TS: Nick Drake's "Bryter Later" vs. "Pink Moon"

Pink Moon, on the other hand, is fantastic. IMHO I think it's the "fullest"-sounding of his albums, because even though the instrumentation is "sparse" Nick is able to fill in all corners with just fingerpicking and his voice; every creaking of his fingernail against a guitar string carries the resonance of a thousand Bryter Layters. And despite the constant criticism over the mythologizing of Nick, there really is a transcendent emotional quality to the album that gets to me. It's not depressing; the whole album feels like a cool summer morning at 4 AM, with dawn just faintly lurching over the horizon. It's a feeling of solitude, brushing against sadness occasionally, but certainly not despair.

Alba, I'm not much fun to be around, but I think that's for reasons other than the fact that I'm a pretentious Pink Moon whore ;)

Plus, and this is a snark-free question, can someone explain the love for "Hazey Jane II"? A lot of you have singled it out for ILM worship, but I don't get it. Please tell me what I'm missing.

what a brilliant end lyric-wise:
if songs were lines in a conversation the situation would be fine.

Wasn't that Nick Drake?

Thanks alex. I do like that last line, and the lushness is fine, but overall I don't really like the lyrics, the way he repeats "in the morning" and "in the evening". Somehow, that just grates, and the descending run-on way in which those lines are delivered doesn't help, either. I guess it must be pretty universal judging by the mentions it gets on this thread, but somehow I'm on the outside looking in with this. Maybe it comes down to something completely subjective like not liking the melody or the jaunty rhythm or something. "Hazey Jane I" seems to me more lyrical, slightly more reflective, more subtle, I dunno (those quiet tom tom waves, the interplay between his voice and the strings, the meandering bass, etc.)

Gladly.

PM votes: 20
BL votes: 10
FLL votes: 8
Undecided: 2

I'm surprised at the response to this thread. About a year ago when I first started coming to ILM, there was precious little love for Drake around here. A lot more bashing, actually, than love.

It does seem to me that when I went through my first Nick Drake discovery phase I preferred Pink Moon as well. I can't say exactly when or where I switched to Bryter Later, or why I can't seem to choose between them at all now. Pink Moon did - and does - make me wish he'd done a few more of those types of albums. It seems so short.

3 bl

anyone who bashes nick drake is a hater and a liar.

nick drake 24 hours a day. wine and sunshine. love it.

2 pm

3 fll

Count me in.

Having overlistened to Northern Sky, the Hazey Janes and OOTTF, these two are the ones I enjoy most. I'm totally flummoxed as to how anyone could considered them duds.

exactly. :)

Alba, maybe you're just difficult to be around. ;)

Maybe that's a screwy reason, but it's mine, and I'm sticking to it.

I bought Pink Moon after reading this thread. The day I got it, I listened to it about 10 times. A week later, and I'm still playing it almost every day. This is simply the most beautiful music I've ever heard. I can't imagine a more perfect album.

Bryter Layter. By a mile. Then Five Leaves Left. Although I love them all.

Pink Moon. I thought he improved with every album, and what I like about Pink Moon is the way everything has been stripped back to just guitar and voice for the most part. His guitar playing is so good on that record.

ND's right hand is unimpeachable

One of the things Joe Boyd remarks upon in his book White Bicycles is seeing ND play live for the first time and noticing how strong his left hand was and how precise and articulate his picking. Even outside of a recording studio, his playing sounded that clean.

Yeah, and it's great to hear it without any orchestral parts etc. Not that there's anything wrong with the orchestral parts on the first couple of albums, god no, it's more that it always feels like the orchestral parts and the guitar parts are fighting for my attention.

"Five Leaves Left"

'Way to Blue: An Introduction to Nick Drake'

(srsly an almost perfect comp)

never liked "black eyed dog". sounds too much like a blind willie johnson pastiche or something. none of those last four songs are among my faves, honestly.

on the other hand "road" is prob my all-time #1 nick drake song. it's gotten me through a lot of bad times.

I've always been Bryter Layter (even with the two dodgy later instrumentals), but just lately Pink Moon is edging ahead. Place to Be. My word.

I was up near Birmingham recently and went to Tanworth. He's in a modest plot with his folks and with a view of a spread of fields stretching to the horizon. I traced with my fingers the inscription on the back of the headstone and had myself a little cry. The wind was in the trees. All good.

drake is playing with blues tropes on black eyed dog, but i think it's a stretch to call it a a blind willie johnson pastiche ...
i think Bryter Later is my choice now, really is one of the most gorgeous records ever.

pink moon is tops for me and yes, road in particular. if you like that bare nick drake sound the peel sessions is great and on spotify... stellar version of 'three hours'

It was one of the first songs of his I learnt to play on guitar. Drop the high G to E and you're good to go.