The Progressive Rock genre didn't exist when Nektar recorded Recycle. Even now Nektar wonders if they were really prog, or if they were just … Nektar. (See our interview published in Feb. 2004.) It's almost impossible to categorize the band because each album was so different from its predecessor. So the thought that occurs while listening to this truly excellent remaster is: Was Recycle the most progressive of Nektar's albums?
It has all the elements. Varied time signatures, tempo shifts, lots of rock, some jazz, classical influences, elegantly crafted instrumentals with wonderful guitar and keyboard interplay, all the classic '70s instrumentation and compositional styles, epic soundscapes, rich two and three part vocal harmonies, contributions from synthesiser wizard Larry Fast – it's all there. And the hooks … these melodies will stay with you for months!
The original 1976 version of Recycle comprises 11 tracks, but there are 22 on this CD. Not only was the original mix remastered, but this expanded release includes a second copy of each song mixed by Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick. It is a fascinating exercise to play the two mixes of each song back to back. The technical approach is so different that you sometimes have to listen really closely to be convinced that they're taken from the same recordings. The original version was raw and energetic and powerful, but the Emerick version adds a touch of class that makes these 29 year old songs new and relevant all over again.
So – was Recycle the most progressive of Nektar's albums? Dunno – it may have been. But what's more important, it was probably the most diverse. You'll hear bits of everything on this album – aggressive, mellow, complex, simple – and it all works together as a cohesive body of work.
This one is a must-have!
Track Listing:
1. Recycle
2. Cybernetic Consumption
3. Recycle Countdown
4. Automation Horrorscope
5. Recycling
6. Flight to Reality
7. Unendless Imaginations
8. Sao Paulo Sunrise
9. Costa del Sol
10. Marvellous Moses
11. It's All Over
12. Recycle [Emerick Mix]
13. Cybernetic Consumption [Emerick Mix]
14. Recycle Countdown [Emerick Mix]
15. Automation Horrorscope [Emerick Mix]
16. Recycling [Emerick Mix]
17. Flight to Reality [Emerick Mix
]
18. Unendless Imaginations [Emerick M
ix]
19. Sao Paulo Sunrise [Emerick Mix]
20. Costa del Sol [Emerick Mix]
21. Marvellous Moses [Emerick Mix]
22. It's All Over [Emerick Mix]
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
