Nick Drake

Singer-Songwriter from late 60’s (now deceased). I read an interesting review on him over the weekend. Sounds like it may be pretty good. Anyone heard anything by him? Curious minds want to know!

10 Responses to “Nick Drake”

  1. Nope,don’t know of him. Has anyone heard of a current guitar player named Snake Fingers?
    He was recommended but I have no idea where to find him. (I would post this but someone
    screwed up this page. I wont name names. I’m above that sort of thing, jek)

  2. Poor Anon. All you need to do to post is to click “login” or “edit site” under “site” on the right-hand bar. Then click the “Write” menu.

    I do have a question for Anon and Randalf: What browser do you guys use? Is it possible that the comment text box “bleeds” into the right-hand bar, forcing you to enter manual carriage returns? I expect you’re using IE 5.5 or before.

    As for Nick Drake: haven’t heard of him.

  3. I know a little Nick Drake, but don’t own any. Very subdued, quiet acoustic stuff. He committed suicide, but has long served as an inspiration to many singer-songwriter types.

  4. #4 by Randalf the Grey

    What an embarrassing question, Jek. You see, I’m still on my aol training wheels.
    I’m pretty sure the aol 9.0 browser is IE, but I don’t know which version. I haven’t
    had the “bleeding” problem, because I’m in the habit of entering carriage returns
    manually–obsessive-compulsive disorder probably, but I’ve never been diagnosed or
    treated. At least not professionally.

  5. No need to be embarrassed. You can still use other browsers with AOL. Just connect to AOL and then launch a separate browser. If you are interested in doing this, might I suggest Firefox. According to site statistics, it’s the browser of choice for MRambler Central. Here’s the link to the Firefox post.

    If you want to change to a no-frills dial-up internet service provider for $9/month, check out HighStream. Click Access Numbers to see if there is a local number in your area. I know a couple of people that use HighStream and are quite happy.

  6. HUH?

  7. #7 by Randalf the Grey

    Thanks for the information, Jek. I will try Firefox. Obviously, I don’t have much computer
    savy, and need a guru. My daughter has been after me to get a high-speed connection and I’ve
    been looking around, but my local phone company here in rural Colorado doesn’t offer DSL yet,
    and DirectTV’s wireless service is a little too pricey for my budget, so if I stay on dial-up,
    I’ll probably try HighStream also. Before I leave aol, I’ll have to buy a new spyware blocker
    program–I haven’t been at all happy with Webroot’s Spy Sweeper. I’ve also had a problem with
    my Norton Anti-Virus software. Any recommendations would be much appreciated.

  8. I’ve decided to continue the computer part of this discussion in a new post. Here’s the link.

  9. I received two of Nick Drake’s CDs today: “Five Leaves Left” & “Bryter Layter”. Very well produced. It is acoustic with lots of orchestration. Don’t really know what to compare it to. Jimmie Spheeris? Donovan? Al Stewart? I dunno. But, I like it a lot. Recorded in 1968-69, I can’t believe the production of these discs. Have another one of his on the way. Duly impressed.

  10. For those interested, I just found this. This was what I was attempting to say in my last post.
    “Nick Drake’s untimely death in 1974 not only cut a life tragically short, but also a musical career. Nick released just 3 albums, with a 4th released after his death containing unreleased material, demos and the 4 songs that were to be on his 4th album. Though during his life his music went relatively unnoticed, over the years his popularity and influence has continued to grow.

    For the newcomers wishing to hear more Nick Drake, knowing where to start is a tough decision. Way to Blue, the Nick Drake ‘best of’, does indeed contain many of the highlights of Nick’s albums, but with so few albums available, a copy of his ‘best of’ can quickly become redundant should you decide to explore further. I personally first discovered Nick through an inclusion of Northern Sky on a late 60s/early 70s compilation called Back on the Road. I then discovered the previous ‘best of’ album called Heaven in a Wild Flower. I then gradually acquired his 3 albums and the post humous collection Time of no Reply.

    For those wishing to jump straight into an album, bypassing the ‘best of’, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. Five Leaves Left, named after the warning message found near the end of packs of cigarette papers, was his first album. The album was recorded while Nick was still at Cambridge University and contains many of his most memorabe songs such as Fruit Tree, ‘Cello Song , Time Has Told Me, and River Man.

    “His second album, Bryter Layter, both producer Joe Boyd and engineer John Wood cite as the only perfect album they ever made, the album they thought would make Nick a star at the time.The album features a full backing band of ‘house’ musicians including Dave Pegg (bass),Dave Mattacks (drums) and Richard Thompson (lead guitar) of Fairport Convention and John Cale (celeste, piano and organ) from the Velvet Underground. Notable tracks include Hazey Jane I, Hazey JaneII, At the Chime of a City Clock and Northern Sky.”

Leave a Reply

*
To prove you're a person (not a spam script), type the security word shown in the picture. Click on the picture to hear an audio file of the word.
Anti-spam image