― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Friday, 11 March 2005 09:11 (nineteen years ago) link
― mullygrubbr (bulbs), Friday, 11 March 2005 09:24 (nineteen years ago) link
― lukey (Lukey G), Friday, 11 March 2005 09:28 (nineteen years ago) link
― Ferlin Husky (noodle vague), Friday, 11 March 2005 09:53 (nineteen years ago) link
1.Five Leaves Left2.Bryter Layter3.Pink Moon
Bryter is the one whose individual songs I listen to the most. Five Leaves is the one which I listen to all the way through the most. Pink is the one which I listen to all the way through the most if I'm in a really fucked mood and I'm impatient.
And I think some of the best songs ended up on Time Of No Reply/Made To Love Magic
― donut debonair (donut), Friday, 11 March 2005 10:12 (nineteen years ago) link
― Chris 'The Nuts' V (Chris V), Friday, 11 March 2005 11:09 (nineteen years ago) link
didn't like bryter later.
didn't listen to pink moon more than a couple of times. i may go back to it.
― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Friday, 11 March 2005 12:08 (nineteen years ago) link
― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 11 March 2005 12:25 (nineteen years ago) link
― Johnney B (Johnney B), Friday, 11 March 2005 12:49 (nineteen years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 11 March 2005 12:55 (nineteen years ago) link
― Chris 'The Nuts' V (Chris V), Friday, 11 March 2005 12:56 (nineteen years ago) link
― dog latin (dog latin), Friday, 11 March 2005 13:01 (nineteen years ago) link
― j c (j c), Friday, 11 March 2005 13:06 (nineteen years ago) link
― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Friday, 11 March 2005 13:07 (nineteen years ago) link
― AaronK (AaronK), Friday, 11 March 2005 13:33 (nineteen years ago) link
― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 11 March 2005 14:10 (nineteen years ago) link
Bryter Layter is an imperfect record. Pink Moon is a perfect record. But my favorite of the three is Five Leaves Left."
-- Stormy Davis, March 11th, 2005.
what this guy said goes for me too! i agree with all of it.and i also heard five leaves left first too. i bought that, went insane, went and bought bryter layter, went insane, said fuck it, went and bought the vinyl box set, went insane again. still insane.
― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 11 March 2005 14:15 (nineteen years ago) link
― jedidiah (jedidiah), Friday, 11 March 2005 15:59 (nineteen years ago) link
― shookout (shookout), Friday, 11 March 2005 16:16 (nineteen years ago) link
God I could go for some Hazey Jane right now!
― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 11 March 2005 16:23 (nineteen years ago) link
can someone keep track of the score?
― Ludo (Ludo), Friday, 11 March 2005 16:24 (nineteen years ago) link
― Sonny, Ah!!1 (Sonny A.), Friday, 11 March 2005 16:26 (nineteen years ago) link
― Zack Richardson (teenagequiet), Friday, 11 March 2005 16:26 (nineteen years ago) link
which is not to say that I dislike any of them.
― dronez are not ours to eat, dronez are not ours to wear (smile), Friday, 11 March 2005 16:54 (nineteen years ago) link
― earinfections (Nick Twisp), Friday, 11 March 2005 16:57 (nineteen years ago) link
― Niels Aalberts (Niels), Friday, 11 March 2005 17:09 (nineteen years ago) link
― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Friday, 11 March 2005 18:48 (nineteen years ago) link
― Alba (Alba), Friday, 11 March 2005 18:58 (nineteen years ago) link
― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Friday, 11 March 2005 19:36 (nineteen years ago) link
A preference for Pink Moon makes me think of very difficult men who aren't much fun to be around, at least if they don't find it a difficult call.
― Alba (Alba), Friday, 11 March 2005 19:48 (nineteen years ago) link
― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Friday, 11 March 2005 19:54 (nineteen years ago) link
― Alba (Alba), Friday, 11 March 2005 20:06 (nineteen years ago) link
― Trip Maker (Sean Witzman), Friday, 11 March 2005 20:08 (nineteen years ago) link
― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Friday, 11 March 2005 20:09 (nineteen years ago) link
― donut debonair (donut), Friday, 11 March 2005 20:24 (nineteen years ago) link
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 ;)
― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Friday, 11 March 2005 20:33 (nineteen years ago) link
― Ferlin Husky (noodle vague), Friday, 11 March 2005 21:37 (nineteen years ago) link
― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Friday, 11 March 2005 21:48 (nineteen years ago) link
― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Friday, 11 March 2005 21:54 (nineteen years ago) link
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.
― David A. (Davant), Friday, 11 March 2005 22:15 (nineteen years ago) link
what a brilliant end lyric-wise:if songs were lines in a conversation the situation would be fine.
― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Friday, 11 March 2005 22:25 (nineteen years ago) link
Wasn't that Nick Drake?
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Friday, 11 March 2005 22:56 (nineteen years ago) link
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.)
― David A. (Davant), Friday, 11 March 2005 23:24 (nineteen years ago) link
― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 12 March 2005 04:49 (nineteen years ago) link
― jilted, Saturday, 12 March 2005 05:00 (nineteen years ago) link
Gladly.
PM votes: 20BL votes: 10FLL votes: 8Undecided: 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.
― Bimble... (Bimble...), Saturday, 12 March 2005 06:35 (nineteen years ago) link
3 bl
― j blount (papa la bas), Saturday, 12 March 2005 06:43 (nineteen years ago) link
anyone who bashes nick drake is a hater and a liar.
nick drake 24 hours a day. wine and sunshine. love it.
