New fan of NEKTAR, but with a few questions?

[polmico]

I'm quite enjoying Remember the Future. Here are my impressions after a week or so with the album.

The packaging was quite unexpected. I figured it'd be one of those clamshell things that Esoteric usually uses for these types of boxes. Nope. Slide out tray with each disc in own sturdy sleeve. Haven't had a chance to read through the booklet, but it looks nice. Including a tour poser is always a welcome addition especially given how beautiful the artwork for the album is. (T-shirt? Man, I'd like to have a t-shirt with that art on it.)

The first two discs are the studio album. The first disc is remastered; the second is remixed. Remix is definitely my preference, and I probably won't give much more than another cursory listen to the remaster.

Surround mix was not overwhelming. Nothing really jumped out. But I've found I really need to inhabit an album for a while before I can fully appreciate a surround mix.

The live albums are rough. They're not bad, but don't expect anything pristine. Perhaps a little too jammy for my tastes, but I can't offer much more than that. I need to invest more attention.

Not quite space rock or, at least, not of the farther-than-far-out Space Ritual variety. Not a criticism, for sure, and certainly not a view everyone will agree with, but I'd be hard pressed to call this anything other than classic rock with prog elements and even that doesn't seem to make complete sense in my head. Let's try some comps. Definitely has that post-Syd but pre-Dark Side Floyd feel to it. Perhaps a more proggy Man would be a good way to describe it, or maybe a more rough and tumble Camel. Another band I keep thinking of is Rarebird but after Fields left when the band became a more traditional guitar/keys/bass/drum four-piece. I.e., very solid classic rock with prog elements (ok, I guess I'm buying my own first impression). I love music like that! It's always easy to spin and won't send my wife running out of the room (always a plus).


I went ahead and ordered the Esoteric release of Sounds Like This from Wayside. Hopefully I'll have a chance to dig into the live show in the box before it arrives. I think tonight I'm going to give the 5.1 a properly LOUD listen tonight. Wife is out of town so who is going to stop me? Not the dog! Not the neighbors! Not even common sense!

Anyway, I guess I'm a Nektar fan. Huzzah!

[SteveSly]

I went ahead and ordered the Esoteric release of Sounds Like This from Wayside. Hopefully I'll have a chance to dig into the live show in the box before it arrives. I think tonight I'm going to give the 5.1 a properly LOUD listen tonight. Wife is out of town so who is going to stop me? Not the dog! Not the neighbors! Not even common sense!

Anyway, I guess I'm a Nektar fan. Huzzah!

"Sounds Like This" is a very different album, but great in it's own way. I have always called it their jam band album. I think much of it was recorded live in the studio if I remember my Nektar history correctly.

[ronmac]

Not quite space rock or, ....

Just to be clear, my space rock comment was about the debut only. It's a bit of an outlier. It's total space rock.

I went ahead and ordered the Esoteric release of Sounds Like This from Wayside. Hopefully I'll have a chance to dig into the live show in the box before it arrives.

Sounds Like this is the jammy album. Live in the studio. Very much like the live sets. Check out the Live at the Roundhouse show. That is also jammy but it kills.

Every release is a bit different. The pure proggiest are RTF, Tab and Recycled.

[polmico]

Just to be clear, my space rock comment was about the debut only. It's a bit of an outlier. It's total space rock.

Sounds Like this is the jammy album. Live in the studio. Very much like the live sets. Check out the Live at the Roundhouse show. That is also jammy but it kills.

Every release is a bit different. The pure proggiest are RTF, Tab and Recycled.

Hopefully Tab gets the Esoteric treatment, too.

[markowitz]

Nice interview of Mo Moore
https://www.loudersound.com/features...ber-the-future

[ronmac]

^^ Bad link

[markowitz]

Sorry try this
https://www.loudersound.com/features...ber-the-future

[polmico]

New edition of Recycled landed on my doorstep today (thanks, Laser's Edge!). Haven't had a chance to listen to it yet, but I'll share some impressions when I have.

[Eddie Y]

Hopefully Tab gets the Esoteric treatment, too.

I believe that one is next

E

[polmico]

I believe that one is next

E

Oh, good to hear.

There’s a new album on the way, too.

[Eddie Y]

Oh, good to hear.

There’s a new album on the way, too.

And the tour begins this Friday in Dunellen NJ, pre-release copies of "Mission to Mars" will be available at the shows prior to the official release

E

[mozo-pg]

Love Nektar.

[polmico]

I was having a conversation with myself about filling in the gaps. I figure all the ‘70s material will get the Esoteric treatment, so I’ll skip over those for now. How’s the early 2000s band? I listened to the title track over on YT and was not convinced. http://https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=v1vAr1znp7Y

There are a few live albums from that time, too. Any thoughts?

I do like The Other Side and will certainly pick up the new studio album and live set whenever I can. Hopefully that’ll be soon (?).

[SteveSly]

I was having a conversation with myself about filling in the gaps. I figure all the ‘70s material will get the Esoteric treatment, so I’ll skip over those for now. How’s the early 2000s band? I listened to the title track over on YT and was not convinced. http://https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=v1vAr1znp7Y

There are a few live albums from that time, too. Any thoughts?

