Nektar – Door To The Future
Remastered (Eclectic Discs, 2006 DNECD 1212)
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Roye Albrighton / guitar, lead vocals
Derek "Mo" Moore / bass, backing vocals
Ron Howden / drums, percussion
Allan "Taff" Freeman / keyboards, backing vocals
Mick Brockett / lighting, projections and visual effects
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Concepts by Mo & Mick
Music by Roye, Taff, Mo & Ron
Lyrics by Roye, Mo & Mick.
A NEKTAR composition.
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Finally, it was decided to open the doors on some of the many cassettes recorded by both myself, and our soundman Vinnie Schmid, whilst I performed the
light show with Nektar. I realized that these shows (originally archived for my film and video editing as well as reference purposes) contained elements
only heard by those who were in attendance of these particular concerts thirty off years ago.
This first CD is a compilation from a 1974 German tour, NOT a complete concert (although some later releases will seem to be) mainly because many great
live versions of so many Nektar songs are already available on Eclectic's two official live concert CD packages, professionally recorded at The London
Roundhouse and The Academy of Music in New York, around these same peak touring years.
This CD contains five unreleased pieces, plus some unique versions of others. We open with "The Devil's Door," a tune derived from earlier
jams with Roye's lyrics now added in this recording from Bielefeld on June 12. I'm sure that if Devil's Door had evolved further, a searing
guitar solo might have been added to Taff's solo verse and the remaining lyrics may have been slightly amended before it wound up in the studio…
also my humble apologies for the one remaining unironable tape twist as you listen to this, it is from a 1974 cassette!
Next up is "Nelly the Elephant" where Roye is the solo fuzz master AND ringmaster for the night. Nelly was never played live again until our
reunion at NearFest 2002!
Track 3 is "Cast Your Fate" (from Sounds Like This!), a staple of our early Nektar repertoire that disappeared from the live set, once we curtailed
our three hours with an intermission and no opening act concerts. This was a performance that I thought worthy of inclusion, Mo's intermission announcement
(in German) included.
Now on to track 4, an "acoustic interlude," where new ballad ideas came forth as two songs incorporating prominent vocal harmonies, given working
titles of "Anyway" and "Sorrow" before Roye launches into "Little Boy" from "Down To Earth", all from the Bielefeld
show. Little boy was rarely played live after being released.
"Odysee" was originally performed when I first united the light show with "Prophecy" for a month in the summer of 69, it was enhanced
with Roye's added touches once Nektar was born later that year. The earlier jazz influence is barely evident in this curtailed segment used to segue
in "She's so Heavy" the working title of what would become "Fidgety Queen" on "Down To Earth." Ron then gets his chance
for a drum solo in Ron's On… a workout for me too, as the lightshow had to visualize every beat and cymbal crash… although the drum
solos were different every night!. Thank God that sound IS much slower than light OR the human eye!
We could slide into anything at this point, and in Beitigheim it was "Show Me the Way," included here because it melted into another jam with
two more working titles "I Need Love" intertwined with "Tomorrow." Taff was lead vocal on "Tomorrow," and his Ray Charles
style came through nicely here, neither song made it into the studio.
The Finale is a Nektar classic version of "Remember the Future" parts two & three (actually) parts 7, 8, 9, & 10 on the original album)
demonstrating how open riff jamming could add delectable stanzas when the gig was feeling just right. The introductory jam into the opening line of "Smile
If You Want To" (Tomorrow Never Comes) is one of our longer ones… then, once "Let it Grow" was over, the famous ending… (titled
Termination here) where detuning, high fretwork, wailing keys and Mo's boosted fuzzwah bass combined to bring the Nektar audio/visual show to a thunderous
finish.
Next time for the 1975 American tour tapes, I may just write in a visual perspective instead, and attempt to describe what you might have seen, if you
had attended a live Nektar show in the mid seventies.
Many thanks to everyone who collaborated in this clandestine venture, firstly, Eddie Paskor who quietly transferred my tape collection onto master CDs
with the utmost precision and care, before they became mere coasters many moons ago! To Dawn and Rob at Marimasutico for the artwork/collage at such short
notice, To Sandy Peticolas for his persistence that these versions actually be released, To Vinnie Schmid for his great live mixes and 32 years of loyalty,
To Pete Lango for a lifetime of stage lighting, assistance and camaraderie, then ultimately Roye, Mo, and Ron who gave the green light to this compilation
idea. This is for all Nektar fans, past, present and those behind ANY door to the future.
~ Mick Brockett, March 2005