Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Nektar
Label: Bellaphon
Released: 1973
Runtime: 35:33
Rating: 5/5
With the concept-album masterpiece “Remember the Future,” the legendary space rockers Nektar had their big breakthrough into the ranks of Europe’s best-known progressive rock bands, even though within a select circle of music connoisseurs with a keen ear for untamed sonic adventures and esoteric moods, they had long enjoyed plenty of respect. This highly ambitious record, which today remains surprisingly overlooked even among the most diehard prog communities, brought them a string of high chart placements and the biggest commercial success of their career, especially in host country Germany, where these peculiar Englishmen usually had their main base of operations. It was surprisingly successful in the US too, where it went gold, making them one of the few prog rock bands to sell equally well on both sides of the Atlantic.
Far more important than the fact that it put them on the world music map is the music itself, since together with “Recycled” (1975) it shares the title of their best work. On it they went through their first major sonic shift, largely dropping the sprawling psychedelic improvisations and obscure blues-rock moves of the past in favor of a much more refined sound. It rested mostly on hypnotic multi-part vocals, funk-tinged rhythmic patterns, and melancholic layered harmonies. The main driver of their sound was still the superb guitarist and vocalist Roye Albrighton, whose eclectic guitar acrobatics confirmed him as one of the most original guitarists of the seventies. Ambient waves of keyboards, especially the ethereal synth patterns courtesy of Allan “Taff” Freeman, provided a protective astral atmosphere that stretched their sound even further toward completely unpredictable dimensions.
At its core, “Remember the Future” is a majestic conceptual prog rock epic, which Nektar split into two parts because of the length limits of vinyl records back then. The individual arrangements and harmonies are built up around two basic motifs, namely “Questions and Answers” and “Let it Grow.” True to their reputation as unpredictable builders of rainbow-colored sonic collages, the two halves of the “Remember the Future” suite are completely different from each other and offer a wealth of varied atmospheres. While the first half is mostly bouncy, with plenty of funky rhythmic finesse and hard rock passages, the second part is much more melancholic and reflective, with extensive use of Albrighton’s slide guitar.
The cosmic journey through “memories of the future” kicks off with a playful melody with loads of vocal harmonies in the chorus, over a bed of funk rhythms diligently kept going by bassist Derek “Mo” Moore. Compared to their mostly obscure psychedelic experiments of the past, here Nektar show off their knack for crafting refined, seductive melodies more actively for the first time. Through it all they hold on to their trademark Celtic melancholy, but they aren’t shy about throwing in hard rock touches either, mostly thanks to Albrighton’s finely judged delivery of punchy guitar phrases. The motifs of the epic shift from minute to minute. One of the high points of the suite’s first half is an epic chorus with mighty vocal harmonies, over which delicate guitar and keyboard harmonies flow. Roye’s incredibly soulful vocal performance also plays a big part in building the dramatic mood. Toward the end of the first half comes a sprawling instrumental section where the individual instruments clash in vivid fashion, while the vocal harmonies tip the composition into an experimental-psychedelic part ruled by witty synth finesse.
The second half of the suite is in many ways even more interesting than the first, as it packs in an even bigger dose of esoteric harmonies and Albrighton’s heart-piercing slide solos, which let them conjure up a heap of deep and varied atmospheres. With occasional rhythmic breaks they build a gentle pastoral melody based on ethereal vocal harmonies and the elegant placement of carefully chosen guitar chords. In time they stage a standout party-like section teeming with guitar wah-wah effects, bluesy passages, and lively funk lines on the bass. Riding on the galloping rhythms of Howden’s drums, they steer into a half-ambient section with a mysterious atmosphere. Piercing vocal harmonies then tip it all into a spirited funk motif with an almost danceable beat.
The closing part of the suite brings its big peak and the final revelation. Here we run into a deeply melancholic mood marked by plenty of “weeping” slide guitar harmonies. When people talk about the masters of slide guitar in prog rock, they usually mention Dave Gilmour (Pink Floyd) or Andy Latimer (Camel), while Albrighton’s credit for creating some of the most heart-wrenching and sorrowful guitar harmonies in music history is all too often forgotten. Still, the end of the epic journey isn’t sad, as over funk rhythmic patterns and with Roye’s excellent singing they eventually build a bouncy melody all over again. The spirited finale is a melodic hard rock revelation in the “Let It Grow” section, where they show off their incredible feel for building infectious melodies. As befits true space rockers, the astral voyage wraps up with psychedelic synth patterns.
The concept of the album itself is nothing special, let alone innovative, since it’s based on a sci-fi plot that was already pretty worn out back then, about a mystical, immortal entity called Bluebird, who wanders through different dimensions, travels through space, time, and the cosmos, and now and then observes the progress of the human race. Humanity’s strange development and deeds catch its attention. Despite the many bitter disappointments that its observations of humanity’s self-destructive nature bring over the course of millennia, it sees enormous potential for spiritual evolution in the species’ future, and also the chance that one day, once they’ve earned it, it will make personal contact with them. At a time when all sorts of concepts about spiritual development were hugely popular even within prog rock, Nektar chipped in their share too, blending it all with their traditional fascination with sci-fi.
With “Remember the Future,” Nektar created their first masterpiece and reached a new level of songwriting maturity. This album, or rather the title epic suite, still stands today as one of the best achievements in the story of progressive rock, and it finally won them well-deserved attention beyond the circle of loyal fans. After the album’s success, several world-famous labels started competing for their affections, among them Discreet, the independent label run by the legendary Frank Zappa, whom they had managed to impress as his support act on a joint tour. In the end the deal fell through, but Frank’s kind words still earned them extra media attention. “Remember the Future” was a perfect springboard from which they could have kept running this successful sonic recipe in the years that followed, but they preferred to stay true to unpredictability and delivered a pile of unexpected sonic surprises over the next few years.
Lineup
Roye Albrighton – guitar, vocals
Allan “Taff” Freeman – keyboards, backing vocals
Derek “Mo” Moore – bass guitar, backing vocals
Ron Howden – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Mick Brockett – lights
Production
Peter Hauke and Nektar
Track list
1. Remember the Future – Part I (16:38)
Images of the Past
Wheel of Time
Remember the Future
Confusion
2. Remember the Future – Part II (18:55)
Returning Light
Questions and Answers
Tomorrow Never Comes
Path of Light
Recognition
Let It Grow
