Each Nektar album is very different from the next - and ...Sounds Like This
sounds like nothing else in Nektar's catalog of studio releases.
This one was recorded 'live in the studio'. Some critics accused it of being
badly produced - while others liked the raw, organic sound - sort of like a live
recording without the background interference or the annoying audience
interactions.
Stylistically you'll find lots of late-'60s era hard rock, lots of inventive,
psychedelic jam band sounds not unlike the Grateful Dead, some songs are -
particularly "New Day Dawning" - are pure Southern Blues rock, and of course, some songs are classic Nektar-style progressive rock. There are bits of
Hendrix-like guitar work, and some sections (parts of "Odysee") could have been
lifted from a Santana record. In fact, in most places it's hard to remember that
Nektar was English, and not American. (Of course, their members are now based on
both sides of the pond - and no, they were never a German band.). In a departure
from the norm, the only keyboards Taff Freeman plays is the Hammond - giving
parts of the record a heavy '60s or '70 sound, and some tracks sound something
like a cross between early Uriah Heep and Deep Purple's Made In Japan.
The basis for each of the jam sections is a groove, set up by the Mo Moore's
bass and Ron Howden's drums and - oddly enough - by the Hammond, that often
interacts with the bass guitar more than with any other instrument. Roye
Albrighton's guitar and vocals soar over that solid foundation. But it isn't all
jamming - there are structures here, and there are well defined verse / chorus /
verse layouts. And there may be more multi-part vocals on this album than you'll
find anywhere else in the band's back catalog.
So if you can stand a lack of high-tech over-produced perfection in your
audio, and if you enjoy the very real sounds of four insanely talented musicians
spending just three days in the studio, you'll appreciate ...Sounds Like This.
And the fact that no two songs are the same? Treat that as a bonus.
Track Listing:
1. Good Day (6:45)
2. New Day Dawning (5:02)
3. What Ya Gonna Do? (5:24)
4. 1-2-3-4 (12:47)
5. Do You Believe in Magic? (7:17)
6. Cast Your Fate (5:44)
7. A Day In The Life Of A Preacher (a. Preacher, b. Squeeze, c. Mr. H) (13:01)
8. Wings (3:46)
9. Odysee (a. Ron's On, b. Never, Never, Never, c. Da-Da-Dum) (14:31)
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