There were a whole lot of demons wrapped up in the brilliant, but tormented soul of Nick Drake, who succumbed to depression and death before his full talent was allowed to flourish.

Nick Drake only left behind three complete albums, “Bryter Layter” being the middle and most beautiful one. The string arrangements are superb and with sympathetic backing from the likes of Dave Pegg, Richard Thompson, Dave Mattocks and John Cale, the songs really grab your heart.

In a year when the singer / songwriter has comeback from the wilderness the re-issue of Drake’s “Bryter Layter” could not of been better timed or more welcome.

This is the best way into his oeuvre: ornate, drenched in melody, emotion, evocative of a long-lost London and its small, smoky nightclubs.

All told, the songs run counter to his melancholic reputation, as evidenced by the very breezy and up tempo opening track, Hazey Jane II. However, in case you start getting the idea that it would all be dog biscuits you are soon brought down by “At The Chime Of A City Clock”, which reminds you of who you are listening to. “You stay indoors, beneath the floors, and talk to neighbours only,” sighs Drake. Pretty autobiographical then.

Nick Drake’s finger-pickin’ guitar rises above all the musical arrangements to leave you breathless at his dexterity.

Although the re-mastering of the songs has given them much more definition and depth, my problem with this re-issue is in its time. Forty minutes of music is not a lot in these days of CDs. Perhaps Island Records could have found a few more songs from Nick Drake’s back catalogue to give the CD buying public a better deal. If your not familiar with Nick Drake, the excellent “Way To Blue” is a must buy. This clocks in at way over the hour and containing songs from all three albums, “Pink Moon”, “Bryter Layter”, “Five Leaves Left” and the posthumously released, “Time Of No Reply”. It gives a good overview of Nick Drake’s work plus a nice booklet with an introduction by ‘Nick Drake Devotee’ Joe Boyd, some photos and complete lyrics. Not music to listen to when you’re low, rather relaxed and contemplative.

1. Introduction
2. Hazey Jane II
3. At The Chime Of A City Clock
4. One Of These Things First
5. Hazey Jane I
6. Bryter Layter
7. Fly
8. Poor Boy
9. Northern Sky
10. Sunday

By Poppy

The story begins with the sudden death of Woodrow “Bud” Slocumb, a man his long-suffering wife Raynelle (Whoopi Goldberg) remembers primarily as being “mean and surly”. He suddenly keels over at the breakfast table, prompting the arrival of hoards of dysfunctional family members bent on arranging or attending his funeral; lots of wailing, posing and gospel music soon ensue, with the occasional input of genuine - although - OTT - emotion.

The oldest son Ray Bud (LL Cool J), a re-formed alcoholic, is put in charge of making sure that his mother doesn’t inscribe something totally unsuitable on Bud’s tombstone. While his sickly sweet hypochondriac wife Lucille (Vivica A. Fox), tries to deal with Ray Bud’s no good younger brother Junior (Anthony Anderson), a useless inventor married to would-be diva Charisse (Jada Pinkett Smith), and their three ghastly kids. But somehow the stories never seem to run together and you never really feel that the story achieves its aim. The comedy sequences are very slapstick, which makes its abrupt attempts to switch back into genuine dramatic emotion-mode all the more impossible to sustain.

Toni Braxton drops in for a small cameo part, later on; her presence, and the abbreviated story it comes with gives you the feeling that it was designed especially for her, with no relevance to the storyline. And while Kingdom Come certainly has its amusing moments - like pastor Cedric with the funny accent, as well as the way Bud’s ultra-religious sister Marguerite (Loretta Devine) constantly calls her hooligan son Royce (Darius McCrary) “Satan”.

Whoopi Goldberg has always been and will always be in my opinion a very funny lady but even her performance can’t make Kingdom Come a great movie.

Director: Doug McHenry

Starring: Cedric the Entertainer, Jada Pinkett Smith, L. L. Cool J, Vivica A. Fox, Whoopi Goldberg