Nektar
...Sounds Like Swiss
Review by Gary Hill
This new two CD one DVD set includes live recordings from Nektar. All of this dates from 1973 and was recorded in Sweden, but it comes from at least a couple different shows. Now, some of the audio (and the video on the DVD) was professionally filmed to air on television, so it's of a higher quality than some of the rest. The thing is, this is all good. Apparently the rest came from soundboard recordings. I'm not sure if the tapes were stored well, or not because there are a few audio blemishes here and there.
As always, we only do track by track reviews of the CDs, and not the DVDs, which in this case is essentially a bonus. That said, since the majority of this stuff in studio form has been previously reviewed at MSJ, there is perhaps a bit less attention sometimes to the actual music and more the performance and recording.
Let me just say that Nektar's music is always so interesting. They encompass so many things. That was perhaps even more true in this earlier part of their career. They were a band without boundaries, really. Sure, it's prog, but it's a lot more, too. This is such a great record of these shows. I highly recommend it. I should mention that the video, an hour long concert, is filmed in black and white, but is quite good for the time period.
This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2021 Volume 6. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2021.
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