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

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'

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

You can say the sun is shining if you really want to
I can see the moon and it seems so clear
You can take the road that takes you to the stars now
I can take a road that I'll see me through

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'

― global tetrahedron, Friday, September 22, 2017 6:29 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I'll have to check that out... thanks!

Finally picked Pink Moon up on (reissued) vinyl today - £12 at the back of an HMV clearance rack. We've had a house full tonight: 18 yr7s for a Hallowe'en disco. Kids leave behind a strange kind of silence; I'm letting Drake enscorcell the disturbed air.

that sounds like a shock. pink moon after the tohuwabohu of a kid's party. weird choice. from total distraction to total focus. will you tell us how it was?

It was risky eh - who knows what might have been summoned? Perfect, though. Parasite standing out tonight.

Can't believe the hate for "Poor Boy" earlier on this thread; it's one of my favourite Nick Drake tracks. I love the bossa nova feel and "all those girls in the background choir should have been shot before the recording" - that's PP Arnold and Doris Troy!

yeah "poor boy" is great. it also has an awesome chris mcgregor piano solo!

It's crazy all the love for Five Leaves Left upthread. I never really am inspired to listen to that whereas I have 2 very distinct moods when the other two get airplay.

i usually just play all three original LPs straight through, once I get going, I can't stop!

yeah, they're all great imo. 'poor boy' fan as well over here

Five Leaves Left starts to drown in strings at a certain point but the opening three and ‘Cello Song are incredible, perfect for this time of year.

River Man tho

duh, part of the “opening three” of course

I recently scared my daughter by telling her she could play “Place to Be” at my memorial when I die (hopefully about 100 years hence)

i don't know if i've mentioned this before but i lost/had stolen all my nick drake records except for "bryter layter" at a greyhound station so that one's my favorite

Bryter Layter. "Over-produced" "muzak arrangements" "like I'd hear in a grocery store" rule!

Love all three obv, but I'd probably pick 5 leaves since for me it somehow captures the whole spectrum of his work

there's a pink side of the moon. yes, a pink moon. pink pink pink. pink moon

My Hannibal / Rycodisk issue of Pink Moon lists "Road" as "Radio", which brought confusion when people talked about "Road"

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.