A Skin Too Few: The Days of Nick Drake

[Guest Low Roller]

Last night at the Duke of York theatre I saw A Skin Too Few: The Days of Nick Drake. It's a biography of the Bristish folk genius who suffered from major depression, constantly struggling with the feeling that his music wasn't reaching out to the people.

Besides the familiar music, I knew very little regarding the life of Nick Drake. This movie helped me to uncover plenty of interesting facts and shed a little perspective on his life.

He only toured once, and that was in support of his first album Five Leaves Left. It was a difficult tour because Nick had a tough time with people talking over his music. He felt like he was being ignored. Halfway through the tour he gave up and came home. If you own an audience recording of any of his shows, you are extremely lucky.

The recording seesions for Pink Moon (his final album) were extremely difficult since Nick was a complete mess, not from drugs, but from sheer lack of desire to care. He was unable to sing and play guitar at the same time.

There is no video footage of Nick as a grown man only reel-to-reel footage as an infant at the family house in Burma.

The movie was followed by a live acoustic performance by Keith James who is a British folk artist who specializes in the music of Nick Drake. He was accompanied by a double bass.

FANTASTIC show.

Songs covered include Pink Moon, One of These Things First, Fruit Tree, 'Cello Song, Made To Love Magic, River Man, Nothern Sky, Three Hours, Thoughts of Mary Jane, Things Behind the Sun, Hazy Jane, a rarer tune called Smoke Too Much, and a tribute to Nick by his close friend called Solid Air.

[Jaimoe]

I've seen some of this doc - it aired on TVO a year of two ago. I believe the filmmaker tried to interview members of Nick's family, specifically his sister. Unfortunately, she turned out to be almost as elusive and aloof as her brother.

After years of listening to harder edged music, Nick made me believe in folk music again. Pink Moon should be in everyone's music collection.

Here's the beautiful title track to Pink Moon: http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/asc/20000701.asc.06.ram

Edited November 23, 2005 by Guest

[MarcO]

yup. dude released three albums in his lifetime, all of them amazing, the last one the most amazing of all. what a haunting voice, and man that guitar playing, with those weird tunings.

I've been listening to those albums since I was 15 and I imagine I always will.

[Guest Low Roller]

The compilation album 'Time of No Reply' has four tracks that were recorded after 'Pink Moon' that were intended to go on Nick's fourth album which sadly was never completed.

[dJEd]

cool, i had no idear such a thing existed although its no surprise. now i wants to sees it. i thought 'Time of no Reply' was really good. i even busted it out just last week. theres a box set too with a bunch of alternates and demos, etc.