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39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The last album...., December 14, 2002
This review is from: Time of No Reply (Audio CD)
firstly, I'll admit it - I'm an avid fan of Nick Drake's work - the three studio albums are the most directly emotional and beautifully melodic works I know. a word to the wise, though - I certainly don't recommend this album as a starting point for anyone new to his work - much better to try the well-constructed "Way to Blue" compilation. This collection of offcuts and alternative versions was released to satiate the fans need to have everything that Nick ever committed to tape, so it has none of the coherence and polish of the main three albums. It also spans his entire career, and so there are jarring stylistic differences between the sing-song saccharin of "I was born to love magic" and the death-obssessed whisper of "Black Eyed Dog". still, there's a rare magic in most of these off-cuts which makes it essential from a fan's point of view, and the sparsity and vulnerability of the later recordings is deeply affecting. Like Joy Division's Ian Curtis, Nick Drake converted his fragile mindstate brilliantly into music & words. The earliest work here is relatively weak, hence three stars, but I would still recommend it as the last chapter of a compelling story.
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Drake outtakes & home recordings = a great album..., May 22, 2003
This review is from: Time of No Reply (Audio CD)
Time of No Reply is an album of studio outtakes and home-recordings that was first released on cd in 1986, as part of the Fruit Tree box set. Drake fans will enjoy the little mistake, complete with a joke and laugh in "Mayfair," the alternate versions of "Man in a Shed" and "The Thoughts of Mary Jane" (both originally found on Five Leaves Left (1969)), and "Fly" (originally from Bryter Layter (1970)). ("Fly" was also seen/heard in the great film The Royal Tenenbaums). The last four songs here were recorded in 1972, two years after the classic Pink Moon album, and were the last songs Drake recorded in a studio ("Rider on the Wheel," "Black Eyed Dog," (as heard in the films Practical Magic, Serendipity and The Good Girl, among others), "Hanging on a Star," and "Voice from the Mountain"). Other highlights include the intriguing "Clothes of Sand," (most likely written about Drake's travels in sunny Morroco, where he travelled as a youth with a group of friends, and came across and met and played for none other than the Rolling Stones, at a random restaurant (the group was later mistaken for the Stones when they went to get their car fixed at a nearby mechanic. He didn't want money for the work, only their autographs/photos. Little did he know that (a) not only was it not Mick Jagger and the Stones he was talking to, but (b) the tall, quiet young Englishman in question, complete with guitar, was none other than Nicholas Drake, who would become increasingly famous in his own right as the years went on). Also hinting at these sunny travels is the haunting and pretty "Strange Meeting II." Finally, there is a somewhat down-hearted cover of Robin Frederick's "Been Smoking Too Long." (Fans should check out her website for more on Drake, she has a wonderful original song dedicated to him, called "Sandy Grey," which you can find there). Long-time fans and newbies alike will enjoy this cd, and as with all of Drake's work, I highly recommend it.
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Alas Nick, we barely knew ye., July 19, 2002
This review is from: Time of No Reply (Audio CD)
As you've probably read on this page by now, Nick Drake produced some of the most beautiful, touching folk melancholia ever to come out of England (or possibly anywhere else). His entire output consisted of three albums while he lived.. a shame, since we can only wonder what else he might have produced if he hadn't overdosed on antidepressants in 1974. The only answer to that wondering has to be Time of No Reply, an assortment of demos and unreleased tracks dating back to before the beginning of his career. To the faithful this only confirms what was already the consensus: practically everything the man touched was golden. I'm giving this five stars, even though one track is nearly smothered by overdone orchestration and even though the quality of the earliest recordings is pretty bad. No sense skimping over technicalities when the offerings are so wondrous. These songs are carried entirely by Nick's voice and guitar, the exceptions being the string-heavy "I Was Made to Love Magic" and a couple guests spotting "Thoughts of Mary Jane" and "Mayfair." That's it. A few of his earlier tracks suffered from overproduction, but here it's straight from the heart, as pure and (sometimes painfully) honest as possible. He spins out one lovely melody after another seemingly effortlessly, helped all along by his velvety singing voice. The words are simple and yet vivid enough to paint pictures of autumn leaves and bright stars. The music is mostly sad, yes, but it's the kind of sadness that leaves you a little better off for having gone through it. Enough. If you know Drake's music already, chances are you're already hooked. If not, look up Five Leaves Left or the shorter Pink Moon and hear what a treasure you've been missing. There's a compilation (Way to Blue), but this stuff is so addicting that you'll probably just want them all anyway. It's melodic, beautiful and familiar as a friend you've known for years. Don't take my word for it - take a listen for yourself.
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