Prodigal Son

Nektar | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 29, 2002)
• Original Release Date: 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Dead Ringer
• ASIN: B000071JXW
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #520,999 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Terminus/Oh My

2. Now

3. I Can't Help You

4. The Drinking Mans Wine

5. Shangri-La

6. Salt and Vinegar and Rhythm and Blues

7. The Prodigal Son

8. Be Tonight

9. Day 9

Editorial Reviews

First new album from band since 1995. Dead Ringer Records. 2002.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nektar Rocks Again..., March 8, 2002

By 

Delete It ABC (Florida, MO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prodigal Son (Audio CD)

I wasn't sure what to expect from this recording... I've been a fan of Nektar's music for a number of years, and "Remember The Future" is probably one of my very favorite rock recordings of all time, up there with Tull's "Thick As A Brick", Floyd's "The Wall", and so on. I had read all of the reviews on this album here at Amazon before listening, and was approaching the listening with both hope and caution.

I put this disc in the stereo, plugged in the headphones, turned it up loud, and was promptly blown away. This is a fantastic effort from the Nektar boys. The musicianship is excellent all around, the production is smooth, and the songs themselves are well-composed. I thoroughly enjoyed every single song on the disc- I feel it has no weak points at all.

Roye Albrighton has always had an original style of guitar playing, and his technique remains strong and true on this recording. He has lost none of his vocal ability, and the lyrics, though somewhat vague (nothing new in the world of progressive rock), are put together well. I feel the melodies and rhythms on this disc are very reminiscent of the "old" Nektar sound, and it was very pleasurable to listen to.

These guys are playing their first concert in many years at the Nearfest 2002 in New Jersey this summer. The event is already sold out, but if you're able to get tickets (check the Nearfest message board), I feel this would be the concert of a lifetime. I would be going myself, except I couldn't justify a $1000.00+ journey from Seattle simply for a rock concert. I agonized over that decision to NOT buy tickets, and though the Nearfest line-up is very good this year (Caravan, Steve Hackett, etc.), Nektar's presence was the total motivator for me.

"The Prodigal Son" holds a favored position in my music collection, and I'm really quite surprised by some of the negative reviews here on Amazon. Let's get real, "Remember The Future" was released almost 30 years ago. If you listen to "Aqualung" and compare it to Tull's latest "Dot Com" - sure, there's going to be a massive difference, but there ought to be, after so much time gone by (and "Dot Com" is a great Tull recording too, by the way). Those vintage recordings are great, I agree, but the new ones should be listened to with an open mind, free from preconceived ideas and comparisons.

Great job and "well done" to Roye Albrighton, Derek Moore, Alan Freeman, and Ron Howden. You ROCK.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What were you expecting?, December 30, 2002

By 

Robert D. Hall "obiwanbeeohbee" (South Point, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prodigal Son (Audio CD)

When I purchased this disc I wasn't looking for another "Remember The Future" or "Tab In The Ocean". I wasn't expecting to hear "Recycled" or "Down To Earth" or even "Magic Is A Child". I'm not stuck in the '70's and I didn't expect Nektar to stay there either. What I expected to hear was a project that reflected the fact that much time has passed since those excellent earlier efforts and hopefully the band members had lived and matured through the following decades as I had. This recording is an excellent effort and deserves to be appreciated for what it is. "Terminus/Oh My", "Now" and "The Drinking Man's Wine" will most assuredly tell you what this project is all about. I for one really enjoy the more mature and reflective lyrics. Roye Albrighton's vocals are still forceful and unique - unmatched in all rock music. The arrangements are excellent. Taff Freeman's keyboards are still rock-solid and innovative. And, if you listen closely, you can still pick out a few of the signature chord changes and background riffs that make Albrighton's guitar work exciting to listen to. This is an overall excellent recording.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars straight-ahead, nonremarkable rock, March 19, 2008

By 

Matthew Schwarz (Bridgewater, nj United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prodigal Son (Audio CD)

I've been just getting into Nektar (as a fan of progressive rock), picking up an album or two every year, and I finally picked up their classic "Remember the Future" in a store with a large prog section. I saw this one next to it for $3.99 and decided to grab it too. As there's a few of their classics I have yet to buy, I would've been wary of buying a "new" album, knowing many prog bands stopped making interesting or progressive music after the 70's. Well, let's say I'm glad I only spent $4!
This isn't a bad album, it just isn't a memorable one - it reminds me of the Yes CD "Open Your Eyes" from the late 90's: while it's an OK listen, and there's a few decent tracks on it, I'm left with an overall bland impression and no memory of any particular songs. If you're looking for a return to the classic innovations of their early career, look elsewhere. If you like straightforward rock, or are looking for something like their "Magic Is A Child" album, you may be less disappointed.