Nektar

Nektar are one of my favorite progressive rock bands, yet most people have never even heard of them. Any Nektar fans here?

Favorite albums:
1. Recycled
2. Down to Earth
3. Evolution
4. A Tab in the Ocean
5. Remember the Future

1. Sounds Like This
2. More Live in New York
3. Man in the Moon (not vintage Nektar, mine is filed in my pomprock section, but I love it).
4. A Tab in the Ocean
5. Remember the Future (this and "Tab" are the classics, my attention span isn't always sharp enough for full appreciation though).

I probably listen to the s/t "Bee" CD the most, but that's a compilation, not an offical album per se.
I think "Sounds Like This" was recorded in one take "live" in studio. It has a real spontanious feel about it that is pretty cool.

Wow!!!! Another Nektar fan. So very cool.

"Recycled" is my favorite and has been since I heard it in the mid-1970's. It's almost industrial sounding. I'm actually sitting here listening to it right now. I never could understand why so many die-hard fans disliked this album so much.

i have remember the future but their other albums aren't that high on my want list

Steve Harris is a big Nektar fan. I remember reading how much he admired the band. They even did a Nektar cover song.

yeah lol thats why i checked them out

I would recommend checking out "Recycled". It's a bit less trippy than the CD you have . It's my favorite.

For a long time I shied away from Krautrock, as my only exposure was through bizzare bands like Amon Duul and Can. It's too bad, because so many old German bands like Nektar, Kin Ping Meh, Birth Control, and Epitaph (as well as many, many others like Jane) are really mostly very accessible rock & hard rock with jammy, progressive tendencies. Not hard on my American ears at all; but it took me a long time to learn about that scene. Nektar is actually one of the "trippier" of these bands, depending on the album in question, but they aren't really all that weird per se.

I'm a big fan of Nektar! My favorite song is "A tab in the Ocean".

a recent convert here...and someone who now believes they are one of the most underrated progressive rock bands of the 70's. Criminally under appreciated.

I've been slowly trying to untangle their discography, it's rather confused, especially because the albums came out in the wrong order in the States. In addition, the US versions were often remixed by the US labels so don't sound like their European counterparts (this is true of both Tab and Recycled, not sure about Remember). The US version of Tab is horrendous compared to the original European mix (they added a bunch of effects to the tracks, tons of flange and reverb). Here's what I've been able to figure out so far, please point out any errors, thanks.

The Boston Tapes (Nov 1970) - unreleased album recorded during a trip to Boston, originally intended to be distributed as a promotional album to record labels and retailers. Unissued in legal form until the 2011 Deluxe Edition of "A Tab In The Ocean". Many of the songs from this album were later re-recorded for "Sounds Like This", but these early versions are actually superior IMHO. There are a few songs on here that aren't available anywhere else; Candlelight, Where Did You Go, Sealed With A Kiss and Our Love Will Last Forever.

Journey To The Center Of The Eye (1971) - was this album ever released in the US? If so, anybody know what year?

A Tab In The Ocean (released in Europe 1972, in the US in 1976 with a different mix)

Sounds Like This (1973) - not sure whether this album came out in the US or not.

Remember The Future (Europe 1973/US 1974) - their 4th album was the first to be issued in the US, also their debut American tour.

Sunday Night At London Roundhouse (1974 Japan only) - the original issue was 5 tracks, 2 of which were taken from the concert, the other 3 were live in the studio recordings. Reissued in 2005 as a 2CD set with the entire Roundhouse performance intact.

Down To Earth (1974)

Unidentified Flying Abstract (Chipping Norton tapes 1974) - live in the studio recordings, these were recorded after the work on Down To Earth was completed, as a chance for the band to unwind and have some fun. 3 tracks were originally released on the Japan only Roundhouse LP, the entire session has been reissued on CD.

Recycled (1975) - Another album with a completely different mix in the US.

Live In New York (1977) - this was a live radio broadcast recorded in NY during the Remember The Future tour in 1974, unreleased for 3 years.

Magic Is A Child (1977)

Am I missing anything from the 70's?

Would this be a good place to start?

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Would this be a good place to start?

If you like compilations...I can't stand them. I always end up wanting the original albums.

They just reissued A Tab In The Ocean, I'd start there:

http://www.amazon.com/Tab-Ocean-Deluxe-CD-Set/dp/B004J0Q6F0/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1298562452&sr=8-14

Eh, I'm just the opposite. If it's a band I'm unfamiliar with, I like to test the waters with a "best of" and go from there.

I was listening to some clips on Amazon. These guys will go in the "maybe" category for now.

Well, that compilation was put together by the band, so it would be a good introduction.

I also wouldn't bother trying to get a handle on their sound from samples...with many songs around the 17 minute mark, there's no way to get even a hint.

I still need to check them out...

Many of these albums have been reissued in the past year or so, nice to see them available. There's a new remaster of Sunday Night At The London Roundhouse I need to pick up.

I love what i have gotten so far.

Recent convert here. Excellent band, shamefully underrated.

One of those bands that headphones and a scoobie doobie went hand in hamd with back when.

DeathCult wrote:

Recent convert here. Excellent band, shamefully underrated.

same here.

i actually bought a couple of Nektar vinyl LP's about a year ago, only because of Ult's recomendations. One of them is "Down To Earth" but I don't know what the other one is, it's lost in my endless boxes of records. I haven't heard them yet, but I will. So much music, so little time to enjoy them.

i have been lucky to see the band live twice. Nektar is my fave prog band along with genesis and rush.

The albums I managed to get, where the mini LP Japanese remasters.

Prog rock legends Nektar return with their triumphant 13th album - the first album of new material in over 4 years - that band leader Roye Albrighton is calling The best album we have ever made!

Time Machine showcases a new depth of songwriting, melodic complexity and musical adventurousness that hearkens back to early Nektar releases such as Remember The Future and A Tab In The Ocean!

Albrighton & Co. are joined by the immensely talented producer/musician Billy Sherwood formerly of Yes!

2013 has already been an incredible year for these veteran space rockers with reissues of catalog albums receiving rave reviews and a grand performance on Cruise To The Edge with Yes, UK, Steve Hackett and more!

Available on both CD and gorgeous 12 vinyl!

CD Version:
1. A Better Way
2. Set Me Free, Amigo [CD ONLY]
3. Destiny [CD ONLY]
4. If Only I Could
5. Time Machine
6. Tranquility
7. Mocking The Moon
8. Talk To Me [CD ONLY]
9. Juggernaut
10. Diamond Eyes

Big words there, gonna have to check this out. I really need to get 'Remember the Future' as that's supposed to be the most out-there they have.

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

Big words there, gonna have to check this out. I really need to get 'Remember the Future' as that's supposed to be the most out-there they have.

Remember The Future really isn't all that "out there".  It's a great melodic prog rock album, an essential one even, but if you're looking for experimentation you're not going to find it.