Nick Drake - River Man
I refused to listen to Nick Drake for quite a long time, I thought his music was rubbish, and he looked like a twat. Then one day in 2008ish after watching Serendipity (Northern Sky featured) I realised I had got Nick Drake confused with Nick Cave (no offence to Nick Cave, he's just not my cup of tea). Since then I have been obsessed with his music. Non stop. I never get sick of listening to him. To quote Trevor Dann in his Nick Drake Biography:
"It's clear that once intrigued and beguiled by Nick Drake's music, many fans quickly develop an obsession for this elusive character."
I started properly listening to him on the bus ride to my archaeology excavation every day in the Summer of 2008, and so now whenever I listen to River Man (and others) my mind is bought back to that time... driving through the Dorset countryside... ahhhh....
This is my favourite song ever. I might say that about other songs at one time or another, but this is it. It makes me feel happy and peaceful. In particular I think the use of prosody enhances this song, giving it a dreamlike quality that's not quite there in the Cambridge version (which is still lovely)... alongside the string arrangements that weave in and out..... this video was made at some stage in the early 00's I think, following a Nick Drake doco, and is the only video of his music that I know of (his sister Gabrielle Drake features @2:46). This track features on his debut album, Five Leaves Left. Other favourites are:
Five Leaves Left (1969): Cello Song,Time Has Told Me.
Bryter Layter (1970): Poor Boy, Hazey Jane II.
Pink Moon (1972): Road, Know,From The Morning.
Upon the release of 'Family Tree,' a collection of early home recordings, his sister Gabrielle Drake recorded a letter to her brother, it's really sad ("You did bring joy to so many people during your life, but to many more since your death. I wish you could have known.") and also quite interesting as she talks to her brother so many years later, and explains why she has decided to release this material: Dear Nick
Also, Graham Coxon did a nice cover as part of the English Originals 'Way To Blue' concert in Birmingham last year, celebrating Nick's music: Place To Be
"It's clear that once intrigued and beguiled by Nick Drake's music, many fans quickly develop an obsession for this elusive character."
I started properly listening to him on the bus ride to my archaeology excavation every day in the Summer of 2008, and so now whenever I listen to River Man (and others) my mind is bought back to that time... driving through the Dorset countryside... ahhhh....
This is my favourite song ever. I might say that about other songs at one time or another, but this is it. It makes me feel happy and peaceful. In particular I think the use of prosody enhances this song, giving it a dreamlike quality that's not quite there in the Cambridge version (which is still lovely)... alongside the string arrangements that weave in and out..... this video was made at some stage in the early 00's I think, following a Nick Drake doco, and is the only video of his music that I know of (his sister Gabrielle Drake features @2:46). This track features on his debut album, Five Leaves Left. Other favourites are:
Five Leaves Left (1969): Cello Song,Time Has Told Me.
Bryter Layter (1970): Poor Boy, Hazey Jane II.
Pink Moon (1972): Road, Know,From The Morning.
Upon the release of 'Family Tree,' a collection of early home recordings, his sister Gabrielle Drake recorded a letter to her brother, it's really sad ("You did bring joy to so many people during your life, but to many more since your death. I wish you could have known.") and also quite interesting as she talks to her brother so many years later, and explains why she has decided to release this material: Dear Nick
Also, Graham Coxon did a nice cover as part of the English Originals 'Way To Blue' concert in Birmingham last year, celebrating Nick's music: Place To Be
"If he tells me all he knows
about the way his river flows
and all night shows
and summertime."
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