Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Nektar
Label: Bellaphon
Release: 2001
Duration: 52:15
Rating: 3.5/5
»The Prodigal Son« was the ninth studio album from the British progressive rock institution Nektar, and their first in more than twenty years of complete silence. Many people mistakenly file Nektar under krautrock because they spent so many years working in the studio on German soil, but given the innovative synthesizer technology they used at the turn of the seventies, which gave ambient music a completely new meaning, and their science-fiction lyrics, space rock would be a far more fitting label for their music. The band’s chieftain, cult guitarist and singer Roye Albrighton, decided to revive the legendary group together with keyboardist Allan ‘Taff’ Freeman at just the right time, namely when interest in prog rock was slowly starting to wake up again at the turn of the century. On »The Prodigal Son« Albrighton and Freeman were the last two original Nektar members, while longtime drummer Ron Howden was temporarily replaced (he came back later) by Ray Hardwick.
»The Prodigal Son« was more or less built to the wishes of longtime Nektar fans, although, as you’d expect, it had no jaw-dropping highlights and wasn’t among their most complex achievements. Albrighton and Freeman built most of the album’s compositions on blues-rock beats and expanded them with mighty synth curtains and intricate rhythmic nuances on bass and drums. Albrighton played all the bass parts himself, which was a real walk in the park for him, even though throughout his career he was known mainly as an excellent guitarist and singer, or as one of the best guitarist-singers in rock history.
On most of the »The Prodigal Son« tracks you can hear that Nektar have aged like fine wine, since they still sound unmistakable from a mile away, yet at the same time modern and adapted to new production conditions. In terms of the overall atmosphere of most of the compositions, this album came closest yet to the masterpiece »Remember The Future« (1973), which was definitely a good sign that the good old Nektar were back, but it was also a long way from the once innovative, complex and unpredictable experiments. »The Prodigal Son« was thus a relatively easy listen even for those who swear by more minimalist rock melodies. Most people who aren’t big on progressive rock would probably get scared off by the nine-minute length of the opening suite »Terminus/Oh My« alone, but at heart it’s a melodic funky rocker with bluesy tendencies, laid over clever rhythmic variations and a lavish synth backdrop, and it slips easily into the ear of your average Joe. With the help of inspiring backing vocals, Albrighton proves right away that his voice has kept all of its trademark melodramatic epic quality.
»Now« has a slow intro that doesn’t promise much, but it develops nicely by the end and works as a whole thanks to its mighty, nostalgic atmosphere and an epic chorus built in the best Nektar ambient manner. »I Can’t Help You« is another splendid achievement that will thrill all the longtime fans, since it contains just the right mix of complex ambient magic and melodicism built on witty guitar phrases and epic vocals. »The Drinking Man’s Wine« is a gentle, acoustic-guitar-driven pastoral ballad where you can also admire Albrighton’s effective laying down of spirited bass parts, while the melodic vocal harmonies are once again sung in classic style.
»Shangri-La« delivers the expected epic-ethereal ambience, fitting for a song named after the Tibetan vision of paradise, with Albrighton nicely matching gentle acoustic guitar chords to passionate electric guitar passages. The solemn chorus, on the other hand, wasn’t the most successful this time around, since together with the slightly saccharine love lyrics it sounds a bit pathetic, something that never happened to Nektar throughout their past career; definitely a sign that Albrighton and Freeman had by then crossed a certain age threshold and that, while reviving nostalgia, they sometimes got carried away into excessive sentimentality. »Salt And Vinegar Rhytm And Blues« is a song that, without a doubt, mostly because of its somewhat ‘sleepy’ rhythmic structure, was built least to the taste of most Nektar fans. At its core it’s an energetic but slightly drawn-out blues/hard rocker based on a punchy guitar phrase, while its main bright spots are the witty layers of Hammond organ and the excellent vocal harmonies.
The title track is one of the more experimentally minded and therefore better moments of the album, since alongside the ambient generosity of orchestrally spiced synth curtains, it’s ruled by interesting guitar and bass guitar improvisations and hypnotic vocal harmonies. The rich epic-ethereal atmosphere briefly brings back memories of some of their best achievements from the seventies. »Be Tonight« is, compared to its space-rock-tinged predecessor, almost a pop rocker, thanks to its cheerful acoustic melody, light rhythms, love lyrics and nostalgic chorus. The closing »Day Nine« opens unpromisingly, like yet another sentimental ballad, but over time it morphs into a complex progressive rocker with mighty drum transitions, an energetic run of guitar phrases and majestic vocal harmonies, leaving a good final impression. The closing crackling and hiss of radio frequencies comes off as a somewhat unnecessary addition, though they probably wanted to create an impression of space-rock enigma.
With »The Prodigal Son« Nektar rose from the dead at the turn of the century in convincing fashion, after more than twenty years of total studio hibernation, proving that their musical language is still relevant in the 21st century, even if they can hardly offer their loyal followers anything particularly new anymore. One of the most innovative bands of all time didn’t thrill anyone with a new masterpiece on »The Prodigal Son«, which was somewhat unrealistic to expect after all those years anyway, but it definitely satisfied everyone who may have feared that the new studio effort would lack the classic, space-rock-ethereal Nektar ambience.
Lineup
Roye Albrighton – vocals, guitar, bass guitar
Allan “Taff ” Freeman – keyboards, backing vocals
Ray Hardwick – drums, percussion
Production
Nektar
Track List
1. Terminus/Oh My (9:05)
2. Now (6:11)
3. I Can’t Help You (4:48)
4. The Drinking Man’s Wine (5:50)
5. Shangri-La (5:30)
6. Salt And Vinegar And Rhythm And Blues (6:15)
7. The Prodigal Son (6:41)
8. Be Tonight (3:58)
9. Day 9 (5:17)
