By the time of the release of 1975’s Recycled, German based English progressive rockers Nektar had already set a high bar with Remember The Future (1973) and Down To Earth (1974), their previous concept pieces, thought my many to be essentials of the space/Kraut rock genre. Recycled returned to Remember The Future‘s formula of two side long tracks (these were the days of vinyl) which were simply titled Part 1 and Part 2. The main line up had remained the same since their 1969 inception with Roye Albrighton on guitars and lead vocals, Allan “Taff” Freeman on keyboards, synthesisers and backing vocals, Derek “Mo” Moore on bass, keyboards and backing vocals and Ron Howden on drums, percussion and backing vocals, joined by non performing special effects/lighting man Mick Brockett (their second techie Keith Walters had departed in 1972).

As has become fairly common place with these re-issue packages, housed within this box set you will find two versions of the subject album, both remastered and including the original Geoff Emerick mix, plus two (almost complete) shows from the accompanying tour, spread over the remainder of the five discs. Recycled was an album ahead of its time both musically and in its subject matter. With its two epic suites covering a number of environmental themes. Charting species loss, global epidemics (pre AIDs and Covid) and the plight of third world countries in a rapidly developing world landscape, and that was just part one. In part two the all to contemporary subjects of de-forestation and the effects on the planet of a growing tourist trade raise their ugly heads. All this is wrapped up in some of the most stunningly lavish progressive instrumentation on offer at the time. Unfortunately 1975 also saw the release of Floyd’s Wish You Were Here, Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti, Queen’s A Night At The Opera, Tull’s Minstrel In The Gallery and Relayer by Yes. This meant a few great albums like this one seemed to fall through the cracks, especially here in the UK. Of the two versions on display the Emerick mix finds Freeman’s keyboards slightly higher in the mix, sacrificing some of the choral nuance, it also has a reduced prominence in the Moore bass assault. Both still sound great but these options allow the listener to decide which they prefer.

Opening with the ‘Recycle’, ‘Cybernetic Consumption’, ‘Recycle Countdown’ grouping which come in like Close To The Edge‘s jaunty younger sibling before the church bells and charging bassline of the ‘Automaton Horrorscope’ section demonstrates a different side of the same coin. ‘Recycling’,’ Flight to Reality’, ‘Unendless Imaginations’ close out part one with their sombre tone as “nature slowly dies” and the full choral exhortation of the “going down down down” refrain. ‘Sao Paulo Sunrise’ and ‘Costa Del Sol’ pitch themselves as a celebration of days by the pool and warm summer holidays but ‘Marvellous Moses’ and ‘It’s All Over’ cast a darker lyrical cloud over the results of the sun seekers frivolous lifestyles. The subject matter may be gloomy but musically Recycled in predominately far from it. Completing the studio portion of this set are the single cuts of ‘Flight To Reality’, a requiem to the fate of mankind, and ‘It’s All Over’ with its ‘Hotel California’ vibe showing that many of the elements within the bands albums could be successfully lifted to create thoroughly commercial stand alone units.

One accusation that can never be levelled at Nektar is that they shy away from the long format on stage and the two live sets presented here more than prove that point. As on the Recycled album the band were joined for the live shows by Larry Fast on synthesiser, and his involvement is highlighted from the very beginning of the Massey Hall set which opens with part two of Recycled before showcasing the “work in progress” ‘Patch’ which acts as an instrumental lead-in to ‘Listen’, a powerful guitar heavy track which was destined for the follow-up release Magic Is A Child. Nektar would often use the live environment to work up ideas, in fact much of the material on Recycled had been created in this fashion. The ‘Smile’ portion from Remember The Future along with closer ‘Let It Grow’ represent a strong pairing from Nektar’s fourth album and bookend the first half of the Recycled album along with the earliest track played here, ‘1-2-3-4’ from 1973’s …Sounds Like This. ‘1-2-3-4’ is absent from the slightly earlier two disc Calderone Concert Hall set but in place you are rewarded with two further monumental pieces in the shape of the title track from second album A Tab In The Ocean and joining ‘Smile/Lonely Roads’ and ‘Let It Grow’ from RTF part two, the complete ‘Remember The Future, Part One’ meaning that this show offers almost the whole of Nektar’s top two concept albums across its two discs.

Nektar are still a going concern and producing quality music, this was proved on their latest studio release 2020’s, The Other Side (Nektar – The Other Side | The Midlands Rocks). As well as Remember The Future receiving a lavish four disc re-issue last November a new 2CD live album and Blu-ray are due for release in April 2024. Moore, Howden and Brockett were in the process of developing new music for the next Nektar release when in September 2023 following a lengthy illness Howden sadly passed away. Despite a Gofundme page being set up it is unsure whether the band will release any further new music anytime soon. However with live dates now being booked including an appearance at this years Nene Valley Rock Festival in September it would seem that there is still plenty of mileage left in the Nektar brand.

• Reviewed By Peter Brockwell.
• Recycled: Remastered And Expanded Edition is released via Cherry Red Records/Esoteric Recordings on 29th March 2024.
• Official Website / Facebook / Instagram

Track List:

Disc One: Recycled – 2024 Remaster

1. Recycle
2. Cybernetic Consumption
3. Recycle Countdown
4. Automaton Horrorscope
5. Recycling
6. Flight to Reality
7. Unendless Imaginations
8. Sao Paulo Sunrise
9. Costa Del Sol
10. Marvellous Moses
11. It’s All Over
12. Flight to Reality (single version)
13. It’s All Over (single version)

Disc Two: Recycled – Original Geoff Emerick mix 1975 – 2024 Remaster

1. Recycle
2. Cybernetic Consumption
3 Recycle Countdown
4. Automaton Horrorscope
5. Recycling
6. Flight to Reality
7. Unendless Imaginations
8. Sao Paulo Sunrise
9. Costa Del Sol
10. Marvellous Moses
11. It’s All Over

Disc Three: Live at Massey Hall, Toronto – 26 May 1976

1. Sao Paulo Sunrise
2. Marvellous Moses
3. It’s All Over
4. Patch
5. Listen
6. Smile
7. Recycled
8. 1-2-3-4
9. Let it Grow

Disc Four: Live at Calderone Concert Hall, Long Island, USA – 24 July 1975

1. A Tab in the Ocean
2. Remember the Future, Part One
3. Sao Paulo Sunrise
4. Marvellous Moses
5. It’s All Over

Disc Five: Live at Calderone Concert Hall, Long Island, USA – 24 July 1975

1. Patch
2. Listen
3. Smile / Lonely Roads
4. Recycled
5. Let it Grow