Nick Drake - Bryter Layter

With even more of the Fairport Convention crew helping him out -- including bassist Dave Pegg and drummer Dave Mattacks along with, again, a bit of help from Richard Thompson -- as well as John Cale and a variety of others, Drake tackled another excellent selection of songs on his second album. Demonstrating the abilities shown on Five Leaves Left didn't consist of a fluke, Bryter Layter featured another set of exquisitely arranged and performed tunes, with producer Joe Boyd and orchestrator Robert Kirby reprising their roles from the earlier release. Starting with the elegant instrumental "Introduction," as lovely a mood-setting piece as one would want, Bryter Layter indulges in a more playful sound at many points, showing that Drake was far from being a constant king of depression. While his performances remain generally low-key and his voice quietly passionate, the arrangements and surrounding musicians add a considerable amount of pep, as on the jazzy groove of the lengthy "Poor Boy." The argument could be made that this contravenes the spirit of Drake's work, but it feels more like a calmer equivalent to the genre-sliding experiments of Van Morrison at around the same time. Numbers that retain a softer approach, like "At the Chime of a City Clock," still possess a gentle drive to them. Cale's additions unsurprisingly favor the classically trained side of his personality, with particularly brilliant results on "Northern Sky." As his performances on keyboards and celeste help set the atmosphere, Drake reaches for a perfectly artful reflection on loss and loneliness and succeeds wonderfully. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide

Name Credits Cally Art Direction, Design, Coordination Chris McGregor Piano, Vocals Dave Mattacks Drums Dave Pegg Bass Doris Troy Vocals (Background), Vocals Ed Carter Bass Joe Boyd Producer, Reissue Producer John Cale Piano, Organ, Celeste, Harpsichord, Cello, Viola John Wood Supervisor, Remastering, Engineer Keith Morris Photography Lyn Dobson Flute Mike Kowalski Drums Nick Drake Vocals, Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Piano Nigel Waymouth Cover Design, Photography, Sleeve Design, Cover Photo P.P. Arnold Vocals (Background), Vocals Patrick Arnold Vocals (Background) Paul Harris Piano Ray Warleigh Sax (Alto), Flute Richard Thompson Guitar Robert Kirby Brass Arrangement, String Arrangements, Bass Arrangement, Arranger Simon Heyworth Mastering Stella MacPherson Lyric Transcription