Nick Drake remasters

How are the Island cd remasters of Nick Drake's three albums compared to the originals?

Thanks

 

I think they are terrific.

 

The original what? cds? vinyl?

Can any Nick Drake experts summarize the various issues and reissues of his catalog over the years?

Is there a difference in the mastering between the Island and Hannibel releases on cd?

 

Not up to date, but it's a start:
http://www.algonet.se/~iguana/DRAKE/NDdisco.html

LP's
Island ILPS 9105 FIVE LEAVES LEFT (9/69, UK)
Antilles AN-7010 FIVE LEAVES LEFT (1976, US)
Island ILPS 9134 BRYTER LAYTER (11/70, UK)
Antilles AN-7028 BRYTER LAYTER (1976, US)
Island SMAS-9307 NICK DRAKE (1971, US) (A compilation, consisting of eight tracks from the first two records)
Island ILPS 9184 PINK MOON (2/72, UK)
Island SMAS-9318 PINK MOON (1972, US)
Island NDSP 100 FRUIT TREE - THE COMPLETE RECORDED WORKS (3/79, UK) Five Leaves Left, Bryter Layter and Pink Moon in a 3-LP box set)
Island ILPS 9826 HEAVEN IN A WILDFLOWER* - AN EXPLORATION OF NICK DRAKE (5/85, UK) (A single LP collection)
Hannibal HNBX 5302 FRUIT TREE - THE COMPLETE WORKS (8/86, UK) (Five Leaves Left, Bryter Layter, Pink Moon and Time Of No Reply in a 4-LP box set)
Hannibal HNBL 1318 TIME OF NO REPLY (3/87, UK) (A compilation of outtakes and demos 1967-74)


CD's
Hannibal HNCD 1318 TIME OF NO REPLY (3/87, UK)
Island CID 9195 FIVE LEAVES LEFT (3/87, UK)
Island CID 9134 BRYTER LAYTER (5/87, UK)
Island IMCD 8 FIVE LEAVES LEFT (mid-price reissue, 5/89, UK)
Island IMCD 71 BRYTER LAYTER (mid-price reissue, 10/89, UK)
Island IMCD91 HEAVEN IN A WILDFLOWER (mid-price issue, 4/90, UK)
Island IMCD 94 PINK MOON (mid-price, 4/90, UK)
Hannibal HNCD 5402 FRUIT TREE (4-CD box set, 12/91, UK)
Island IMCD 196 WAY TO BLUE - AN INTRODUCTION TO NICK DRAKE (1994, UK) (A single CD collection)

 

You can add Simply Vinyl reissues for all three albums. Pretty good for SV product, but I've never heard the original (and pricey) Islands.

 

I agree. Five Leaves Left and Bryter Layter sound absolutely beautiful on my system! (and in Toronto these CD's are dirt cheap) Wonderful job done on these (as well as the Fairport Convention remasters from Island)

 

Nearly perfect remasters (IMO)

 

Here is a great interview about the Nick Drake remasters:

http://www.robinfrederick.com/cally.html

 

I have two of these on Simply Vinyl and enjoy them. I enjoy the remaster's more though. They really are all you need IMO.

 

The Fairport remasters? The only one I have heard is L&L and that thing is pretty no-noised. The original Island disc walks all over it. Maybe others are better...?

 

Very interesting. I like the old Hannibal CD's much better than the remasters.

L.

 

Dear Santa,

I'd like minty pressings of these:

Island ILPS 9105 FIVE LEAVES LEFT (9/69, UK)
Island ILPS 9134 BRYTER LAYTER (11/70, UK)
Island ILPS 9184 PINK MOON (2/72, UK)

I'll leave extra cookies and milk by the tree.



Jason

 

SACD???

 

you and me both!

 

Really??

I have the Island compilation called Chronicles which uses tracks from the remastered discs. I can assure you there is not a trace of no-noise on the L&L tracks on that album.

In fact they sound pretty wonderful to me.

BTW the Drake remasters sound similarly good, the SACD (forgot its title) just sounds maginally better even in redbook mode.

JJ

 

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=57599

 

Thanks Jeff,

I hadn't spotted that thread before, I'll post a few clips from Chronicles in a bit to a new thread. See if you agree the remastered tracks on that album are free of no-noise.

Are high bitrate mp3's ok?

JJ

 

I saw all three in London at a show in 2003. Price of admission (then) in US dollars for all three = $1,320.00.

The REALLY sick thing is that it was worth it.....

And by that, all I really mean is that you'd never lose a dime on those LP's.

 

Sounds like you'll have to leave more than extra milk and cookies by the tree for Santa to leave these for you.

 

Sounds fine to me. I've got a mint A & M vinyl copy on the brown label from the USA and that's nice too!!

 

Could not resist, after reading all the comments and reading the interview. Bought all of them on e-bay.

 

I always felt that with Nick Drake, you sort of have to jump in head first and get all three albums.

 

I started collecting Nick Drake in the early 90's so I have all his LPs on UK Island and Simply Vinyl. They are similar with the SV being a bit fuller in sound. The CD remasters are very nice - not quite as involving as the vinyl - but better overall than the Fairport stuff.

 

I have all the CD remasters and they are uniformly good sounding.