Nektar’s progressive and psychedelic rock masterpiece, Remember The Future, is showcased in a new expanded box set. 

Release date: Available now

Label: Esoteric Recordings/Cherry Red Records

Format: 4 CD and 1 Blu-ray Box Set

Formed in 1969 in Hamburg, the founding members of Nektar were Roye Albrighton on guitars and lead vocals, Allan Freeman on keyboards, Derek Moore on bass, Ron Howden on drums and Mick Brockett and Keith Walters on lights and effects. Combining progressive and psychedelic rock, by the time of their fourth album, Remember The Future, this was a band with huge ambition and vision, together with a high level of musicianship and improvising skills, that could deliver on that ambition and vision.

This 50th anniversary expanded edition box set of Remember The Future, is a fitting celebration of an album that remarkably reached number 13 on the US Billboard album chart, without the band ever having toured in the United States. In the box set, you get the album in a 2023 remastered version (CD one) and a 2023 stereo remix version (CD two), with live and promo single bonus tracks. CDs three and four capture a live performance on 28^th January 1974 at the Stadthalle, Muenster, in Germany. Disc 5 is a Blu ray disc, and has a 5.1 mix, the 2023 stereo remix, the original stereo mix and the 1973 Quad mix. It also offers visual material including a promotional film for the album and two BBC TV Old Grey Whistle Test appearances. There is also an informative illustrated booklet and a tour poster which includes the album artwork.

CD Discs One and Two

My preference between the 2023 remaster and 2023 stereo mix versions is the 2023 remaster on CD one, reflecting for me a wider soundstage, more nuanced separation of the instruments, and also the drums being a little more present. This will of course be a matter of personal preference for the listener. Turning to the album itself, it consists of two lengthy musical pieces, Remember The Future Part One and Remember The Future Part Two.

The concept behind the album, of a character named Bluebird, depicted in the album artwork, coming to earth to warn of the need to treat the planet with care, has a continuing resonance in the context of climate change. The evocative lyrics that give voice to this concept were written by Derek Moore and Mick Brockett. There is a musical and thematic scale and ambition in Remember The Future that, in many ways, is the equal to such progressive rock masterpieces as Jethro Tull’s Thick As A brick.

Starting with Remember The Future Part One, the track begins with an ambient instrumental section, leading into the sound of a funk driven guitar, and some marvellously thumping syncopated drumming. Early on the band’s stunning four-part vocal harmonies come to the fore, as they sing movingly of:

“Falling down from heaven

Twisted leaves – so twisted

Still so strong after all those

L-I-E-S

I can see the meaning 

Twisted Trees – so twisted 

Spin the wheel of never ending 

T-I-M-E”

The harmonies are punctuated by some stabbing rhythm guitar, as the conceptual narrative is developed, evolving into the soaring refrain of “Remember the future.” What is already striking is the propulsive yet subtly complex time signatures, that particularly the drums and bass are able to provide for the music. Similarly, the precision unison playing of the guitar and keyboards that brings layers and depth to the music. The closing instrumental section shifts the band into psychedelic rock territory, as Roye Albrighton’s guitar solo ripples and soars, adding a spacey atmosphere, with Allan Freeman’s atmospheric swirling Hammond organ adding a further layer of immersive sound.

Remember The Future Part Two is in many ways the mellower companion piece, with medieval, folk and blues musical references. The vocal harmonies here are just exquisite, and so expressive of the soulful aspects of the music. Throughout the development of Part Two there remains a complex and remarkable set of progressive rock time signature changes, but here interlaced with a soulful anthemic musicality, crossed with, in the final musical sequence, West Coast styled soft rock guitar figures. It shouldn’t work but it completely does.

This is music truly deserving of the description of masterpiece. The informative essay by Mark Powell, contained in the accompanying booklet, explains that the two musical pieces that make up the album, had evolved from road testing two embryonic songs called Questions and Answers and Let It Grow at live shows. This process of development in a live context clearly shows in the finished pieces, which are full of a gig level energy and finely honed musicianship.

CD Discs three and four, capture a live performance in early 1974 at the Stadthalle, Muenster, in Germany, and provide many fine examples of how the band excelled in a live context. For example, on CD four, the first five tracks encapsulate the fantastic musical range the band had live. Odysee has a cool jazz shuffle that develops into a guitar led psychedelic mist, segueing into That’s Life, which has a charming pop lilt and lovely harmonies, that then moves into funk-based ensemble playing. 

Fidgety Queen has a more traditional rock based approach, with its heavy riffing and blues based rhythms. Ron’s On, is of course a drum solo, a staple of many live shows of the time. However, here we have an inventive drummer, who incorporates subtle jazz-based rhythms and clearly holds the attention of the live audience. Show Me The Way, highlights the more progressive rock side of the band, with its changes of tempo and pace, flowing guitar work, and precision ensemble playing. It is worth noting that the live material is very well recorded and very much places the listener in the middle of the audience.

On the Blu-ray Disc, the 5.1 surround sound mix adds considerably to the experience of listening to Remember The Future.  The band’s rich harmony vocals have a greater separation and depth as they play from the rear speakers. Derek Moore’s bass work and Ron Howden’s drumming really fly out of the speakers, and the rhythmic subtlety in their impressive playing is enhanced. Roye Albrighton’s guitar also has a greater expansiveness, and the incredible palette of tones he employs is given a dramatic audio platform. Allan Freeman’s keyboard work is given a clearer placement and brightness in the mix. Ben Wiseman who put together the 5.1 surround sound mix has done an excellent job here.

The visual material on the Blu-ray Disc includes a promotional film for Remember The Future, and also two 1973 appearances from the BBC’s Old Grey Whistle Test. The first being where the recorded version of the song Wings is played over a quirky themed film (a regular feature of the OGWT at that time). The second a live rendition of Desolation Valley, which together with the promotional film for Remember The Future, gives a flavour of the distinctive light show the band had at the time, courtesy of Mick Brockett.

The accompanying booklet contains Mark Powell’s thoughtful essay that provides insightful reflections on the band’s development. Another essay by band members, Derek Moore and Mick Brockett, sets out the context of the recording of the album. Near the end of their essay, they reference touchingly their relationship with the Welsh band, Man.

“…the Man band had added their ‘thanks to Nektar, for coming to England’ credit on their forthcoming album Back into the Future. Mick and I saw it on the cover of the artwork of their as yet unreleased album while we were visiting our English label, United Artists. So, we added to our album artwork our thanks to Man for coming to Germany.”

The two bands were good friends and played several concerts together. Both bands have left an incredible legacy of great music, in the area of psychedelic and progressive rock, and Esoteric Recordings and Cherry Red have been instrumental in preserving and celebrating that legacy. In this new expanded edition of Remember The Future, they have done the music and legacy of Nektar proud.

Nektar are still touring, and you can find out more about the band here: Nektar website / Nektar Facebook page

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