Bryter Layter
by Nick Drake

From Jimmy Dread TOP 100 COMMENTER 05/13/2017 06:32 | #190708 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

'Hardcore Nick Drake fan' are we? Not a chance if you don't like Bryter Layter. True, there's no unaccompanied tracks on this unlike Nick's other LPs, but to call the album 'overproduced' is ridiculous. Robert Kirby's string arrangements are sublime, especially for the 3 instrumentals (all of which Nick was extremely proud of), the female backing vocals you abhor are only on one track ('Poor Boy') and are totally in keeping with the mood of it, and the sax on ...City Clock works brilliantly to take the listener away from the countryside and into a 'London street' (most likely in Soho) with jazz clubs and smoke lingering in the air.

Couldn't agree more about 'Northern Sky' being the highlight, but to slag off the album that carries both the Hazey Jane tracks, Fly and especially One Of These Things First is nothing short of sacrilege. Understand some might like their Nick with a bottle of scotch in one hand and a handful of painkillers in the other but Nick was at his happiest here, and the true tragedy is that when this album - the one that Nick and everyone around him thought would bring wider public and critical acclaim - bombed he spiralled into depression (through a combination of failure and embarrassment) from which he never recovered.

As it is, we're left with the most perfect discography of any artist I can think of. I implore you to listen to Bryter Layter again, ideally whilst driving through the countryside. Like all things Nick, it's insanely beautiful and crushingly sad in equal measure.

I can never quite decide between Bryter Layter and Pink Moon. For the moment though, however BRILLIANT this album is, I think Pink Moon might be winning.

I recently became aware of Nick Drake's music, and now I know all his albums pretty well. They all provide very fine songs and great music, though some of the posthumously released albums are somewhat uneven. Among his three original albums, I have come to the conclusion that his second, "Bryter Later", is his most successful and in any case the album I would only recommend a friend.
It is his most "produced" album with musical assistance from the three members of Fairport Convention Richard Thompson, Dave Pegg and Dave Mattacks. Furthermore contributing John Cale on a few numbers. Several tracks have tasteful stringsarrangements written by Nick's good friend Robert Kirby.

All the songs are good, but you obviously get your favorites.

"One of These Things First" is a quiet and very beautiful song with nice accompaniment by Paul Harris, Ed Carter and Mike Kowalski.

"Fly" with nice contributions from John Cale at the harpsichord and viola is number seems to be better every time you hear it. Perhaps most moving on the album, if that title does not go to the album's second track with significant contributions from John Cale - "Northern Sky". This was the song I fell for the first: there's something magnificent about this beautiful and airy number.

"Poor Boy" is almost a little jazzy, with strong vocal backing from PP Arnold and Doris Troy. There's something very liberating unpretentious over both lyrics and music. The same can be said about "Hazey Jane II", which also has fine lead guitar from Richard Thompson.

"Hazey Jane I" is a totally different song - as I hear it, they have only the title in common. Also a nice song with backing from Mattacks, and Pegg.

There are three instrumental tracks - are all fine and well distributed across the album as 1, 6 and 10th tracks

On all 10 tracks you have Drake's acoustic guitar, which he mastered to almost perfection.

A strong album that deservedly has become a classic, albeit pretty long after its release in 1970, where it was almost unnoticed.

https://www.angelfire.com/nv/Badfinger/BANDnickdrake.html (Edited)

From Timhop 12/17/2014 19:31 | #129548 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

I wish the production on this album had been more like that of Five Leaves. I prefer the songs on here to Five Leaves, but it's all a bit over-produced. Should have been just him and John Cale. Just listen to how Cale elevated Northern Sky from a lovely little song into something truly marvelous. I really wore the grooves on that track of my LP out!

From albummaster 05/19/2010 23:20 | #11897 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

'One of These Things First' is a great track (Edited)