NickDrakeBBC
May 24, 2004 4:26 PM Subscribe
Nick Drake BBC2 Special narrated by Achilles [brad pitt].
Wow, awesome find. I first heard about Nick Drake when I started learning the guitar.
posted by substrate at 5:09 PM on May 24, 2004
posted by substrate at 5:09 PM on May 24, 2004
Is that Norah Jones cover version of "Day is Done" from some Nick Drake tribute album?
It took me a while to get out of my Nick Drake phase, listening to him almost all the time, and this BBC show has done it to me again.
Was he gay? (not that there's anything wrong with that)
posted by emelenjr at 5:36 PM on May 24, 2004
It took me a while to get out of my Nick Drake phase, listening to him almost all the time, and this BBC show has done it to me again.
Was he gay? (not that there's anything wrong with that)
posted by emelenjr at 5:36 PM on May 24, 2004
Awesome link. Almost makes up for the $30 something bucks (for the girlfriend and myself) I dropped at the theater last weekend on that awful Troy movie.
posted by wfrgms at 6:15 PM on May 24, 2004
posted by wfrgms at 6:15 PM on May 24, 2004
Right, I knew that was Norah Jones. I was wondering about where I could find the song. It's not on any of her albums, and I don't know of a Nick Drake tribute album.
posted by emelenjr at 6:44 PM on May 24, 2004
posted by emelenjr at 6:44 PM on May 24, 2004
He always sounds like the novocaine hasn't quite worn off.
Brad, that is. Nick's amazing.
posted by gottabefunky at 6:58 PM on May 24, 2004
Brad, that is. Nick's amazing.
posted by gottabefunky at 6:58 PM on May 24, 2004
The Brad Pitt / Nick Drake combination is one I never, ever anticipated. I think that "Fruit Tree" and "River Man" are two of the best songs I've ever heard.
posted by josh at 7:05 PM on May 24, 2004
posted by josh at 7:05 PM on May 24, 2004
An hour after the Pitt/Drake thing was on Radio 2, Pitt was in a documentary about Jeff Buckley on BBC4, which was also very good. Must be dead musicians week.
And as a sign of how powerful Radio 2 really is, EVERY Nick Drake album is in the Amazon.co.uk Top 25 Music charts right now ;-)
posted by wackybrit at 7:22 PM on May 24, 2004
And as a sign of how powerful Radio 2 really is, EVERY Nick Drake album is in the Amazon.co.uk Top 25 Music charts right now ;-)
posted by wackybrit at 7:22 PM on May 24, 2004
Ah. The Norah Jones track is from Charlie Hunter's album Songs From The Analog Playground. She also lends her voice to a cover of Bryan Ferry's "More Than This."
I don't know what I think of Brad Pitt reading obviously prepared copy, written for a British audience. British-isms "in hospital" and others coming out of an American's mouth kind of sounded odd to me.
posted by emelenjr at 7:31 PM on May 24, 2004
I don't know what I think of Brad Pitt reading obviously prepared copy, written for a British audience. British-isms "in hospital" and others coming out of an American's mouth kind of sounded odd to me.
posted by emelenjr at 7:31 PM on May 24, 2004
Good link. I found this: "He's regularly cited as an influence by artists as diverse as REM, Belle and Sebastian, Ryan Adams and Paul Weller," kind of funny though. I've liked all of those but Adams at one point or another but that's hardly a diverse group. :)
Though it's probably sacrilegious to bring up another artist in a Nick Drake thread, fans of his music might enjoy Iron & Wine, who always reminds me of him. [mp3]
posted by dobbs at 8:10 PM on May 24, 2004
Though it's probably sacrilegious to bring up another artist in a Nick Drake thread, fans of his music might enjoy Iron & Wine, who always reminds me of him. [mp3]
posted by dobbs at 8:10 PM on May 24, 2004
Nick will always be my favorite songwriter... "Which Will" is simply one of the sweetest songs ever. Thanks!!!
posted by moonbird at 9:25 PM on May 24, 2004
posted by moonbird at 9:25 PM on May 24, 2004
EVERY Nick Drake album is in the Amazon.co.uk Top 25 Music charts right now
And this is only as it should be. I love Nick and I love his work, but I can't help reflect on the difference between someone like him ... fantastically gifted but virtually unrecognized during his own life and those nice young kids on American Idol (or Pop Idol, for that matter), most of whom I'm betting have never heard of Nick Drake, and all of whom are getting far too much recognition for far too little talent.
I'm not religious as a rule, but I always hope that somehow, somewhere he knows how many lives his songs have touched.
posted by anastasiav at 9:44 PM on May 24, 2004
And this is only as it should be. I love Nick and I love his work, but I can't help reflect on the difference between someone like him ... fantastically gifted but virtually unrecognized during his own life and those nice young kids on American Idol (or Pop Idol, for that matter), most of whom I'm betting have never heard of Nick Drake, and all of whom are getting far too much recognition for far too little talent.
