Various - A Tribute To Nick Drake

  by Benjamin Howarth

published: 17 / 12 / 2001

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Review

For several years Raoul Graf has hosted a tribute night for Nick Drake in Sydney and has now followed this up with a tribute album, featuring performers from the evenings. It is intended to serve as both a tribute to Drake and as an introduction to the city’s music scene. Nick Drake, as many of you will know, was an English singer-songwriter who died, aged 26, in 1974. He released 3 albums, all exceptional, but his reluctance to play concerts, due to shyness, and his disastrous interview techniques meant that he never received popularity in his lifetime.The emergence of celebrity fans, including R.E.M, Belle and Sebastian and Paul Weller, has, however, led to him achieving fame after death that goes beyond being merely a cult. This tribute album features covers of eleven Nick Drake originals and one of a song Drake covered himself from a school-friend ('Been Smoking Too Long'). Only Graf himself is well known (he was featured in a Pennyblackmusic interview last year, and has achieved popularity in America especially). The others may well be popular in Australia but they are unknowns in Britain. As a result the compilation is an introduction to the music scene in Sydney, and a good one. Every single band excels themselves. All offer something to Nick Drake’s song writing, some by altering the arrangement but others through the sheer quality of their performance. There isn’t room to detail every track but some stand out. The Fantastic Leslie transform 'At The Chime Of A City Clock' from the haunting folk-jazz of Drake’s version to a mid-sixties style summer pop classic. It becomes remarkably catchy, and is a shock to anyone who has heard the original. Paul Greene turns 'Free Ride' into an upbeat rock song. Others remain nearer to Drake’s vision. Andy Gordon turns out basically a straight cover of 'Fruit Tree' but alters the backing from Robert Kirby’s pretty string arrangement to a single violin that only joins him on the final verse. Raoul Graf chooses 'Way To Blue' and this is probably the standout track for me. My favourite Drake song, the original doesn’t feature the distinctive fingerpick guitar but only a powerful string arrangement and Nick’s voice. Graf chooses to have the Deadly Nightshades (who also appear alone covering 'Black Eyed Dog') singing the string part as a harmony vocal. It completely transforms the track, making it sound raw and human. The album was recorded entirely at the Expresso studios, Sydney and produced by Brenden O’Brien and David Rudder. As a result it sounds coherent, the sequencing perfect. It has clearly been conceived by Graf to blend and to become an enjoyable listening experience. Not one track is even slightly weak, which helps. I know some people probably avoid tributes on principal but for any fan of Nick Drake, or folk-rock in general, this is essential. During his life and since a criticism of Drake has been that, while his guitar, voice and arrangements are stunning, the songs are weak. The strength of these covers disprove that. The test of a good song (as everyone knows) is often in its cover versions. Rarely are covers and tribute albums, no – albums, much better than this. The last person who used a collection of Nick Drake covers to push forward their career was Elton John (he began his career doing promotional discs for publishing companies in the late sixties), so you never know!

Track Listing:-

1 Deadly Nightshades - Black Eyed Dog
2 Joy & Lara - Northern Sky
3 Paul Greene - Free Ride
4 Melanie Horsnell - Which Will
5 Raoul Graf - Way to Blue
6 Dominique Fraissard - 3 Hours
7 Floyd Vincent - Pink Moon
8 Robyne Dunn - Parasite
9 Denvar - Riverman
10 Steve Balbi - Been Smoking Too Long
11 The Fantastic Leslie - At the Chime
12 Andy Gordon - Fruit Tree