Article: The Best Version Of ... Nick Drake's Bryter Layter

Haven't even read this yet, but was introduced to Nick Drake by a roommate in 1980 and very much appreciate the opportunity to learn more about (and snag the best sounding version of) this album all these years "layter."

(Also agree with @Superdad about Five Leaves Left.)

I've now read the very fine and enjoyable article, and wanted to mention someone who's noted in passing there: John Martyn. He's not that widely known, at least in the US, but had an absolutely prodigal career of about 40 years. I had the pleasure of seeing him live a very long time ago. He might be the second best acoustic guitar player I've ever seen after John McLaughlin, and I've seen Clapton among others. His unique vocals were better than the guitar playing as far as I'm concerned. They were half-jazz-scatted, half-sung, and a bit mumbled, especially in his mid to late career. One of my favorite albums is his No Little Boy from 1993, a reworking of some of his own material. (He liked reworking material, never doing one of his songs the same way twice, and he went through various labels, so his discography is, to put it politely, a bit disordered.)

If you find yourself liking Nick Drake, check out Martyn.

8 minutes ago, Superdad said:

(Though of course Martyn was a great deal mellower than McLaughlin, and we can all think of other extraordinary guitarists. )

True. But believe me when I tell you that when I saw him live ('73 or '74 IIRC), he and that acoustic were a wall of sound all by themselves.