I do like The Other Side and will certainly pick up the new studio album and live set whenever I can. Hopefully that’ll be soon (?).

The 00’s albums are a mixed bag. “The Prodigal Son” is more like a Roye solo album to my ears and does not always sound that much like Nektar. It eventually grew on me, but I would still rank it near the bottom of their catalogue. “Evolution” and “Book Of Days” are both very good IMO and worth owning.

[Bruno Sampaio Barbosa]

I was having a conversation with myself about filling in the gaps. I figure all the ‘70s material will get the Esoteric treatment, so I’ll skip over those for now. How’s the early 2000s band? I listened to the title track over on YT and was not convinced. http://https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=v1vAr1znp7Y

There are a few live albums from that time, too. Any thoughts?

I do like The Other Side and will certainly pick up the new studio album and live set whenever I can. Hopefully that’ll be soon (?).

The best album from the 2000's is "Evolution" (2004) very well recorded and mixed. "Time Machine" (2013) the worst, produced, enginered and mixed by Billy Sherwood, dreadful sonics for average compositions. "Book of Days" (2008) have very good songs, may should be the best Nektar album of the first decade of the 2000's. But unfortunately the album was released in DEMO form, all recorded/sequenced by Roye alone in his home studio. The band went through serious problems with their manager and the guy seized all the recordings made in the studio with the band for this album. Without money or label, deceived and stolen by the manager, Roye decided to release the album with the Demos.

"The Prodigal Son" (2001) have good songs. Nothing extraordinary, but pleasent. Mission To Mars "2024' is a very short album, like from the vinyl era, but the songs are strong, a bunch of keyboard/synth layers, nice riffs, solos and moods. Well produced, recorded and mixed. If you liked "The Other Side" will like it.

None of these albums compare to the ones from the 70s. And even the ones from the 70s, they are all different from each other. But as a Nektar fan, you have a pretty good amount of things to like on these albums.

[Bruno Sampaio Barbosa]

2004 Tour (official bootleg, audience recording): good energy, poor audio
Live in Germany 2005 (official bootleg, audience recording): good energy, poor audio
Pure: Live in Germany 2005 (DVD). Good setlist, very good performance, lot of energy and "raw" sound.
Greatest Hits Live / Live At The Patriots Theater / NearFest 2002 / Remember The Future Live In New Jersey 2002: Original band reunion, good performances but average audio quality mix.
Fortyfied 2009: good quality audio, performance OK. Nothing compared to 70's, but honest renditions for this point in time, Peter Pichl is a monster bass player.
Space Rock Invasion Live: Good audio mix, average performance. Roye re-recorded all the vocals and guitar in studio for this contractual release.
Live in Bremen 2015: Last live recording with Roye. Good quality, just ok performances, lacks some energy. Mixed bag of more recent songs and classic material.
Journey to the Other Side - Live at The Dunellen Theatre June 10, 2023: Very well recorded and mixed, one of the best live drum sounds from Ron. Ryche is not Roye, very different players and sound (guitar, effects, distortions, etc), he also have kind a more mellow voice compared to Roye. It's a different way to enjoy the songs. Randy Dembo helps here with one more layer of guitar (12-string) and it's better to reproduce the original studios recordings overdubs on live form. The setlist is very good. Last live recording with Ron (R.I.P.) You can hear Ron singing Dream Nebula, It's All Over (from Recycled pt 2), and a section from RTF.

[Harbottle]

I bought Book of Days on vinyl and found it a very odd sounding album. I seem to recall it had drum machines rather than real drums, which makes sense if it's just a bunch of demos.
I don't think I listened to it more than once.

[ronmac]

"Evolution" stacks up very well alongside the 70s output, IMO.

[polmico]

Thanks for all the reviews and thoughts.

One more question: has Mission to Mars and the ‘23 live album been released?

[markowitz]

Love Nektar.

+1

[Bruno Sampaio Barbosa]

Thanks for all the reviews and thoughts.

One more question: has Mission to Mars and the ‘23 live album been released?

On the bottom of the this page you can order the live album (already released) or pre-order the new studio album (EXPECTED TO SHIP AUGUST 2024):
https://www.dekoentertainment.com/nektar

My one-line review of Mission To Mars was based on a strict early access of the album.

You can also buy the new studio album on Nektar gigs (with different cover).

You can also listen to the new live album on every streaming platform.

[ronmac]

I'm curious to hear Mission to Mars. The last album was very good, but lyrically, it wasn't particularly strong.

[moecurlythanu]

I'm curious to hear Mission to Mars. The last album was very good, but lyrically, it wasn't particularly strong.

I saw them last Sunday night, and I thought the lyrics to the title track were atrocious. And the anthemic chant on that chorus struck me as way out of character. YMMV.

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

Yeah -- when I first heard Evolution, my thought was, "Well, they warned us and we didn't listen, and here they're telling us it's too late."

[ronmac]

I saw them last Sunday night, and I thought the lyrics to the title track were atrocious. And the anthemic chant on that chorus struck me as way out of character. YMMV.

Eek.