― rockaction (rockaction), Saturday, 12 March 2005 07:17 (nineteen years ago) link
― Bimble... (Bimble...), Saturday, 12 March 2005 08:22 (nineteen years ago) link
2 pm
3 fll
― cozen (Cozen), Saturday, 12 March 2005 08:37 (nineteen years ago) link
Bryter Layter. By a mile. Then Five Leaves Left. Although I love them all.
― hobart paving (hobart paving), Friday, 22 April 2005 10:24 (nineteen years ago) link
― cozen (Cozen), Saturday, 24 December 2005 21:20 (eighteen years ago) link
― Nathaniel (Horbgorbling Slubberdegullion), Saturday, 24 December 2005 21:29 (eighteen years ago) link
― honorary joy division roadie (Bimble...), Sunday, 23 April 2006 22:31 (eighteen years ago) link
― timmy tannin (pompous), Monday, 24 April 2006 00:39 (eighteen years ago) link
― Jay Vee's Return (Manon_69), Monday, 24 April 2006 00:45 (eighteen years ago) link
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.
― more Allegro-like (Turrican), Wednesday, 20 September 2017 18:56 (six years ago) link
ND's right hand is unimpeachable
― crüt, Wednesday, 20 September 2017 19:10 (six years ago) link
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.
― vmajestic, Wednesday, 20 September 2017 19:25 (six years ago) link
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.
― more Allegro-like (Turrican), Thursday, 21 September 2017 12:31 (six years ago) link
"Five Leaves Left"
― The Doug Walters of Crime (Tom D.), Thursday, 21 September 2017 17:28 (six years ago) link
'Way to Blue: An Introduction to Nick Drake'
(srsly an almost perfect comp)
― harbinger of failure (Jon not Jon), Thursday, 21 September 2017 17:58 (six years ago) link
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.
― bob lefse (rushomancy), Friday, 22 September 2017 00:54 (six years ago) link
on the other hand "road" is prob my all-time #1 nick drake song. it's gotten me through a lot of bad times.
― bob lefse (rushomancy), Friday, 22 September 2017 12:04 (six years ago) link
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.
― The shard-borne beetle with his drowsy hums (Chinaski), Friday, 22 September 2017 17:10 (six years ago) link
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.
― tylerw, Friday, 22 September 2017 17:20 (six years ago) link
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, 22 September 2017 18:29 (six years ago) link
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 toI can see the moon and it seems so clearYou can take the road that takes you to the stars nowI can take a road that I'll see me through
― Ich bin kein Berliner (alex in mainhattan), Friday, 22 September 2017 20:36 (six years ago) link
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
― global tetrahedron, Friday, September 22, 2017 6:29 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I'll have to check that out... thanks!
― more Allegro-like (Turrican), Saturday, 23 September 2017 09:09 (six years ago) link
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.
― Life is a meaningless nightmare of suffering...save string (Chinaski), Thursday, 31 October 2019 22:22 (four years ago) link
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?
― walking towards the sun since 2007 (alex in mainhattan), Thursday, 31 October 2019 22:28 (four years ago) link
It was risky eh - who knows what might have been summoned? Perfect, though. Parasite standing out tonight.
― Life is a meaningless nightmare of suffering...save string (Chinaski), Thursday, 31 October 2019 22:42 (four years ago) link
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!
― fetter, Monday, 4 November 2019 16:05 (four years ago) link
yeah "poor boy" is great. it also has an awesome chris mcgregor piano solo!
― tylerw, Monday, 4 November 2019 16:07 (four years ago) link
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.
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Monday, 4 November 2019 17:08 (four years ago) link
i usually just play all three original LPs straight through, once I get going, I can't stop!
― tylerw, Monday, 4 November 2019 17:34 (four years ago) link
yeah, they're all great imo. 'poor boy' fan as well over here
― at home in the alternate future, (Karl Malone), Monday, 4 November 2019 17:39 (four years ago) link
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.
― JoeStork, Monday, 4 November 2019 21:11 (four years ago) link
River Man tho
― an incoherent crustacean (MatthewK), Monday, 4 November 2019 21:35 (four years ago) link
duh, part of the “opening three” of courseI recently scared my daughter by telling her she could play “Place to Be” at my memorial when I die (hopefully about 100 years hence)
― an incoherent crustacean (MatthewK), Monday, 4 November 2019 21:37 (four years ago) link
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
― tantric societal collapse (rushomancy), Tuesday, 5 November 2019 00:34 (four years ago) link
Bryter Layter. "Over-produced" "muzak arrangements" "like I'd hear in a grocery store" rule!
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Tuesday, 5 November 2019 05:11 (four years ago) link
Love all three obv, but I'd probably pick 5 leaves since for me it somehow captures the whole spectrum of his work
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Tuesday, 5 November 2019 10:29 (four years ago) link
there's a pink side of the moon. yes, a pink moon. pink pink pink. pink moon
― reggie (qualmsley), Tuesday, 5 November 2019 20:03 (four years ago) link
My Hannibal / Rycodisk issue of Pink Moon lists "Road" as "Radio", which brought confusion when people talked about "Road"
― Duke, Tuesday, 5 November 2019 23:32 (four years ago) link
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.
― Duke, Tuesday, 5 November 2019 23:33 (four years ago) link