1977 seemed to be a strange year for NEKTAR, who had parted with one of the ensemble’s founders, singing guitarist Roye Albrighton, and had, for the first time ever, to deliver a record with a line-up different to the one which created their previous six albums. Still, “Magic Is A Child” – a platter the band recorded with Dave Nelson at the fore – turned out quite impressively, what with Larry Fast’s keyboard contributions and the foursome’s confidence firm enough to let Robert Fripp’s six strings on “Train From Nowhere” go on the shelf for a few decades. And now, that platter, anticipating its 50th anniversary, is getting a deluxe treatment within the group’s reissue programme.
“It was different music, but we had no problem with that,” remembered bassist Derek Moore in our 2025 interview. “That was another direction, when we went from ‘Recycled‘ right to ‘Magic Is A Child’… We spent a lot of time with Dave writing music, so by the time we went to the studio we felt very comfortable.” It will be easy to feel that on the three-CD set coming out on June 26th and featuring not only the newly remastered album with a handful of bonus tracks, with a concert take on “Silver Lady” replacing “Midnight Lite” which appeared on the earlier reissues, but also two contemporary live shows taped during the collective’s American tour. A great addition to the veterans’ catalogue.
Magic Is A Child
CD 1:
1. Away From Asgard
2. Magic Is A Child
3. Eerie Lackawanna
4. Midnite Lite
5. Love To Share (Keep Your Worries Behind You)
6. Train From Nowhere
7. Listen
8. On The Run (The Trucker)
9. Spread Your Wings
bonus tracks:
10. Away From Asgard (demo)
11. On The Run (The Trucker) (alt. mix)
12. Listen (early version)
13. Train From Nowhere (feat. Robert Fripp)
14. Silver Lady (live, Northampton, MA 1977)
CD 2 – Live At Hofstra University, Long Island – October 1977:
1. Midnite Lite
2. Train From Nowhere
3. Remember The Future Part 2
4. Away From Asgard
5. Crying In The Dark / King Of Twilight
6. Magic Is A Child
7. Recycled
8. Eerie Lackawanna
9. Oh Willy
10. On The Run (The Trucker)
11. Spread Your Wings
CD 3 – Live At The Community Theater, Phoenix – November 1977:
1. Train From Nowhere
2. Remember The Future Part 2
3. Midnite Light
4. Listen
5. Crying In The Dark / King Of Twilight
6. Magic Is A Child
7. Away From Asgard
8. Eerie Lackawanna
9. Oh Willy
10. Spread Your Wings
