Nektar and Visual Preoccupation

[veteranof1000psychicwars]

I have been a Nektar freak since around 1977. It's bizarre to me that after hundreds of hours of listening to, and singing along with Nektar albums, l am just noticing that in almost every song there is a sight-based reference in the lyrics, i.e., "see", "look" "show me", etc.
I could go through their catalog song by song to illustrate this but there are too many, literally in almost every song.
This is more an observation (which l am surprised I never noticed before) than a topic of discussion l suppose...and am the only one that caught on to this so late?
Not sure if Mr. B still posts here. As l understand it he contributed lyrically to (all?) of the albums. I guess l would ask if this was an intentional lyrical theme, and was it common to everyone who worked on the lyrics or just one person?
If intentional it would obviously be a stupid question to ask "Why?". Again, just something l noticed after about 45 years, and surprised l didn't "see" before.

[SteveSly]

I have been a Nektar freak since around 1977. It's bizarre to me that after hundreds of hours of listening to, and singing along with Nektar albums, l am just noticing that in almost every song there is a sight-based reference in the lyrics, i.e., "see", "look" "show me", etc.
I could go through their catalog song by song to illustrate this but there are too many, literally in almost every song.
This is more an observation (which l am surprised I never noticed before) than a topic of discussion l suppose...and am the only one that caught on to this so late?
Not sure if Mr. B still posts here. As l understand it he contributed lyrically to (all?) of the albums. I guess l would ask if this was an intentional lyrical theme, and was it common to everyone who worked on the lyrics or just one person?
If intentional it would obviously be a stupid question to ask "Why?". Again, just something l noticed after about 45 years, and surprised l didn't "see" before.

I never really noticed that before, but now that you have pointed it out it is pretty obvious that they do that a lot. Interesting.........

[veteranof1000psychicwars]

Hey Steve, hope you are doing well.
I should mention that l am referring mainly to the "classic" 5 albums, and Sounds Like This (a visual reference in "Good Day").
But, there are only a couple of 'anecdotal' usages on Magic Is A Child, but more direct usage in 7 of the 9 songs on Man In The Moon.
So, it could be reasonable to infer that this was a Roye Albrighton thing.

[SteveSly]

Hey Steve, hope you are doing well.
I should mention that l am referring mainly to the "classic" 5 albums, and Sounds Like This (a visual reference in "Good Day").
But, there are only a couple of 'anecdotal' usages on Magic Is A Child, but more direct usage in 7 of the 9 songs on Man In The Moon.
So, it could be reasonable to infer that this was a Roye Albrighton thing.

[Progbear]

The visual element was very important to their live show. Visual effects guy Mick Brockett was credited as a fully fledged member (as was his assistant Keith Walters on Journey).

[veteranof1000psychicwars]

Oh yes, that is absolutely true. I should have clarified in my subject line that l was talking about their lyrical perspective.

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

Mick was often involved in writing the lyrics, as I understand it.

[Eddie Y]

Not sure if Mr. B still posts here. As l understand it he contributed lyrically to (all?) of the albums. I guess l would ask if this was an intentional lyrical theme, and was it common to everyone who worked on the lyrics or just one person?
If intentional it would obviously be a stupid question to ask "Why?". Again, just something l noticed after about 45 years, and surprised l didn't "see" before.

Mo and Mick co-wrote most of the 70's lyrics, but after Magic both dropped out until the reformation for The Other Side in 2019

Mick is not along this time on the upcoming album or tour, (which begins this Friday) largely due to some health concerns and issues, but I'll be spending some time with him for that opening night show and I'll try and remember to bring this angle up and see what he has to say.

E

[Czyszy]

It's very likely that it's an intentional running gag. They have an album entitled Journey to the Centre of the Eye with a huge human eye on the front cover for heck's sake. xD

[veteranof1000psychicwars]

Mo and Mick co-wrote most of the 70's lyrics, but after Magic both dropped out until the reformation for The Other Side in 2019

Mick is not along this time on the upcoming album or tour, (which begins this Friday) largely due to some health concerns and issues, but I'll be spending some time with him for that opening night show and I'll try and remember to bring this angle up and see what he has to say.

E

Thanks Eddie, that would be really cool. Mick and l PM'd briefly years ago. Mostly about lights (l did lights at Progfests 95 and 97) and l tracked down Keith Walters for him. He won't remember me but l wish him the best with his health.

[veteranof1000psychicwars]

If anyone is interested l just inadvertently found the answer to my question, or the closest thing to it. I ran across a 17 year old Nektar thread l had forgotten about with Mo and Mick, also Roye participating briefly. Thread is extremely long.
At one point Mick went into a long explanation about Journey To TCOTE and mentioned that his father was blind. He thought this subconsciously made the "sight" thing a recurrence in his parts of the lyrics, on Journey and RTF.
He also said it was very sad that his dad was never able to experience his light show.

[markowitz]

This book really emphasizes this fact.

https://www.amazon.com/Nektar-every-.../dp/1789522579

I found out about that book thanks to a post by Sturgeon's Lawyer on another Nektar thread. Did not realize there were a family of books like this for Rock

[veteranof1000psychicwars]

This book really emphasizes this fact.

https://www.amazon.com/Nektar-every-.../dp/1789522579

I found out about that book thanks to a post by Sturgeon's Lawyer on another Nektar thread. Did not realize there were a family of books like this for Rock

Cool, l was not aware of that book, thanks. I have the On Track books about Captain Beefheart and Soft Machine but not this one.

[veteranof1000psychicwars]

Another probably subconscious lyrical idea is Paul McCartney's "preoccupation" with "home". During the Beatle years, there is She's Leaving Home, "when I'm home", "get back home", "going home" ....
And just off the top of my head from his solo career there is Home, Eat At Home, Home Tonight, Flying To My Home...
There are probably more in Beatle and solo songs.
Just interesting to notice when songwriters gravitate to a certain phrase or idea...l am sure there are others l haven't picked up on yet.

[veteranof1000psychicwars]

Don't know if l missed something but what is the thread connection? (And what the heck are they doing?)

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

Sorry; posted in the wrong thread. That was meant for the "WTF Covers" thread. I'll pull it off.

[veteranof1000psychicwars]

Sorry; posted in the wrong thread. That was meant for the "WTF Covers" thread. I'll pull it off.

Whew! Thank goodness. ☺
Just out of curiosity what in the world is that a cover of? All l could determine was it wasn't a Nektar song, but damned if l can tell what it is!

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

The Pop-O-Pies were famous for doing entire shows consisting of variant versions (speed punk, rap, reggae...) of "Truckin'" by the Grateful Dead. They were hilarious ... I guess maybe you had to be there.

Their one EP, which can be found on YouTube (I'm pretty sure it can, anyway) contains the brilliant punk minimalist song "Fascists Eat Donuts" and the hilarious reggae-beat "The Catholics Are Attacking."

They say their girls are virgins,
and I believe it too,
for I have seen the harm that
the lack of sex can do...

[veteranof1000psychicwars]

The Pop-O-Pies were famous for doing entire shows consisting of variant versions (speed punk, rap, reggae...) of "Truckin'" by the Grateful Dead. They were hilarious ... I guess maybe you had to be there.

Their one EP, which can be found on YouTube (I'm pretty sure it can, anyway) contains the brilliant punk minimalist song "Fascists Eat Donuts" and the hilarious reggae-beat "The Catholics Are Attacking."

I'm sold, l will check that out!

[Rarebird]

Sorry; posted in the wrong thread. That was meant for the "WTF Covers" thread. I'll pull it off.

It never happened to me, though I sometimes get something like it in the NP thread.