Their lead guitarist jammed with Jimi Hendrix. Frank Zappa tried to sign them to his label. Sherman Helmsley—yes, that Sherman Helmsley from The Jeffersons—was such a fan he slipped one of their songs into the show (seriously, it’s on YouTube).
I sometimes refer to them as “the little prog rock band that could,” Nektar was a great band which should have become a household word but these days mostly only prog rock insiders know about them. While they never got as big as peers like as Pink Floyd, Yes and Genesis, the band got real close to the superstar flame! If you like any of those bands you may well enjoy Nektar’s music.
Esoteric Recordings’ new 4CD box set celebrating Nektar’s now-under-appreciated 1974 Top 40 hit album, Down To Earth, provides a fine overview of the band at peak powers. Forgoing epic side-long compositions for shorter, more radio-friendly song structures (thematically linked with a lighthearted circus theme), Down To Earth is a fine collection containing many fan concert favorites.
This high quality clamshell style box set features the core Down To Earth album remastered. 26 additional tracks include live-studio sessions, alternate mixes and an unreleased concert. Previously unseen images from an extensive circus photo session are included as are heartwarming, reflective liner notes from band members.
The new Down To Earth remaster sounds very good — much better than the 2013 expanded CD, feeling less compressed, fuller and clearer.
Some previously released bonus recordings — notably the live studio sessions formerly issued in 2002 as the stand-alone CD Unidentified Flying Abstract — also are improved. A brighter, more open high end and more detailing on the bass makes me even wonder if fresh mix was made from the original 16-track multitracks (I doubt there was budget for that process).
For this deep fan, the main attraction here is the previously unreleased April 2, 1975 live concert from the Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis. The band is on fire, delivering excellent versions of key works including the entire 1973 Top 20 hit LP Remember The Future. While sonically not perfect, the recording is still pretty top notch for an archival 50 year old tape that was probably never meant for commercial release.
The band’s energy on this show is palpable. Nektar at this time was building steam across America. In New York (where I grew up and first heard them), they were played often on my favorite radio station, WNEW FM (which eventually hosted a live Nektar concert broadcast officially released as Live In New York album — highly recommended!).
The final encore of “Woman Trouble” (aka “What Ya Gonna Do?” from their live-studio 1973 2LP release …Sounds Like This) is a great reminder that beneath Nektar’s star-ward gazing image was a rip roarin’ pedal-to-the-metal rock ‘n roll band. And rock they do as lead guitarist/singer Roye Albrighton lets loose with some serious Hendrix-isms before the band transitions into a fun, shred-filled medley of Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Rock ‘n Roller,” Carl Perkins’ “Blue Suede Shoes” and the Jerry Lee Lewis nugget “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.” It takes a special band to pull off something like this without feeling cliche.
I am very happy with this new Esoteric Recordings set. If you still enjoy the convenience of compact discs, this collection is a fine introduction to Nektar’s peak period music at a very reasonable price point.
Where to buy: $38.99 at Amazon
Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc. You can learn more about him at LinkedIn.
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