Magic Is a Child

Magic Is A Child is the seventh album from English progressive rock band Nektar. This album is one of only two studio albums released by Nektar without Roye Albrighton on guitar and lead vocals, instead featuring Dave Nelson; the other is The Other Side (2020).

Magic Is A Child
Studio album by Nektar
Released	September 1977
Recorded	March – August 1977
Studio	The House Of Music, West Orange, New Jersey
Genre	Progressive rock[1]
Length	41:24
Label	Polydor
Producer	Jeffrey Kawalek
Nektar chronology
Live in New York (1977) Magic Is A Child (1977) More Live Nektar in New York (1978)

Brooke Shields, 12 years old at the time, is the model on the cover.^[1]

The track "Train from Nowhere" features Robert Fripp of King Crimson on lead guitar (under the pseudonym “Walt Nektroid").^{[citation needed]}

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

AllMusic gave the album a positive retrospective review, praising Nektar's switching to "shorter, punchier songs", "swelling" keyboards, "symphonic" guitars, and "breezy pop".^[1]

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Away from Asgard"	Derek Moore, Ron Howden, Taff Freeman, Dave Nelson, Steve Barth	5:30
2.	"Magic Is a Child"	Moore, Howden, Freeman, Nelson, Barth	4:06
3.	"Eerie Lackawanna"	Moore, Howden, Freeman, Nelson, Barth	3:29
4.	"Midnight Lite"	Moore, Howden, Freeman, Nelson, Barth	4:27
5.	"Love to Share (Keep Your Worries Behind You)"	Moore, Howden, Freeman, Nelson	4:07

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
6.	"Train from Nowhere"	Moore, Howden, Freeman, Nelson	4:12
7.	"Listen"	Moore, Howden, Freeman, Nelson, Roye Albrighton	6:02
8.	"On the Run (The Trucker)"	Moore, Howden, Freeman, Nelson	4:41
9.	"Spread Your Wings"	Moore, Howden, Freeman, Nelson	4:40

Personnel

• Dave Nelson - guitar, vocals
• Alan "Taff" Freeman - synthesizer, keyboards, vocals
• Derek "Mo" Moore - bass, vocals
• Ron Howden - percussion, drums, vocals, Smurds

Additional personnel

• Julien Barber, Kermit Moore, Michael Commins, Anthony Posk - string quartet
• Larry Fast - synthesizer, programming, processing
• Walt Nektroid (Robert Fripp) - guitar on "Train from Nowhere"
• Jeffrey Kawalek - production, engineering

Charts

Chart (1977)	Peak position
US Billboard 200[2]	172