A Tab in the Ocean by Nektar

A Tab in the Ocean, the second album by Nektar, released in 1972, a masterpiece, here in a beautiful reissue that includes a second vinyl with stunning additional tracks never before released on vinyl and recorded in Germany between 1972 and 1973, produced by Peter Hauke and Nektar. 
 

One of my absolute favorite progressive rock albums, psychedelic atmospheres in a classic progressive rock context, with 2 great, epic tracks.

- The title track that opens the album is wonderful, an epic suite of about 17 minutes, A Tab in the Ocean, epic, imposing, with continuous work of drums and exceptional deep bass. At times light and at times driving, with beautiful choruses. The guitars are beautiful, moving from acoustic atmospheres to heavier ones, and a fantastic choral work. The organ and Freeman's imposing mellotron are spectacular. A masterpiece track that closes with the sound of ocean waves.

- Desolation Valley / Waves, a track of about 8 minutes, opens with an almost epic, broad guitar progression and then shifts to an almost jazzy mood, with Albrighton's splendid voice in the foreground over a light base of keyboards and drums, when, in a guitar crescendo, the most imposing psychedelic phase starts, alternating with the initial theme. The rhythm section is fantastic, with a truly exceptional Ron Howden and a very tasty bass line by Moore. A spectacular track with its broad and enveloping atmosphere, yet at the same time driving.
- Crying in the Dark, with its approximately 6 minutes, fades in crescendo from the previous track with a psychedelic atmosphere based on guitar and a deep kick drum base that soon accelerates in breaks where the keyboard is added, then the explosion and variations with the metronomic bass in great evidence and the voice in a beautiful vocal interpretation on the edge of hard rock. Excellent guitar in its brief breaks alternating with the rock phase. Engaging and captivating. Pure psychedelia when a moog solo starts under which guitar, bass, and drums become pure rhythm with tasteful and technical phrasing and spikes. The transport in this splendid track is exceptional.

- King of Twilight is the shortest track and the one that closes the original album with a long gallop of bass and drums marking an essential tempo over which splendid choruses draw the main theme and the singing and guitar riff on this melody with excellent interventions. A beautiful rock piece that leans towards prog in the instrumental section where, in an accelerated tempo, guitars and keyboards dialogue and the choruses become more pronounced before the return of the gallop and the melodic choruses of the initial theme. Fantastic ending. 

The Bonus Tracks in this version are also remarkable.

-Cast Your Fate Jam (which also appears on the album ...Sounds Like This) is (as the title suggests) a long Jam, the longest track on the album at over 20 minutes, starting from rehearsal room noises and Albrighton taking the lead of the track with his guitar, with fantastic virtuosity and solos that steal the scene until it's the electric piano's turn, with its jazzy touch, while bass and drums lay down a sustained but not intrusive basic tempo. Roye Albrighton delights us by repeating the guitar accents with his voice and then launches into a very long, monstrous solo. A track in continuous restarts and slowdowns until the final phase, acoustic guitar and bass, with a slight distant percussive movement, until the drums come in. The voice enters with passionate and intense singing and the track takes a slow progression that becomes pure psychedelia and powerful rock and a fantastic electric piano solo by Freeman. The ending is excellent, in which the band delicately and precisely shows its Jazz soul, opening in progression to a truly powerful Rock phase where there is room for a slight spoken part and the support voices from the room and a long drum solo, excellent and clearly improvised, complete with a departing train (a classic) that closes a magnificent track. 

- Da Da Doom (Live, Dierks Studio Session, 19 February 1973), with its over 6 minutes, starts with a dizzying distorted guitar and then immediately launches into its decisive blues rock that sustains the track throughout its duration with great energy and drive and a truly amazing vocal part. This one is also recorded live.
- What Ya Gonna Do?   (which also appears on the album ...Sounds Like This) is a track of about 7 minutes of fantastic blues rock, with stunning guitar and vocals before drums and bass enter forcefully in a rock n roll of great energy and drive with the guitar in great evidence and capable of great virtuosity, speed, taste, and power in the solo. Great piece. 
- The short Wings  (which also appears on the album ...Sounds Like This) closes this additional record, about 4 minutes of acoustic guitar and beautiful choruses, a nostalgic and romantic mood and a beautiful melody. What a beautiful vocal interpretation. A little gem. 

An album of psychedelic and symphonic progressive rock, with great compositions and complex arrangements in which melody finds space and becomes poignant in the guitar and organ parts. The title track is beautiful, almost 17 minutes, a jam with jazz and psychedelic influences that culminates in the typical sound of this band. The additional tracks are beautiful, especially the Jam that opens it, from which the passion and creativity of an extraordinary band shines through

In my opinion, it is the pinnacle of Nektar, one of their best works ever, for lovers of complexity with long compositions and beautiful melodies, which in this album are extraordinary and very moving.

It takes well over an hour to listen to this album in its entirety, very well spent, it is a masterpiece.

LineUp

- Roye Albrighton - guitars, lead vocals
- Alan "Taff" Freeman - keyboards, Mellotron, backing vocals
- Derek "Mo" Moore - bass, backing vocals
- Ron Howden - drums and percussion, backing vocals

Note: All links to the musicians' works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists" page