Nektar (Official Thread)

theleafs

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recently checking these guys out... can anyone recommend one of their albums?:cheers:

nektar2.jpg

Nektar Official Website
Nektar on Wikipedia


Discography:

1971 Journey to the Centre of the Eye
1972 A Tab in the Ocean
1973 ...Sounds Like This
1973 Remember the Future
1974 Down to Earth
1975 Recycled
1977 Magic is a Child
1980 Man in the Moon
2001 The Prodigal Son
2004 Evolution
2008 Book of Days
2011 Juggernaut


M
 

LG

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Re: Nektar

Damn,,,lol,,,I had completely forgotten about this band until reading your post. A friend of mine had all of their albums on vinyl, but I never got into them for some reason.

I am going to look into their catalog and see what is considered their best album.
 

Magic

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Re: Nektar

Nektar_-_Remember_the_Future.jpg

Remember the Future was a great album. A concept album about a blind boy who communicates with an alien.
 

LG

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Re: Nektar

I have two of their albums now, but I can't remember the titles, they are on my other PC...I'll post them later.
 

Oblivion

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Re: Nektar

:) Anyone care to give more info on the band ??? (maybe start a new topic on them)
 

LG

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Re: Nektar

I'll do some digging and listen to my two albums then think about writing a new thread for them OB.
 

starman

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Re: Nektar

Nektar were a band that came out of the late 60s/early 70s progressive movement. Like several other bands of that time frame and locale, they were natively British but primarily played the German scene. That's because Germany's scene consisted of more of a heavy experimental underground progressive rock thing and and Britain's scene was more so the left over trappings of psychedelia turned progressive on it's way to art rock ville. To make a long story short, it was the result of labels and the like bands they accrued.

Some of Nektar's efforts are very experimental and some like my personal fav. RTF and an album called Down To Earth were more the accessible thematic progressive rock thing.

Like many of the sadly little known German/UK bands, labels were to blame for the poor distribution and management of these acts. It's pretty shocking, if you get into the esoteric offerings of progressive rock groups from around the globe, how many of these groups had anywhere from 2 or 3 LPs to 10 or 15 LPs and they remain virtually unknown! These are first rate bands consisting of truly world class talent. Of course, language is a barrier to consider as well.

The funny and ridiculous story of the Nektar/Bellaphon CD thingamabob bares mentioning. Here is the condensed version. As stated originally, the band was much bigger in Germany than it was in it's home country. Naturally a label native to Germany (Bellaphon Records) had a piece of the action because they had originally released most of the Nektar catalog from the beginning. Back in the day, Quadraphonic recordings were the stuff. Thing is, you needed a Quadraphonic decoder built into a Quad receiver in those days to play and enjoy the records that were quadraphonic. This was true 4 channel stereo, not ambient surround. If you listened to the Quad recordings on a regular stereo, it sounded like crap. It was missing some audio information and certain things would be emphasized that were normally much lower in the audio mix. Well when Bellaphon, in all their infinite glory and wisdom, decided to reissue the Nektar catalog on CD, they accidentally pressed about 10,000 CDs in Quad without the decoding process. For years people were bitching that the recording didn't sound the same as the record. That's why. The record was released on two different major labels outside Germany. One was UA (United Artists) and the other was Passport Records. I believe both were gone bye bye prior to the invention of the CD.

Nektar had a poop load of albums. I have everything they ever put out commercially. The band itself reunited about 12 years ago. The band members authorized the remastering of the original stereo master tape mix of the Remember The Future album and released it in a limited edition on CD. I purchased a copy of this disc directly from the band themselves. It's signed by every living original member. Nektar did a very limited stop reunion tour with a couple of dates in the United States at the time of the CD's reissue.

They really are an amazing band.
 

LG

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Re: Nektar

Great post Starman, thank you.

I remember when Quad first came out, it never got much support from the big labels, and soon withered on the vine and faded away. Kind of a shame because they were trying to give us a new listening experience, and my friends older brother bought a Quad receiver, but I don't think we ever played a properly encoded album.

I'll have to play my Nektar albums again, seeing you give them such a glowing review.:grinthumb
 

starman

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Re: Nektar

Great post Starman, thank you.

I remember when Quad first came out, it never got much support from the big labels, and soon withered on the vine and faded away. Kind of a shame because they were trying to give us a new listening experience, and my friends older brother bought a Quad receiver, but I don't think we ever played a properly encoded album.

I'll have to play my Nektar albums again, seeing you give them such a glowing review.:grinthumb

You're very welcome my friend. There were/are so many GREAT bands that never got the recognition that they deserve. So many.
 

Aktivator

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Re: Nektar

I will never understand why Nektar is so out of everyone's radar. :(
Nektar is one of my favorite 70's bands.
Remember the future is an outstanding piece of music as is most of their catalog. Roye Albrighton is a very underated guitarist too. Starman gave a nice review of their history and the problem's they had with the releases in cd format. I saw one of their last concerts in 76 it was my my first concert ever and I was front row center. Nektar not only played an amazing show but they always toured with a light show guy, Mick Brockett. He had amazing video and light shows. Their top albums are Tab in the Ocean, Remember the Future, Sounds like this, Down to Earth and Recycled(which included Larry Fast(aka Synergy who also played on Peter Gabriel's first few solo albums).

They reformed in 2002 after been begged by NEARfest(prog art festival in NJ/PA) at the time most of the members of Nektar lived in NJ so they decided to give it a go, larry fast joined them too. I was in attendance that night and it was amazing with complete standing ovations and bowing fans who had waited years for this. They played the entire RTF album for the first time ever.
Since then they have tour a few times and went back into the studio but I've not been that impressed with the new stuff although their live show is still excellent but its now only Roye and Ron Howden plus all new members.

here is a shot from 2002 of the band and NEARfest fans(most in the reunion shirt) who gathered for a photo op.
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