Page 51 - ION Indie Magazine November December 2019 Issue

I was asked to spend a few days with the guys from Nektar filming them as they recorded
their 50th Anniversary album. Although I was aware of Nektar, I was not a superfan. But
that was soon the change. Driving down the Jersey Shore with windows wide open and
music way too loud, I was taken to a mystical land not unlike your favorite Bruce
Springsteen song. It felt good to be alive. Nektar is one of those bands who you either
know -- or don’t. They play a spacey sort of rock with progressive overtones. They are
contemporaries of Pink Floyd, my favorite band. Hell, they opened for Syd Barrett at The
Corn Exchange in Cambridge on February 26, 1972. Yeah, you read that right…they
opened for Syd. And Mick Brockett, who is Nektar’s light man and official band member, he
was Pink Floyd's light guy at the Roundhouse in 1968. That was long before “Darkside of
the Moon” and a long time before “The Wall.” Let that sink for in a moment…

I had heard about Shore Fire Studios before. Amazing drum sound, they say (it's true). A
perfect marriage of vintage analog equipment and the latest digital gadgets. The last of a
dying breed. Studios like this should be preserved. Entering the control room, I was
greeted by a driving bass line with a thundering drumbeat. My first impression was that this
music does not sound like guys in their 70's created it. I really like these guys. Personally,
they are a great bunch. I immediately bonded with Mo, Mick, Ronnie and Pete. I guess part
off the mystery of getting old is -- will I still be me? Meeting these cats, they are who I want
to be once I grow up. Their music reminded me of King Crimson and A Perfect Circle. The
sound was fresh and powerful, with a familiar flavor. I immediately liked it. I am like that
with music…it has to grab me instantly; it has to make me curious.

Anyway, the new Nektar album is probably the best album I’ve heard in quite some time.
It’ll take you on a trip. It has twinges of hope sprinkled within the darkness. It has those
signature Nektar riffs and lyrics. It sounds like Rush, Floyd, and King Crimson…it's a rock
album. It's fucking Nektar man.
I think it can be said I was on the fence with taking this gig, as it required me to miss work. It
turned out to be a nail in the coffin for that job. Long story. But truth be told, it was worth it. I
was exposed to a great bunch of guys who play really good music. I was bitten by the
Nektar bee and I understand why they have legendary status. Superfan status achieved.