RECYCLED

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