Nick Drake - Family Tree (Island)
4/5
By: Thomas Hannan
As is explained in the liner notes by a member of his family, this is the first time the Drake estate have released something that they're not even sure Nick would have wanted releasing. It's by far from a finished product - it's got mistakes, half takes, the sound of glasses clinking in the background - but most of these 28 songs are out there in sketchy bootleg form anyway, and have been for years. The idea is to present them in their most flattering guises so that those who want to hear them can at least hear them at their best. Also, 'Family Tree' exists to demystify the man a bit. He's a dead genius, but he wasn't some kind of God. He was flawed. He made mistakes. He forgot lines. He sang out of tune. He had a mum and a dad, just like the rest of us.
To Nick Drake fans, these songs were often as important, as much part of the story of his life and music, as the three full length albums he left us with. Nick's family, after his death, would often let grieving fans in to the family home to make their own copies of these home-recorded tapes. Perhaps most interesting is the decision to include songs which are not only duets with his family, but actual songs by his mum completely devoid of Nick's input whatsoever. Such is the dedication to the concept of 'Family' on this - you don't get the impression that the family Drake wanted to include the mother's beautiful rendition of 'Poor Mum' because she's launching a late attack on the pop charts, but because it helps fill out the story a little bit more, and makes her son seem like a person as opposed to a myth. Other than that highlight, her voice crops up on the lovely duet with Nick, 'All My Trials', and another solo piece, 'Do You Ever Remember'.
It's incredibly lo-fi and only for fans, full of mistakes, giggling, tape hiss and other completely unprofessional things. However, it does contain Nick's unmistakably beautiful yet prematurely world weary voice (even at his young age, these being recorded before any of his studio albums), some great takes on the songs of the likes of Burt Jansch and Bob Dylan, and some beautiful compositions of his own.
His guitar playing / picking technique isn't as startlingly rhythmically unusual as it is on his later records, but things like 'Winter Is Gone' show clearly that there was talent here that shouldn't have been left undeveloped. Sure, bits of it aren't particularly memorable, but 'Family Tree' is far more about the story of Nick and his life than it is about an actual coherent album. We're lucky that there's enough great music here to ensure that it does stand up as one, though.
Hearing him speak at the end of songs is funny, as you realise quite how provincially English an accent he had - something which really doesn't come across in his singing voice, which is actually very difficult to place. He was a very posh lad. A lot of it is particularly bluesy rather than folky - 'Blues Run The Game' is one of the most tender pieces here, and there are great early, bluesier versions of 'Day Is Done' and 'Way to Blue' towards the end of it.
They must have released everything now. They weren't even sure of releasing this. So they have to stop. We have to finally say goodbye, thirty three years after he died. But this is a lovely farewell.
Stream two tracks from 'Family Tree' HERE.
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