NickDrake.com

[Passerby]

I keep reading and hearing how "Bryter Layer" is a "classic". Sorry, I dont see it that way. If anything, it is overproduced, and not at all Nick. The over-embellishment of string & horn arrangements took away from the center piece - which was Nick and his guitar. Does any one else cringe when they hear the backing vocals on "Poor Boy" thinking "It doesnt fit"? "Hazey Jane II" is simply not a good song no matter hard hard they tried to dress it up. "Chime of the City Clock" wouldve sounded much better without the obtrusive Sax. Boyd & Kirby took the liberty of polishing up Nick but lost sight of who he was. It makes one feel embarassed for him. Its almost like Kirby used Nicks album as a vehicle for his own arrangements. Why 3 Instrumentals? There are a few exceptions on this album. "Northern Sky" is a beautiful track. I wouldnt change a thing about that. I love the song. (Yes, I heard it pre-Serendipity film - which put it to good use.) "One of these Things First" and "Hazey Jane I" are also very nice the way they are. "Fly" is nice too, but still would be better without all the ornamentation. Anyway, Nick realized Bryter Layter was more about production value than his music, and this is why Nick decided his following album, Pink Moon, would be stripped of all production aside from the occasional overdubbed piano (Pink Moon). I would be interested in hearing Bryter Layter without any orchestration - or at least a bare minimum; No drums, no electric guitars or bass, no backing vocals, no horns or flutes - only strings where they would accentuate and compliment the music much like on "Five Leaves Left". In my playlist of Nicks albums I have "5 leaves left", the 4 tracks from "Bryter Layter" I mentioned, and the "Pink Moon" album. The other tracks from Bryter Layter seem disruptive to the flow, and I can do without them. This is simply my opinion, and probably my only post. So, Take it or Leave it.

[mike3]

Bryter Layter is very badly produced ,the result of this over production must have been a great disapointment for Nick

[Bogo]

*Actually, after listening to it again and reading Robert Kirby's interview, I have respectfully changed my opinion. Ultimately it WAS the Poor Boy backing vocals that caused me to scratch my head, although intentional sarcasm/irony would definitely put me more at ease with it (strangely enough). It bothers me as well that Robert took it to heart that fans were displeased with it, especially since many of us were under the impression the difference in sound was against Nick's wishes. The opposite is true, it seems. And I STILL say its a five star record.
_________________
Brighten my northern sky

[jomarkdave]

i agree. with hazey jane II i sorta just skip over it. it seems a bit unfit. some of the instruments definitely don't meld in the feel that we've heard on other albums.

and not so much the instruments...but what they're playing.

[drakesinfluence]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who skips over Hazey Jane II. Yes, the backup singers on Poor Boy are terrible. But, you should hear the Tanworth-in-Arden version, It's amazing.

I think that they were attempting to put a pop spin on Nick and it didn't really work out.
_________________
"And if one day You should see Me in the crowd, lend a hand and lift Me, to Your place in the cloud"

http://www.myspace.com/thisiscorybrackett

[modestmatt14]

[Richie]

I'm not all that keen on the arrangements on Hazey Jane II and Poor Boy either (though I think the songs themselves are great).. also I would've preferred to hear Sunday and the title track as solo guitar pieces, minus the more twee aspects. As for the rest of Bryter Layter, I think they did a great job with the arrangements\production.. I wouldn't change a thing about One of These Things First, Northern Sky, Fly, Hazey Jane I, Chime of a City Clock (even the sax part is okay, when you're used to hearing it) and the Introduction with that string motif is beautiful.

[Black Cat]

Interesting topic - I'm glad I'm not the only one who found this. I agree with Richie in that the songs themselves are fabulous but I feel sometimes the other instruments 'drown' Nick's guitar a bit. Maybe it's not the quantity of them in particular, but the overall volume compared to Nick's gentle playing. I also wonder what 'Bryter Layter' and 'Sunday' would have sounded like with just the guitar. I've tried homing in on it but I just can't seem to block the arrangements out...ha ha, you're right, it does sound rather twee - I get images of Nick as a little boy rather than a man...but maybe it was meant to be like that...

The back-up vocals in 'Poor Boy' also seem a little out of place to me - listening to Nick's music, I go into a certain mindset - almost like another world - and then the backing singers suddenly jerk me back into reality. I'm interested in their tone, though, because it almost sounds like they're mocking the 'poor boy'....was this intentional?

Regarding Hazey Jane II...

[ThemCityBlues]

Bryter Layter is my least favorite album, mostly because Drake's guitar seems to have been somewhat ignored. I can understand why Drake wasn't so sure about how Bryter Layter turned out.

However, it has some brilliant songs. The orchestrations on Introduction are superb. At the Chime of the City Clock and One of These Things First have a very nice drive to them, very gentle but inspiring. I also like the instrumentals as well. I really wish Drake's guitar would've been recorded better in Fly. It sounds really flat to me, much better is the song found on bootlegs. Of course Northern Sky is brilliant.

I think Drake's vocals on Hazy Jane II are superb. He handles the high pitch descent perfectly. And one of my favorite lines he ever sang, "What would happen in the morning when the world it gets so crowded that you can't look out the window in the morning?".

I also think the sax in At the Chime of the City Clock is perfect and very important for that song. I think the jazzy elements were pulled off very well. It gives Drake a very gentle drive, really expanding on the moods he is able to convey.

I'm pretty sure Drake was very proud of the instrumentals.

Overall I think it's a great album, just would've liked to see Drake's guitar occupy more of the mix like in Five Leaves Left. Also the quality of Drakes capture isn't as good as FLL.

[Richie]

[Folky]

I don't agree about the Bryter Layter overproduction argument, maybe it is overproduced when compared to Pink Moon, but maybe it is Pink Moon that is underproduced.

[modestmatt14]

well pink moon is obviously under produced but i say a good mix for nick drake was found on five leaves left. nick's gutiar was the main center piece of a song and the strings were the backup to him. in bryter layter it seemed that nick was drowned out for everyoen else to take over

[seamusz]

I disagree with the notion that Pink Moon is underproduced. I think that the meloncollie tone of the music enhance the lyrics and feel of the album. The beauty of Pink Moon is that I feel like I am a one person audience, or like I am overhearing a simple rehersal... Bryter Layter seems to me to be very forced. I agree with what was said before that Three Leaves Left is a good mix and well produced.

Anyway, theres my two bits
_________________
...a message of hope for those who chose to hear it,
and a warning for those who do not...

They chose me...

[Folky]

Bryter Layter was a more varied album than the other two and it took nine months to record after Nick was not happy with the original arrangements and brought in Robert Kirby. I can see why he may have preferred a simpler and far quicker recording process for Pink Moon. But I think the arrangements add to nearly all the songs on Bryter Layter, especially Northern Sky, Hazey Jane I and One Of These Things First. Even the flute on Bryter Layter and Sunday adds more than just having a guitar. The only arrangement I'm not that keen on is Hazey Jane II, but there are songs on the other two albums that I feel that way about as well.

[modestmatt14]