Our Top 10 Nektar Songs list takes a look at a Progressive Rock Band formed in Germany in the late 1960’s. If we were to put an example of a band next to the Progressive Rock definition in Webster’s Dictionary, Nektar would be a wise choice. We might also want to continue to use the Nektar name when we define the meaning of a concept album. Nektar may not have been the pioneers of the concept album, but they sure celebrated the genre. Most of the band’s early records were all concept albums.
The band’s first album released in 1971 was entitled Journey to the Centre of the Eye. The musicians and writers that took part in the band’s debut album included Roye Albrighton, Mick Brockett, Allan “Taff” Freeman, Ron Howden, Derek “Mo” Moore, Keith Walters and Dieter Dierks. One year after the release of their debut record, the band released the album A Tab In The Ocean in 1972. The album would become of the most loved records the band ever released.
From 1971 to 2013, the band released thirteen studio albums, ten live albums and four compilation albums. The band did not release many singles as most of their studio output consisted of long progressive rock suites. The song “Astral Man,” was the only song to ever break the Billboard Top 100, but it peaked at number 91. Nonetheless, the band was not about hits or singles, they were about creating wonderful concepts albums.
Since the band recorded so many album sides considered a suite, it almost feels wrong in creating a so-called top 10 Nektar songs list. Most of these selections are not traditional songs in the folk music or pop music sense, but rather pieces of music with a more classical identity. Although many of the pieces of a suite may be titled or listed as individual songs or tracks, for the most part they were part of an entire work. So excuse us if we list an album side as a song because in the end, all we are trying to do here is both celebrate the band’s music and turn on some people to a band that they may know very little about.
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# 10 –Â Astronaut’s Nightmare
We open our Top 10 Nektar Songs list with a track from the band’s debut album. The amazing track “Astronaut’s Nightmare,” was released on the album entitled Journey to the Centre of the Eye. The legendary album was released in 1971. “Astronauts’s Nightmare,,” is really just the opening section to an almost hour long continuous piece of music. However, since there are no formal sections labeled on this album, just individual tracks, we went with an individual piece for this one.
# 9 – Astral Man
The song “Astral Man,” was released on the band’s fifth album entitled Down To Earth. The record was released in 1974. “Astral Man,” was the opening song on the album. It was the band’s only charting song in the United States as a single. For that reason alone, it deserves a mention on our Top 10 Nektar songs list.
# 8 –Â Recycled Part 1Â
The track “Recycled Part 1,” is simply just the entire first side of Nektar’s fifth album released in 1975 entitled Recycled. The album was split between two large musical suites each utilizing an entire album side. Side two contained the suite “Recycled Part 2.” The great Recycled album also featured the legendary progressive rock iconic musician Larry Fast playing his Moog synthesizer.
# 7 – King Of Twilight
The song “King Of Twilight,” was released on the iconic album A Tab In The Ocean. The song “King Of Twilight,” was the closing track on the album. The album featured Roye Albrighton on guitars and vocals, Mick Brockett on liquid lights, Allan Freeman on keyboards and the famous Mellotron, Ron Howden on drums, and percussion and Derek “Mo” Moore on bass and vocals.
# 6 –Â Camouflage to White
“Camouflage to White,” was released on the band’s 2004 album, Evolution. The album featured original band members Roye Albrighton, Allan “Taff ” Freeman and Ron Howden. It was unbelievable how great the band still sounded in 2004.
# 5 – Man In The Moon
It’s hard to ignore the incredible guitar licks that define the Nektar song “Man In The Moon.” The great song was issued as the closing track on the 1980 album Man In The Moon.Â
# 4 – Recycled Part II /It’s All Over
The great Nektar song “It’s All Over,” has always been one of the band’s most popular songs, but it was part of the closing movement of the Part II section of the Recycled album. Although it is part of the movement, we did want to single out this section because of its popularity with fans.
# 3 – Remember the Future, Part. 1
The great Nektar Suite “Remember The Future, Part.1” stands at the number three spot on our top 10 Nektar songs list. This compelling piece of music was released on the Remember The Future album. Simply magical. This stuff just makes you feel good.
# 2 – The Dream Nebula Parts I & II
Part 1 was the closing track on side A, and Part II was the opening track on side B of the spectacular Journey to the Centre of the Eye album. You just can’t have one dream without the other.
# 1 – A Tab In The Ocean
Closing out our top 10 Nektar songs is a great one. “A Tab In The Ocean,” was the title track to the band’s legendary album A Tab In The Ocean. The album was released in 1972. “A Tab in the Ocean,” has been one of the most popular Nektar songs the band has ever released. It’s hard to choose words to describe music like this. In the end, we just people to listen.
Updated April 10 2023
Top 10 Nektar Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2023
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