What is your favourite Nick Drake Album?

This is an artist whose three albums are at level pegging in rating for me, it's bloody difficult to separate them... BUT, if I had to choose one, it would be "Pink Moon", and I'd go so far as to say that "Road" and "Things Behind The Sun" sway it for me.

But I love all three albums dearly.

 

1. Pink Moon & Five Leaves Left (a tie)
2. Bryter Layter

But all three are masterpieces, any way you slice it.

 

Exactly!

 

For years I would have said Pink Moon but Time Has Told Me, River Man and Three Hours have become my 3 favorite songs by him and they start off Five Leaves Left so that gets my vote now.

 

Five Leaves Left for me. The songs are all solid and there is good variety which keeps it interesting.

Scott

 

I always seem to go back to Pink Moon...followed by Five Leaves Left.

 

Beyond these 3 proper albums, there's also a lot of good stuff on Time of No Reply/Made to Love Magic and Family Tree as well. These 5 songs are likely half of what would have comprised his fourth album, recorded 4 months before his death.

Rider on the Wheel
Black Eyed Dog
Hanging on a Star
Voice From the Mountain
Tow the Line

 

Why compare? I will never tire of any of them. They are all great and appealing for different reasons.

 

I think Five Leaves Left is one of the most amazing records I've ever heard. I like all his other releases as well.

 

I would agree with your assessment of Bryter Layter as, to me, it sounds like they wanted him to be Van Morrison. I don't like the arrangements on that album very much.

 

All great albums, though I went with Five Leaves Left. An amazing debut.
I own them all, along with Time of No Reply which is also essential.

 

Five leaves left, but they're all great albums

 

Great comments. 'Five Leaves Left' is the perfect compromise between the different sounds Nick committed to record over his short recording career. All three albums are essential and I enjoy each of them because despite Nick's auteurship being strong, they convey vastly different moods to me. It's interesting to see that the voting is almost evenly split here, even with 'Bryter Layter' having a strong showing. I think some of the most inventive arrangements in his catalogue are on that album and it's nice to see that here at least it is not seen as the lesser sibling.


x

 

Pink Moon is my favorite (it was my first), but Nick Drake has that extremely rare distinction of it all being good. That's as much down to his short life as anything else, but everything...from FLL up even through the outtake Time Of No Reply/Family Tree stuff...is excellent.

 

Amazingly even voting...

 

This has been done twice before on this forum.

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/your-favorite-nick-drake-album.99482/

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/favorite-nick-drake-album-poll.325206/

 

Pretty much a three-way tie in the two previous polls too — kind of a beautiful thing to have the love shared evenly like that.

 

Five Leaves Left, but I love all three albums.
BRYTER LAYTER contains my favorite song (Northern Sky) and several other favorites, while PINK MOON has not only the fantastic title song, but also Place To Be and From The Morning.
But FIVE LEAVES LEFT has a bit more that I love than the other two.

 

Pink Moon. It was my first album by him. So soft and powerful. Short and rare, like a quick breathe. And then it's over.

 

And interestingly I went with 'Bryter Layter' then, but noted that my preferences often shifted. I wouldn't be without any of his albums.


x

 

Pink Moon! This is the sound that Nick wanted all along. No arrangements,no overproduction. Stark & sparse!

 

I also enjoy Time of No Reply, must mean I've been smoking too long always makes me smile...... But you have to get it on vinyl as the cd is poorly recorded.
All 3 main albums are a must.

Gary

 

I also enjoy Time of No Reply, must mean I've been smoking too long always makes me smile...... But you have to get it on vinyl as the cd is poorly recorded.
All 3 main albums are a must.

Gary

 

Bryter Later - mainly because of Hazey Jane II

The village he is buried in is on the edge of my home city - I find it amazing how he is barely known even here.