ADRIAN MA, HOST:
What makes you consider fall? The odor of dry leaves, the sound of a crackling fireplace, perhaps the style of a pumpkin spice latte? – properly, for me, nothing makes me consider fall greater than this…
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “ONE OF THESE THINGS FIRST”)
NICK DRAKE: (Singing) I may have been a sailor. May have been a prepare dinner.
MA: …The music of Nick Drake. This track is known as “One Of These Issues First.” And let me inform you that I like this man. Or perhaps I ought to say that I like his music as a result of truthfully, the person himself is a little bit of a thriller. Nick Drake died 50 years in the past this week, and the British singer/songwriter was solely 26 years outdated on the time. As an expert musician, he by no means noticed a lot success. And I won’t even be speaking to you about him proper now if it weren’t for a automobile business.
(SOUNDBITE OF NICK DRAKE SONG, “PINK MOON”)
MA: In 2000, Volkswagen featured Drake’s track, “Pink Moon,” in one in every of its TV advertisements. Since then, his songs have been featured in motion pictures and been cited as influences for lots of up to date musicians. And to grasp extra about Drake – the person and the musician – I am joined now by Richard Morton Jack. He wrote a biography titled merely, “Nick Drake: The Life.” Richard, thanks a lot for being right here.
RICHARD MORTON JACK: Thanks for having me.
MA: Nick Drake launched three albums when he was alive, however he did not see a lot business success. He did not promote many data. Why did not he catch on?
JACK: I believe his music requires quite a bit from the listener. It is not instantly arresting and may drift previous the listener at a primary pay attention. I believe in an period when there was a lot materials popping out, Nick’s music was fairly self-effacing and intimate and required immersion from the listener. And he wasn’t doing promotion. He wasn’t prepared to play that recreation. Not on precept – way more as a result of his persona was so badly suited to the celebrity recreation.
MA: Yeah, I perceive he was simply, like, extremely shy. What do you suppose it’s about his music that makes it distinctive and attracts individuals to it?
JACK: I believe an important single issue about Nick’s music is that it’s merely of very top quality. Nick’s songs are very minutely engineered. Each word is strictly the place he needed it to be. He was very strict with himself when it comes to high quality management. And in reality, numerous songs by him have subsequently surfaced, and they’re all of normal. So he knew himself fairly properly as an artist.
MA: I believe Nick Drake – once you first hear him, he would not have what I’d think about as, like, a classically nice singing voice, proper? He is like, very understated. What do you suppose it was in regards to the music itself that simply hooked some individuals?
JACK: I believe Nick’s an extremely high quality guitar participant. In a era that threw out a lot of actually exceptional gamers, Nick stands shoulder to shoulder with the greats. There is a track on his first album referred to as “Three Hours” through which he, in a quite understated vogue, performs a totally exceptional collection of figures on the guitar that recommend Arabic influences, very unique, Japanese-derived sounds. However the fingering is totally immaculate. Each word is totally, completely in place.
(SOUNDBITE OF NICK DRAKE SONG, “THREE HOURS”)
JACK: I believe the melodies that he got here up with are refined and authentic. They will not be instantly issues that you just’d whistle after one listening to, for example, however they’re stuffed with surprising turns and distinctively his personal. I additionally suppose that his three albums every have a really distinct taste. The primary one is extra reflective of him as a younger man. And the string preparations by his good friend at Cambridge College, Robert Kirby, with whom he collaborated on 4 songs, create the autumnal ambiance that you just described.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “DAY IS DONE”)
DRAKE: (Singing) When the day is completed, hope a lot your race will probably be all run.
JACK: There are clearly classical and folks and blues and jazz influences. There are additionally influences from bossa nova. There’s an terrible lot occurring beneath the quite placid floor of his work on that first album. When it did not promote, what they determined to do was to get up the sound of the document somewhat by together with electrical guitars, drums, electrical bass, to make it, maybe, one may say, extra radio pleasant. So his second album, “Bryter Layter,” has extra of a pop really feel to it.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “HAZEY JANE I”)
DRAKE: (Singing) Hey, gradual, Jane, let me show. Gradual, gradual, Jane, we’re on the transfer.
JACK: After which for his third document, it is simply guitar and voice. So it is a a lot plainer, less complicated instrumental strategy.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “PLACE TO BE”)
DRAKE: (Singing) Once I was younger, youthful than earlier than, I by no means noticed the reality hanging from the door.
JACK: So, for me, every of his data is kind of a particular, creative musical step from the earlier one.
MA: What do you suppose Nick Drake’s musical legacy is? And, like, do you see his affect in different artists?
JACK: For me, I believe the true legacy of Nick’s life and music is that it communicates to people who find themselves maybe struggling themselves in numerous areas of their very own lives. Nick as soon as mentioned to his mom – she shared after his loss of life – that if he had the sense that his music had bought by means of to even one particular person and made a distinction, then that may give him a way of validation that he did not have. So I believe the sense that it has reached tens of millions of individuals all around the world who draw power from it and who regard it as very significant in their very own private method, could be of big consolation and pleasure to him.
MA: We have been talking with Richard Morton Jack, author and Nick Drake’s biographer. Thanks a lot for becoming a member of us, Richard.
JACK: Thanks a lot for having me on.
(SOUNDBITE OF NICK DRAKE SONG, “PINK MOON”)
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