This week sees another posthumous release (we’re not complaining) from Nick Drake. Family Tree is a collection of remastered rarities rescued by the folk icon’s sister Gabrielle, who duets with her late brother on one track. The singer’s estate produced a moving (no shit, it’s Nick Drake) video for “Way To Blue,” culling from home movies and photographs, tinted blue. Marvel at how the baroque hymn makes even footage of a tow-headed boy kicking the surf the most depressing thing you’ll watch all day.
Famiy Tree is out now on Tsunami.
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I understand that the new album is rarities or whatever, but I don’t like this piano version of “Way to Blue”. The thing that always stood out for me about Nick Drake was his virtuoso guitar playing.
That being said, there are so few Nick Drake songs… so I’ll take what I can get. But he, himself, probably wouldn’t be happy with these releases.
Wow. That really was amazingly beautiful and amazingly sad all at once. Really loved the piano version, gives the song an even more melancholy feel. I was a bit skeptical about this collection, thinking it would be for completists only. This says different…
I have to agree with Christopher. That version does absolutely nothing for me compared to the version of ‘five leaves left’.
I also own a copy of the Tanworth in Arden CD – purely to hear what he did with the Jackson C Frank tracks – and have to strongly question why they’re getting a wider release. Ok, they’ve been remastered so some of the unwanted sounds have definitely left, but, again, like Chris there, I don’t really think he’d have wanted them released.
It seems a bit of a cash in to me.
I think it’s a nice set.. Probably only for people who are established fans of his albums, but barring a few of his half-formed juvenile efforts I don’t think he’d be embarassed for people to hear this stuff, given the circumstances.. The only reason it’s getting a release is because of the widespread bootlegging – if people are paying cash for these things they might as well get them with much better sound quality, liner notes & photos etc and for the money to go to Drake’s family rather than to bootleggers.
Nick Drake is the most overexposed ‘unknown’ artist ever.
“Nick Drake is the most overexposed ‘unknown’ artist ever.”
Overexposed!?! Hardly. Play a Nick Drake song for 20 people and probably 2/20 will be able to name him.
Secondly, if he does ever become overexposed, it’s because he was a genius and deserves it.
Beautiful and haunting. Sad and true.
Christopher: From what I understand, Nick was never really happy with any of his albums (except maybe Pink Moon). It seems like he was often talked into the arrangements and side musicians. He might have actually liked this stripped-down version.
There’s actually a pretty cool version of this song out there on bootleg by Elton John (back when he was “Reg”). He was brought in by the publisher to record a demo version that they could pitch to artists to try to get them to achieve greater commercial success with some of Nick’s songs. He did “Time Has Told Me”, as well.