RECYCLED

In keeping with their tradition of not pigeonholing themselves into a particular theme, neither with tabs on the oceans, nor with the fantastical memories that the future can generate nor the dazzling lights of the circus, Nektar, the most German Englishmen of the progressive scene, take a new turn of the screw and get very serious with one of the first known works regarding environmental concerns at a time when it was not yet on the global agenda: 'Recycled', the band's sixth album, released in 1975.

With no moralistic or vindicatory pretensions, Nektar exposes their visionary concerns about the future of the planet with a proposal that is closer to electronic and symphonic sonorities to the detriment of their increasingly less raspy creations, accompanied by the substantial collaboration of Larry Fast, recognised master of synthesizers, who nourished 'Recycled' with that futuristic instrumental touch that complements the album's narrative.

Separated into two major segments for a total of eleven pieces, the first half, 'Recycled - Part 1', unfolds consistently, without pause and at an agile pace, highlighting the epic melody of the opening 'Recycled' and its follow-up 'Recycled Countdown' with Allan Freeman's keyboards and Roye Albrighton's funky riffs, the industrialised arrangements of 'Cybernetic Consumption' with Fast's supreme moog, Derek Moore's robotic narration on the apocalyptic 'Automaton Horrorscope', and the fast-paced 'Unendless Imagination?' with a huge choral arrangement in Gregorian mode and the cosmic keyboard dissolving to conclude the excellent first segment of the album.

'Recycled - Part 2', which begins by picking up the keyboards where the first half ends, slows down and includes more heterogeneous rhythms, fusing Latin American elements and jazz touches on the laid-back 'São Paulo Sunrise' and 'Costa Del Sol' with great work from Derek Moore on bass, and reinforces its futuristic vision with the final minute synth curtain of 'Marvellous Moses', before Albrighton's beautifully arpeggiated guitars lead into the album's melancholic, orchestrated finale with the sombre 'It's All Over'.

The remastered edition of 2024, almost 50 years after the release of 'Recycled', the last album of Nektar's most classic period, includes a new mix by Geoff Emerick, and two very good sounding concerts from the 1976 tour in Toronto and Long Island. A valuable addition to the band's discography.

Very good

3.5/4 stars