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| Track list: 1. Introduction 2. Hazey Jane II 3. At the Chime of a City Clock 4. One of These Things First 5. Hazey Jane I 6. Bryter Layter 7. Fly 8. Poor Boy 9. Northern Sky 10. Sunday Running time: 39 minutes Released: 1971 |
From one white boy with a guitar to another - but there I think the similarities start dying out. I waver on which of Nick Drake's material I like best - though reading down the track list I see three particular favourites. I actually listened to this a couple of days ago, whilst preparing the house to have 5 friends round all day, because I'd been wanting to sit and listen since I saw it was up next. This time, I'm here and can write.
The Introduction is a pleasant guitar melody and a swell of strings. The thing about this Drake album in particular is the arrangements, the depth beyond his guitar. They are lush, peaceful and serene - far from the stereotype of dark and troubled songs with a lone guitar flickering alone. I always found it odd when part II of a song appeared before part I - as with Hazey Jane here. I have always adored the roll of II; I don't think its his best track, but there is a nice lilt to it, a thrum in the guitar lead, and a buzz in the horns. It is a nice, breezy number and plenty accessible. Drake has one of those timeless voices; because he died so young he is remembered young, pictured young, heard young. That youth, to me, is epitomised by the vocal here feeling fresh, still, some 45 years on.
I love the use of strings here. The arrangements are simply superb, and the sax that offsets Drake's voice on At the Chime of a City Clock is weighted nicely too. I'm not a huge fan of the wandering saxophone like this, but it is judged well for the most part. One of These Things First has always been a favourite and its the piano line that makes it so. The guitar wanders and provides the lower end, but its when the piano hits the high notes that I smile the most. Listening closely, I find the drums a little too prevalent for what is a rather staid rhythm, but that really is quibbling. A little further from the speaker, or a little less concentration and they would fade back into the wider arrangement.
It's impossible to sit and ruminate on Nick Drake and his music without coming back to the tragedy of his death, the sheer popularity of his music in recent years and the complete obscurity at the time. It's a well trodden path, written about with more care, knowledge and aplomb than I could muster. What astounds me is the idea that something this easy paced, beautifully arranged and accessible could have bombed. I got into Nick Drake at university. I hadn't heard of him at all before then, but a friend had all of the studio albums and I picked them up not long after he introduced me. I am guilty of not returning to them often enough; this listen is proving that. The title track is an instrumental which surprises me - I don't remember enough of the less famous tracks; Bryter Later, Fly, Sunday... all had no imprint in my mind before this unlike, say, Northern Sky - which has been flying round my head for about 3 days now.
Fly is, actually, not that nice. Certainly it is a big step down from what has been before. The intimacy of the vocal is different, and the playing supporting Drake feels less apt, despite being provided by two well known musicians in their own right (and the same pair that support Northern Sky, to come). I think its the vocal recording that makes this feel weird. Oh well - a step down from lofty heights still leaves plenty to enjoy. Poor Boy is one of those songs I don't recognise from the name, but I do from the sound. The backing singers, the sax part, the piano... it comes together nicely, and again has a gentle roll to it. Its a long track, and I found myself staring into space for most of it, ears loosely tracing the patterns of the tune, dimly aware of its progress. I snap back into focus for the beginning of Northern Sky which really is the most beautiful track... There is a haunting element to the vocal here, offsetting a truly glorious melody - largely provided by the piano, but the construction of the bass part is crucial too. If you only listen to one Nick Drake song... make it this one. I am not convinced it is my favourite (I have a very soft spot for Place to Be from Pink Moon as my gateway), but it is, I think possibly his best.
Sunday is positively ghastly by comparison, which is to say that it is a perfectly serviceable instrumental lead out. In another context it would be a very enjoyable little tune, but it feels like such a climb down here - even at its zenith. I find it appearing to go on forever (it is under 4 minutes); it just feels like the album ended already. Now that it has, I think I need to repeat Northern Sky one more time...
The Introduction is a pleasant guitar melody and a swell of strings. The thing about this Drake album in particular is the arrangements, the depth beyond his guitar. They are lush, peaceful and serene - far from the stereotype of dark and troubled songs with a lone guitar flickering alone. I always found it odd when part II of a song appeared before part I - as with Hazey Jane here. I have always adored the roll of II; I don't think its his best track, but there is a nice lilt to it, a thrum in the guitar lead, and a buzz in the horns. It is a nice, breezy number and plenty accessible. Drake has one of those timeless voices; because he died so young he is remembered young, pictured young, heard young. That youth, to me, is epitomised by the vocal here feeling fresh, still, some 45 years on.
I love the use of strings here. The arrangements are simply superb, and the sax that offsets Drake's voice on At the Chime of a City Clock is weighted nicely too. I'm not a huge fan of the wandering saxophone like this, but it is judged well for the most part. One of These Things First has always been a favourite and its the piano line that makes it so. The guitar wanders and provides the lower end, but its when the piano hits the high notes that I smile the most. Listening closely, I find the drums a little too prevalent for what is a rather staid rhythm, but that really is quibbling. A little further from the speaker, or a little less concentration and they would fade back into the wider arrangement.
It's impossible to sit and ruminate on Nick Drake and his music without coming back to the tragedy of his death, the sheer popularity of his music in recent years and the complete obscurity at the time. It's a well trodden path, written about with more care, knowledge and aplomb than I could muster. What astounds me is the idea that something this easy paced, beautifully arranged and accessible could have bombed. I got into Nick Drake at university. I hadn't heard of him at all before then, but a friend had all of the studio albums and I picked them up not long after he introduced me. I am guilty of not returning to them often enough; this listen is proving that. The title track is an instrumental which surprises me - I don't remember enough of the less famous tracks; Bryter Later, Fly, Sunday... all had no imprint in my mind before this unlike, say, Northern Sky - which has been flying round my head for about 3 days now.
Fly is, actually, not that nice. Certainly it is a big step down from what has been before. The intimacy of the vocal is different, and the playing supporting Drake feels less apt, despite being provided by two well known musicians in their own right (and the same pair that support Northern Sky, to come). I think its the vocal recording that makes this feel weird. Oh well - a step down from lofty heights still leaves plenty to enjoy. Poor Boy is one of those songs I don't recognise from the name, but I do from the sound. The backing singers, the sax part, the piano... it comes together nicely, and again has a gentle roll to it. Its a long track, and I found myself staring into space for most of it, ears loosely tracing the patterns of the tune, dimly aware of its progress. I snap back into focus for the beginning of Northern Sky which really is the most beautiful track... There is a haunting element to the vocal here, offsetting a truly glorious melody - largely provided by the piano, but the construction of the bass part is crucial too. If you only listen to one Nick Drake song... make it this one. I am not convinced it is my favourite (I have a very soft spot for Place to Be from Pink Moon as my gateway), but it is, I think possibly his best.
Sunday is positively ghastly by comparison, which is to say that it is a perfectly serviceable instrumental lead out. In another context it would be a very enjoyable little tune, but it feels like such a climb down here - even at its zenith. I find it appearing to go on forever (it is under 4 minutes); it just feels like the album ended already. Now that it has, I think I need to repeat Northern Sky one more time...
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