| Bryter Layter | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 5 March 1971 [1] | |||
| Recorded | 1970 | |||
| Studio | Sound Techniques, London | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 39:09 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Producer | Joe Boyd | |||
| Nick Drake chronology | ||||
| ||||
Bryter Layter is the second studio album by English folk singer-songwriter Nick Drake. Recorded in 1970 and released on 5 March 1971 by Island Records, it was his last album to feature backing musicians, as his next and final studio album, Pink Moon , had Drake perform all songs solo.
Like Five Leaves Left , the album contains no unaccompanied songs: Drake was accompanied by part of the British folk rock group Fairport Convention and John Cale from The Velvet Underground, as well as Beach Boys session musicians Mike Kowalski and Ed Carter. [6] Arranger Robert Kirby says that Drake intended the instrumentals to evoke Pet Sounds . [7] Initially scheduled for release in November 1970, with UK promotional copies being sent out at the time, dissatisfaction with the artwork meant that the album was held over into the New Year. [1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [8] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [9] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+ [10] |
| Pitchfork | 9.7/10 [11] |
| Q | [12] |
Contemporary reviews were mostly positive. In Sounds Jerry Gilbert called the album "superb" and said, "On their own merits, the songs of Nick Drake are not particularly strong, but Nick has always been a consistent if introverted performer, and placed in the cauldron that Joe Boyd has prepared for him, then things start to effervesce." Gilbert praised the "splendid arrangements" of Robert Kirby, and said that the songs "take time to work through to the listener, with help from the beautiful backing which every track receives". [13] Lon Goddard of Record Mirror was also impressed by Drake's guitar technique and Kirby's arrangements, and "Nick isn't the world's top singer, but he's written fantastic numbers that suit strings marvellously. Definitely one of the prettiest (and that counts!) and most impressive albums I've heard ... Happy, sad, very moving." [14] "The Disc Panel" in Disc and Music Echo stated that Drake "sings his own very personal songs in a strange, deep vaseline voice, probably more suited to crooning, accompanied at times by really funky backing" and called the record "an extraordinarily good hefty folk album". [15] However, Andrew Means of Melody Maker described the album as "late-night coffee'n'chat music" and said, "This is a difficult album to come to any firm conclusion on", stating that the reaction depended on the listener's mood and that "the 10 tracks are all very similar – quiet, gentle and relaxing." [16]
Mojo called the album "certainly the most polished of his catalogue". [17] Alternative Press called it "[one] of the most beautiful and melancholy albums ever recorded". [18]
In his book Never a Dull Moment: 1971 – The Year That Rock Exploded, David Hepworth described the song "At the Chime of a City Clock" as "the perfect soundtrack for the dispensing of a cup of tea in a polystyrene cup, marrying sound and image in a way that made me unsure whether I was watching a commercial or actually in a commercial". [19]
In 2000, Q placed Bryter Layter at number 23 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. [20] It ranked at number 14 in NME 's list of the Greatest Albums of the '70s. [21]
It was voted number 306 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000). [22]
In 2003, the album was ranked number 245 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. [23]
The guitar Drake holds on the album cover is owned by Nick Laird-Clowes of The Dream Academy, whose "Life in a Northern Town" was written as an elegy to Drake. [24]
All tracks are written by Nick Drake
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Introduction" | 1:33 |
| 2. | "Hazey Jane II" | 3:46 |
| 3. | "At the Chime of a City Clock" | 4:47 |
| 4. | "One of These Things First" | 4:52 |
| 5. | "Hazey Jane I" | 4:31 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Bryter Layter" | 3:24 |
| 7. | "Fly" | 3:00 |
| 8. | "Poor Boy" | 6:09 |
| 9. | "Northern Sky" | 3:47 |
| 10. | "Sunday" | 3:42 |
Album credits adapted from Bryter Layter liner notes. [29]
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 5 March 1971 | Island | LP | ILPS 9134 |
| May 1987 | CD | CID 9134 | ||
| 26 June 2000 | IMCD 71 |
David James Mattacks is an English rock and folk drummer, best known for his work with British folk rock band Fairport Convention.
Nicholas Rodney Drake was an English singer-songwriter. An accomplished acoustic guitarist, Drake signed to Island Records at the age of twenty while still a student at the University of Cambridge. His debut album, Five Leaves Left, was released in 1969, and was followed by two more albums, Bryter Layter (1971) and Pink Moon (1972). While Drake did not reach a wide audience during his brief lifetime, his music found critical acclaim and he gradually received wider recognition following his death.