I'm not religious as a rule, but I always hope that somehow, somewhere he knows how many lives his songs have touched.
posted by anastasiav at 9:44 PM on May 24, 2004
Thanks for the link, I wouldn't have caught this without MeFi. His music has meant a lot to me and I'm glad whenever new ears get a chance to hear it.
posted by brism at 10:07 PM on May 24, 2004
posted by brism at 10:07 PM on May 24, 2004
Nick Drake + Brad Pitt = mindboggling cognitive dissonance
Pretty good doc, though. Much better than that terrible film/tv one I saw recently. And although that Norah song seems nice at first, after downloading it, I think it's rather less, um, moving.
posted by Marquis at 10:39 PM on May 24, 2004
Pretty good doc, though. Much better than that terrible film/tv one I saw recently. And although that Norah song seems nice at first, after downloading it, I think it's rather less, um, moving.
posted by Marquis at 10:39 PM on May 24, 2004
When I was 14, I was so thrilled I was the only person I knew who had Nick Drake's first album and repeatedly played it on my half-hour student radio show.
Truth is, though, that in 1969-1970 there already was Dylan, Buckley and Cohen. And Drake, with his cosy, middle-class melancholy Englishness soon sounded like a slightly more candid Donovan or, to be crueller, in the same position regarding Tim Buckley as Cliff Richard was to Elvis.
This was dramatically highlighted when I heard Jeff Buckley blow a Nick Drake song to high heavens, once again showing that it helps not to be subdued, understated and generally polite when it comes to singing.
I like Nick Drake - he's very likeable; loveable even. But liking goes with afternoon teas; melancholy afternoons; bedsit baked beans on toast; antidepressants and beer...
As for Brad Pitt, I blame the BBC. Was it really necessary to have him say "Hi, I'm Brad Pitt" every 10 minutes? It sounded like that "Hi, I'm Fred Winchester!" on The Fast Show. Apart from what emelenjr has already pointed out, I hated the way he opens the programme with a lying first person narrative, i.e. saying "I talked to his family and friends..." when it's clear from his rushed, unprepared narration that this was an "in and out" job.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 10:48 PM on May 24, 2004
Truth is, though, that in 1969-1970 there already was Dylan, Buckley and Cohen. And Drake, with his cosy, middle-class melancholy Englishness soon sounded like a slightly more candid Donovan or, to be crueller, in the same position regarding Tim Buckley as Cliff Richard was to Elvis.
This was dramatically highlighted when I heard Jeff Buckley blow a Nick Drake song to high heavens, once again showing that it helps not to be subdued, understated and generally polite when it comes to singing.
I like Nick Drake - he's very likeable; loveable even. But liking goes with afternoon teas; melancholy afternoons; bedsit baked beans on toast; antidepressants and beer...
As for Brad Pitt, I blame the BBC. Was it really necessary to have him say "Hi, I'm Brad Pitt" every 10 minutes? It sounded like that "Hi, I'm Fred Winchester!" on The Fast Show. Apart from what emelenjr has already pointed out, I hated the way he opens the programme with a lying first person narrative, i.e. saying "I talked to his family and friends..." when it's clear from his rushed, unprepared narration that this was an "in and out" job.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 10:48 PM on May 24, 2004
I've listened to Pink Moon a ridiculous number of times, moonbird is right - "Which Will" is simply fantastic.
I heard a great jazz version of "River Man" with some cool piano playing, anybody know who covered it?
posted by hippyboy at 12:14 AM on May 25, 2004
I heard a great jazz version of "River Man" with some cool piano playing, anybody know who covered it?
posted by hippyboy at 12:14 AM on May 25, 2004
HEEEECTOOOOOOR!
posted by armoured-ant at 1:16 AM on May 25, 2004
posted by armoured-ant at 1:16 AM on May 25, 2004
This was dramatically highlighted when I heard Jeff Buckley blow a Nick Drake song to high heavens, once again showing that it helps not to be subdued, understated and generally polite when it comes to singing.
The first person to blow 'River Man' to the high heavens gets a swift kick in the dramatics. Sometimes understated is best.
posted by rory at 9:36 AM on May 25, 2004
The first person to blow 'River Man' to the high heavens gets a swift kick in the dramatics. Sometimes understated is best.
posted by rory at 9:36 AM on May 25, 2004
"Nick Drake - the movie" - starring Brad Pitt.
You heard it here first.
Celebs love "Fruit Tree".
posted by troutfishing at 9:39 AM on May 25, 2004
You heard it here first.
Celebs love "Fruit Tree".
posted by troutfishing at 9:39 AM on May 25, 2004
Nick Drake, the movie. Directed by Brad Pitt.
You heard it here first.
And will probably never hear it again.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 10:45 AM on May 25, 2004
You heard it here first.
And will probably never hear it again.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 10:45 AM on May 25, 2004
This was dramatically highlighted when I heard Jeff Buckley blow a Nick Drake song to high heavens...
What song was that, Miguel?
posted by bitpart at 1:05 PM on May 25, 2004
What song was that, Miguel?
posted by bitpart at 1:05 PM on May 25, 2004
I heard a great jazz version of "River Man" with some cool piano playing, anybody know who covered it?
That could well be this by Andy Bey - if it's not, you should buy it anyway.
posted by niceness at 2:45 PM on May 25, 2004
That could well be this by Andy Bey - if it's not, you should buy it anyway.
posted by niceness at 2:45 PM on May 25, 2004
I'm ashamed to say I can't remember, bitpart. Sorry about that...
posted by MiguelCardoso at 10:16 PM on May 26, 2004
posted by MiguelCardoso at 10:16 PM on May 26, 2004
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