Nektar – Remember The Future: Expanded Edition (Esoteric/Cherry Red Records, 2023)
Nektar’s Remember The Future: Expanded Edition, released on November 24, 2023, commemorates the 50th anniversary of this iconic album. This comprehensive 4CD/Blu-ray boxed set offers a revitalized experience of the classic, freshly remastered from the original master tapes.
In terms of musical genre, Nektar is a mesmerizing progressive rock band that mixes psychedelia, extensive jam rock creations and memorable electric guitar and organ solos and vocal harmonies. By the time this album was recorded, the band also added wah-wah effects and a few funk elements. My favorite Disc is 2. This is where you’ll find the new stereo mix, which is quite good and deeply satisfying. As a bonus, you get unreleased material recorded live. To be sure, this is a progressive rock classic from the 1970s and worth adding to your collection.
Included are new 5.1 surround sound and stereo mixes of the album, alongside a previously unreleased live concert from January 1974 and the 1973 quad mix. Additionally, fans can enjoy supplementary video content, such as the “Remember the Future” promotional film and the BBC TV broadcast of “Wings” on Old Grey Whistle Test, along with a live performance of “Desolation Valley/Waves” for the same TV show.
Accompanying the collection is an illustrated booklet and a new essay, providing deeper insights into the album’s creation and significance.
Originally recorded at Chipping Norton Studios in England and released in November 1973, the iconic Remember the Future marked a turning point for Nektar, propelling them to international success. Despite never touring the United States, the album reached number 13 on the US Billboard charts, solidifying its place as one of the band’s most revered works and introducing them to a broader audience.
This special anniversary edition comprises 4 CDs and a multi-region Blu-ray disc, offering fans and newcomers alike a comprehensive exploration of Nektar’s groundbreaking masterpiece.
DISC ONE
Remember the Future – The 50th Anniversary remaster
1 Remember the Future, Part One
2 Remember the Future Part Two Bonus track
3 Let it Grow (Live Erbach, Germany April 1973)
DISC TWO
Remember the Future – The 50th Anniversary stereo remix
1 Remember the Future, Part One
2 Remember the Future Part Two Bonus tracks
3 Lonely Roads (German promo single version)
4 Let it Grow (German promo single version)
DISC THREE
Live at Stadthalle, Munster, Germany, 28th January 1974
Previously unreleased
1 King of Twilight
2 Desolation Valley
3 A Day in the Life of a Preacher
4 Cast Your Fate
5 Remember the Future Part One
DISC FOUR
Live at Stadthalle, Munster, Germany, 28th January 1974
Previously unreleased
1 Odysee
2 That’s Life
3 Fidgety Queen
4 Ron’s On
5 Show Me the Way
6 Little Boy
7 Need Love
8 Smile / Lonely Roads
9 Let it Grow
DISC FIVE
Remember the Future
96 kHz / 24-bit 5.1 Surround Sound mix / stereo remix / original stereo mix / 1973 Quad mix
1 Remember the Future – Part One
2 Remember the Future – Part Two
Visual content
1 Remember the Future – (promotional film, 1973)
2 Wings (BBC TV “Old Grey Whistle Test” – 10th July 1973)
3 Desolation Valley / Waves (BBC TV “Old Grey Whistle Test” – 23rd October 1973)