For Nick Drake fans
 

Joe Boyd, producer of "Five Leaves Left" (and "Bryter Layter") talks about 5LL:

Curious as to what Drake fans think of the discussion.

I'm not sure I'll have time to get through the whole hour just now. I've heard Boyd talk about Drake a couple of times, and he's very articulate and perceptive. And his book that he's reading from (White Bicycles) is great.

Is there something in particular that stood out that you that you'd like to discuss?

Not from me so much, just wondering if anyone else had thoughts or comments.

I've seen Boyd talk about Nick Drake several times. If you haven't heard him speak about that and you care at all about Drake, he's a great resource.

Here's something in the first 15 minutes or so of the linked video that I haven't heard him (or anyone else) say about Drake's influences before: Antionio Carlos Jobim/bossa nova. I don't know why it never occurred to me. Once he said it, I could hear it right away in my mind.

Thanks for the mention above of the book 'White Bicycles', which looks
very interesting, having read up on who all Boyd worked with. I found this review from 2006 just now:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/20...education.news

Hope that link works-

I realize that Drake was a well educated and super privileged child and would’ve been exposed to a huge variety of music. But if you’ve ever heard his mother Molly‘s music, it’s clear that her influence was gigantic.

Molly Drake's home recording were issued on CD a while back, and I just checked and they are on Spotify. She doesn't sing like Nick, but her piano chord voicings will let you hear the influence.

In other family talent news, Nick's sister Gabrielle was an actress. I remember pointing her out in an episode of The Avengers.*



*The real one, you know the one with John Steed and bowler hats, not the loud, big-budget super heroes one.

Fascinating, Thank You For Sharing!

you are, of course, quite right. i've always loved 'poor mum' from one of the anthologies (and 'I remember' -- i love the line, "i remember oranges, and you remember dust"). his mum was rather talented, indeed. i also love 'all my trials', but i think that one has his sister, Gabrielle, singing with Nick, not Molly Drake.

Another who loves that version of "All My Trials" with Nick and his sister. There may be something about that "siblings singing together can bring something special to the mix" theory. See Louvin Brothers, Everlies, The Cactus Blossums, Haim, etc.

You may already have seen it, but if not this is an interesting read on the 50th anniversary of Pink Moon:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...ssic-john-wood

Angus

That’s a killer song of Molly’s. A beautiful bite in that last line that you quote. Very sad and true.

“Poor mum” is also quite clever. Molly had a wit that seems absent in Nick, however brilliant and Blakian and his lyrics may be. He seemed thoroughly absorbed in himself to the point of mental illness, whereas she had a charm and sometimes a dark humor that comes from a more relational point of view.