Nektar

Captured live at Bonn, Germany’s Harmonie Club last year by the German television network WDR for their ongoing, excellent Rockpalast music series, this two-hour disc serves as a wet dream for fans of the seminal progressive rock band. Highlighting songs from their entire career but focusing on their first three albums, this well-shot and fantastic sounding double disc set should please the band’s longstanding fan base but is a little too insular to convert the unfamiliar. The first disc is a full electric performance by the band, highlighting the solid drumming of founding member Roy Howden, while the second features a four-song acoustic performance by the band, a first in the 35 years since their inception. The mix is not as crisp for the acoustic portion, but seeing these aging prog rockers playing new, guitar-based arrangements of songs originally more keyboard-oriented is a kick. While definitely not for everyone, Pure is pure prog passion personified. (SPV/Fusion III)