Tea for the Tillerman is the fourth studio album by singer-songwriter Cat Stevens, released in November 1970.
Surf's Up is the 17th studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on August 30, 1971 on Brother/Reprise. It received largely favorable reviews and reached number 29 on the U.S. record charts, becoming their highest-charting LP of new music in the U.S. since 1967. In the UK, Surf's Up peaked at number 15, continuing a string of top 40 records that had not abated since 1965.
Pink Moon is the third and final studio album by the English musician Nick Drake, released in the UK by Island Records on 25 February 1972. It was the only one of Drake's studio albums to be released in North America during his lifetime. Pink Moon differs from Drake's previous albums in that it was recorded without a backing band, featuring just Drake on vocals, acoustic guitar and a single piano melody overdubbed onto the title track.
Good Old Boys is the fourth studio album by American musician Randy Newman, released on September 10, 1974 on Reprise Records, catalogue number 2193. It was Newman's first album to obtain major commercial success, peaking at number 36 on the Billboard 200 and number 58 in Canada. The premiere live performance of the album took place on October 5, 1974, at the Symphony Hall in Atlanta, Georgia, with guest Ry Cooder and Newman conducting the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
Five Leaves Left is the debut studio album by English folk musician Nick Drake. Recorded between 1968 and 1969, it was released in 1969 by Island Records.
Robert Bruce Kirby was an English arranger of string sections for rock and folk music. He was best known for his work on the Nick Drake albums, Five Leaves Left and Bryter Layter, but also worked with Vashti Bunyan, Elton John, Ralph McTell, Strawbs, Paul Weller and Elvis Costello.
The discography of Nick Drake, an English folk musician and singer-songwriter, consists of three studio albums, five singles, seven compilation albums, two box sets, one video album and various soundtrack and compilation appearances.
Way to Blue: An Introduction to Nick Drake is a 1994 compilation album featuring tracks by English singer/songwriter Nick Drake, taken from his original three albums plus Time of No Reply. The album reached gold certificate in the U.K. on 30 September 1999 after selling 100,000 copies. In United States in the year 2000 sales have jumped to 67,916 units.
"Northern Sky" is a song from the English singer-songwriter Nick Drake's 1971 album Bryter Layter, produced by Joe Boyd. During the recording sessions for the album, the chronically shy and withdrawn songwriter formed a friendship and a mentorship of sorts with producer Joe Boyd, an early supporter of Drake. Boyd saw commercial potential in the acoustic and unaccompanied demo version of the song, and recruited former Velvet Underground member John Cale as producer. Cale added piano, organ and celesta arrangements, initially against Drake's wishes.
Fruit Tree is a box set by English singer/songwriter Nick Drake. It exists in several versions, all of which feature his three studio albums, plus additional material.
Akuma no Uta is the fifth album by Japanese experimental music band Boris. Originally released in 2003 on Diwphalanx Records with minimalist artwork, it was re-issued in 2005 on Southern Lord Records with a different cover and more music.
Heaven in a Wild Flower is a 1985 compilation album featuring tracks by English singer/songwriter Nick Drake, taken from Five Leaves Left, Bryter Layter and Pink Moon. The title of the compilation is taken from the lines of William Blake poem Auguries of Innocence. The album does not feature any of Drake's posthumously released material and because of the availability of more comprehensive compilations, such as Way to Blue and Fruit Tree, this collection is largely out of print.
"Magic" is the second listed song from Nick Drake's 2004 compilation album Made to Love Magic and was remastered and released as a single in 2004. The single was released on both CD and vinyl record formats, with Bryter Layter track "Northern Sky" as a B-side.
Nick Drake is an American-only LP compilation release by English folk musician Nick Drake. It was released in August 1971 as SMAS-9307, shortly after Island Records had started selling their own records in the U.S. At the time, they were distributed by Capitol Records.
A Treasury is a Nick Drake compilation aimed at the audiophile audience. Released in the UK on 27 September 2004 and in the US on 26 October 2004, it was available as both a hybrid multichannel SACD and a 180 gram vinyl LP. To promote the compilation, a single was issued for the song "River Man", released on CD and 7" vinyl in the UK on 13 September 2004.
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