REMEMBER THE FUTURE

Nektar's fourth studio album is an ambitious suite piece of music which occupied both sides of the LP record. Although not as accomplished as "A Tab in the Ocean", the challenge asumed by the band makes it worth the fourth star in my opinion. The music is great at especific times as the piece evolves and develops itself in its musical terms but I have to admit there are weaker moments and some of the singing parts are a bit poppish to my taste. Nevertheless, the strong rocky parts sufficently balance the whole content into a very valuable piece of music.

Remember the Future can have been Nektar's attempt to make something like Jethro's "Thick as a Brick" -in terms of duration- though the purpose is definitely in some other direction. At a time when this kind of records proliferated as happily as mushrooms after the first autumn rains (think not only of Jethro's classic masterpiece but also of "Tubular Bells" and subsequent Oldfield's recordings), it is not strange that Nektar felt the need of doing something similar, having been always an adventurous band in what style, influences and production concerns.

As in "A Tab in the Ocean", the musicianship the band shows is astonishing and the sound is so tight and the music so well performed you fell you are in front of one the greatest rock bands of the seventies. I can't imagine now why Nektar didn't have the status other contemporary bands had at their time (and I'm not speaking only of Yes, Genesis or E,L&P, but of Van der Graaf, Strawbs, Camel, etc).

If you haven't listened to Nektar, this can be a good point to start, which can be implemented by getting the 2011's remastering (The Nektar Deluxe Editions) with a double cd including a live version of the whole two-part title piece and a bonus cd with a whole live concert recorded in Brazil (Vivo Niteroi- Live in Brazil) in 2007, where Nektar played live for the first time and were acclaimed as heroes by a 30-year longing audience looking forward to seeing one of their favourite bands play a classical repertoire, including some of their best pieces from an over 35 years careeer.

An excellent Progressive Rock addition to your music collection: * * * *.

Ibnacio