TIME MACHINE

Still I have to say wow to this record. Wow to a lot of magic stuff and possibilities here, perhaps loosing on some decisions or just my taste, but I must say this record is better than you think it is. Nektar is a long living group which released their first record 1971 an now 2013 they have made their thirteenth studio thing "Time Machine". The band consists of two orginal members: Roye Albrighton (guitars and lead vocals) and Ron Howden(drums and backing vocals) plus the bassist Billy Sherwood and the keyboard player Klaus Henatsch. The record lasts for 67 minutes and there are ten songs of varied quality. The cover picture is very much new age or like a fantasy world, a good one.

So many great components are put together here and I see the thoughts are big, they want something with their music. I here it and therefore I feel the music is honest and a little brave. The instrumentation is extraordinary, every instrument is perfect played. Nektar is also symphonic in many ways, more than psychedelic. It's a lot of sweaping and dreaming here. My big problem with Nektar is the vocals. Sometimes they are pure and good but I can't help feeling they're false, week and maybe badly mixed. The vocals don't work for me!

The best track on the album is as usual the second longest: "If only I could", a perfect prog song with almost everything you would expect. We have the seventies feeling a lot of power AND good vocals(8/10). "Tranquility" (7,5/10) is almost as good and "Set me free amigo" is a different one with good vocals and a latino feeling(7/10). The introducer "A better way" is a powerful piece of prog, unfortunately with inferior vocals(7/10) and "Mocking the moon"(7/10) and "Diamond Eyes"(6/10) are also nice. The other tracks interest me less. The title track for example is rather good with professional instrumentation but vocals and especially the chorus destroy everything(5/10). "Destiny" doesn't either work(4,5/10) and "Talk to me"(5/10) and "Juggernaut"(5/10) are quite bland.

So, as I have written, this is a record with many ingredients I like and a lot I dislike. Don't overlook this record, at least listen to 1, 2, 4, 6 and 7, especially "If Only I Could". Though do they have real problems which results that this could never be a favourite. Three stars!