Journey to the Centre of the Eye
Journey to the Centre of the Eye is the debut album from English progressive rock band Nektar that came out in November 1971. Though formally divided into 13 tracks, the entire album consists of a single continuous piece of music, with some musical themes which are repeated throughout the work. Because of its narrative nature, it has been called a rock opera and/or dense concept album. The story follows an astronaut who, while on a voyage to Saturn, encounters aliens who take him to their galaxy, where he is suffused with knowledge and wisdom. It is usually interpreted as a commentary on the nuclear arms race.[1]
| Journey to the Centre of the Eye | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 1971 | |||
| Recorded | June - August 1971 | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock, space rock | |||
| Length | 42:02 | |||
| Label | Bacillus | |||
| Producer | Nektar, Peter Hauke, Dieter Dierks | |||
| Nektar chronology | ||||
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Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
Allmusic's retrospective review was a rave, avowing that "Throughout Journey's 13 cuts, Nektar introduced their own sort of instrumental surrealism that radiated from both the vocals and from the intermingling of the haphazard drum and string work." They gave unqualified praise to both the compositions and the performances of each of the individual members.[2]
Track listing
All songs written and arranged by Nektar.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Prelude" | 1:25 |
| 2. | "Astronaut's Nightmare" | 6:27 |
| 3. | "Countenance" | 3:33 |
| 4. | "The Nine Lifeless Daughters of the Sun" | 2:55 |
| 5. | "Warp Oversight" | 4:10 |
| 6. | "The Dream Nebula I" | 2:14 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 7. | "The Dream Nebula II" | 2:26 |
| 8. | "It's All in the Mind" | 3:22 |
| 9. | "Burn Out My Eyes" | 7:50 |
| 10. | "Void of Vision" | 2:02 |
| 11. | "Pupil of the Eye" | 2:47 |
| 12. | "Look Inside Yourself" | 0:54 |
| 13. | "Death of the Mind" | 1:57 |
Personnel
- Roye Albrighton - guitars, vocals
- Mick Brockett - liquid lights
- Allan "Taff" Freeman - Mellotron, pianos, organ, vocals
- Ron Howden - drums, percussion
- Derek "Mo" Moore - Mellotron, bass, vocals
- Keith Walters - static slides
- Additional personnel
- Dieter Dierks - additional piano
- Production
- Produced by Nektar, Dieter Dierks & Peter Hauke
- Engineered by Dieter Dierks
References
- Steinheuer, Manfred (2011). Journey to the Center of the Eye (liner notes). Nektar. Malesch Records / Long Hair.
- Journey to the Centre of the Eye at AllMusic