me. I believe it is at least worth a try, even if the space rock/krautrock combination doesn't sound like your cup of tea. I am forever grateful to Nektar and the entire team behind this album for their wonderful creation.

 A Spoonful Of Time by NEKTAR album cover Studio Album, 2012
2.75 | 97 ratings

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A Spoonful Of Time
Nektar Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by AFlowerKingCrimson

3 stars I have to admit that while I don't necessarily go out of my way to listen to cover albums, they certainly can be fun to listen to once in a while. This Nektar covers album is no exception. I think as long as you don't expect it to sound the same or even be as good as the original then it can be something you can return to without regret from time to time. This one features an all-star supporting cast that includes Billy Sherwood, Geoff Downes, Mark Kelly, Steve Howe, Edgar Froese, Ian Paice, Ginger Baker, Rod Argent, David Cross, Rick Wakeman, Patrick Moraz and several others.

Most of these covers are pretty faithful to the original but at the same time you probably won't mistake them for the version you are most familiar with either. Often there is an instrument that wasn't featured on the original such as sax on their cover of the Blind Faith classic "can't find my way home" or the violin on "Dream Weaver" originally recorded by 10CC. Sometimes the songs don't quite work such as the somewhat distracting keyboards in the background of "fly like an eagle" originally recorded of course by the Steve Miller Band. One particular pleasant surprise for me was the inclusion of "2000 light years from home" originally done by the Rolling Stones. I suppose that's one of my favorites on here mainly because I'm just such a big fan of the original.

Some of these songs, because of their spacey nature, could be logically expected to be covered by Nektar such as "Sirius,","Fly Like An Eagle,""2000 light years from home" and "Dream Weaver." "I'm Not In Love" and "Blinded By The Light" would probably not be considered much of a stretch by most people either. However, tracks such as "old man," "Riders On The Storm," and "Africa" would probably be the most unexpected cover songs on here. "The Spirit Of Radio" would maybe be somewhat unexpected also but mainly because Rush were a band who chronologically appeared after Nektar first came on the scene. The only cover on here I wasn't intimately familiar with was "Out Of The Blue" originally done by Roxy Music. Overall, this is a pretty good collection of cover tracks and while not a must have for everyone, it could easily be recommended to anyone who is a big Nektar fan or those who enjoy cover albums.

 ...Sounds Like Swiss by NEKTAR album cover Live, 2021
4.32 | 6 ratings

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...Sounds Like Swiss
Nektar Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

4 stars Nektar have always been one of those progressive bands who found more fame outside their own country than inside it, and when I was growing up I had never even heard of them even though I thought I knew what was going on and certainly don't remember them being written about in the music papers. Although they were a musical quartet of Roye Allbrighton on guitar and vocals, Derek "Mo" Moore on bass and vocals, Allan "Taff" Freeman on organ and vocals, and Ron Howden on drums and percussion, they always described themselves as a quintet as Mick Brockett provided the visual tapestry that was such a key component of the "Music and Light Theatre", and that was part of the complete package. Musically they took pieces of Uriah Heep, Yes and other symphonic bands to create something which was embraced far more by German audiences than those in the UK.

This 2xCD and 1xDVD set are taken from long lost audio and video recordings from 1973, recorded in Switzerland, hence the name. It includes an hour-long concert videotaped for Swiss TV's Kaléidospop, while the two CDs include the audio portion of the TV show as well as a complete show soundboard audio recording from the Pavilion des Sports in Lausanne. Given this is a professionally recorded show the sound is not as good as it could be but does a great job of capturing a full-blown prog band at the height of their powers. These shows were recorded in the same year they released their third and fourth albums, right in the middle of their heyday, and one can certainly understand why they were so popular to those who knew them.

This is wonderful symphonic prog from a time when bands were either on the road or in the studio, so always working hard and this line-up had been together since the beginning so knew implicitly what to do and are as tight as one would expect. With great vocals, solid musicianship, and great songs such as "Journey to the Centre of the Eye" who could wish for more> This is more than 2 ½ hours long, and even those who are new to Nektar will get a great deal from it. Derek "Mo" Moore says, "I have known of its existence since we did this concert in 1973 and have never been able to find it. To have this unearthed after all these years is fantastic and takes me immediately back to that time". Superb.

Thanks to ProgLucky for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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