Nektar – A Spoonful of Time
Cleopatra Records
http://cleorecs.com/store/shop/a-spoonful-of-time/

Rating: B+

After 40 years of leading the way in the UK prog rock scene, Nektar have decided to take a break from their own complex musical compositions and record a covers album. Many bands have done this with lukewarm results, Nektar, however, were very involved in this project, to the point of delaying the release to improve the sound.

The band assembled a very eclectic set list of tunes that one never sees on other cover albums. The album features great versions of songs that most bands would never touch including tunes by Yes, King Crimson, Symphony X, Opeth, Marillion, Asia, The Moody Blues and Dream Theater. Just check out the entire track listing below.

Hearing how a prog legend would do “Spirit of the Radio,” “Fly Like an Eagle,” “Riders on the Storm” and “Old Man” makes this a very interesting album. These songs sound amazing as the deep bass mixes with the ethereal keyboards while the rest of the band jumps in and out where needed.

All covers albums should be this enlightened and interesting. Nektar does a great job of adding their own flavor to the tunes without dissecting them and making them unrecognizable. These songs still sound like the songs they are, but they have all of the twists and turns one would expect from Nektar making this one damn cool set of iconic tunes.

The entire track listing is below:

1. Sirius featuring Michael Pinnella (Symphony X)
2. Spirit Of The Radio featuring Mark Kelly (Marillion)
3. Fly Like An Eagle featuring Geoff Downes (Asia / Yes) Joel Vandroogenbroeck (Brainticket)
4. Wish You Were Here featuring Edgar Froese (Tangerine Dream)
5. For The Love Of Money featuring Ian Paice (Deep Purple) Nik Turner (Hawkwind)
6. Can't Find My Way Home featuring Steve Howe (Yes) Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater/Black
Country Communion) Mel Collins (King Crimson)
7. 2000 Light Years From Home featuring Simon House (Hawkwind)
8. Riders On The Storm featuring Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big) Rod Argent (The Zombies / Argent)
9. Blinded By The Light featuring Joakim Svalberg (Opeth) Ginger Baker (Cream)
10. Out Of The Blue featuring Simon House (Hawkwind)
11. Old Man featuring David Cross (King Crimson)
12. Dream Weaver featuring Jerry Goodman (Mahavishnu Orchestra)
13. I'm Not In Love featuring Rick Wakeman (Yes)
14. Africa featuring Bobby Kimball (Toto) Patrick Moraz (The Moody Blues)

By Jeb Wright