Remember the first time,
I came here the last time;
Remember the future will always be there . . .
But now that it's over,
I'll see you the next time;
Remember the future is yours . . .

Album Review: Nektar's musical career followed a number of different trails as the band went forward through the progressive era of the 1970s. Albums like Journey to the Center of the Eye were fairly hard-core psychedelic rock; A Tab in the Ocean and Remember the Future were solidly in the warmer "symphonic prog" camp; and later music—like that found on Magic Is a Child—offered nice, accessible progressive pop. All of it was quite good, but Remember the Future is generally recognized as Nektar's crowning achievement. The music on the album is conceptual in nature, with chords and passages that loop back on each other occasionally to provide a stable staging platform for the more exploratory interludes. The lyrics are also conceptual, though their meaning is a bit obtuse. It doesn't matter, though, because the compositions, playing, and singing are so elegant, sweeping, and engaging that you don't have to worry about the details. Throughout the album, songs flow into each other seamlessly, creating a journey through a lush soundscape that has enough cohesiveness to support the concept but enough variety to never fall into repetitiveness. There are fat chords; there are soaring, chorused vocals; there are striking, highly memorable riffs; and there are intriguing (if slightly inscrutable) lyrics. It's all good! Nektar's Remember the Future is, somewhat ironically, a forgotten gem of the past. It deserves a far better fate.

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