Keith James (guitar) and Rick Foot (double bass). From keith-james.com
For many people, the music of Nick Drake is held in the highest of esteem. There seems to be absolutely nobody who has heard his work who does not elevate it above nearly all singer-songwriters before, during, and after his life.
For myself, the work of Drake is of the utmost beauty. However, for some reason I have always stopped myself writing of his work. This is for a number of reasons, but predominantly because there is no way that I would be able to do him justice.**
On the 19th April, 2010, the BBC broadcasted a glitzy show of “diverse but renowned … modern day troubadours” presenting their interpretations of Drake’s work. This article is not about this show.
Keith James (guitar & vocals) and Rick Foot (double bass), quite impossibly, do justice to the work of Nick Drake. They do not, quite rightly, glamorise Drake’s life, work, or untimely death. Hating to write this, but being the only conceivable way of getting this across to you, Keith James is the closest thing to seeing Nick Drake live that you can get. Both talent and humility ooze out of the two men on the tiny stages they tour round.
The show starts with a film on the life and music of Nick Drake. If there is any criticism to be given of the show, it is centred only on this short film. With interviews from the likes of Ralph McTell and Richard Sanders, it’s credentials are without dispute. However, the film disappointingly seemed to suggest that Drake committed suicide – the narrators exact words were “presumed suicide“. I feel this is misleading, as nobody will ever know if Nick Drake’s death was intentional or not and it is wrong to presume such. The evidence is neither conclusive nor indicative of either intentional or unintentional death. However, this is neither here nor there and is not a debate that should be started.
To the show itself, then.
Firstly, you should know that Drake produced three albums during his lifetime: 1969′s Five Leaves Left, 1970′s Bryter Layter, and 1972′s Pink Moon. Each has it’s own distinct character and charm. It was off Pink Moon that most of James’ and Foot’s tribute show material came from – Pink Moon is a solely acoustic album, and thus suits the two men.
Nick Drake, unknown location
James and Foot opened with From the Morning, the final track on Pink Moon. I said previously that James is the closest thing you will get to seeing Nick Drake live. Here I reiterate that statement. A chill settled on the audience of less of 80 seated people, a deathly-respectful but not stifling silence. Everybody took in absolutely every single pluck – the awe was incredible. Drake’s tracks are unique for the tunings he used and it is only the highest calibre of acoustic guitarists that can decipher not only these tunings, but the patterns of both left and right hands.
Running through a number of Pink Moon’s tracks including Place to Be and the awfully haunting Things Behind the Sun, it was Parasite that stands out most vividly. Extending the introduction with a Velvet Underground-esque scratchy sound on Foot’s double bass, the song is given an staggeringly eerie and moving character which draws Drake’s lyrics into the open in a frightfully vulnerable way.
John Martyn OBE was for a time close friends with Drake, who used often to go to the Martyn’s home. Shortly after the announcement of Drake’s death, Martyn composed the song Solid Air, in tribute: “I know you, I love you / And I could be your friend / I could follow you anywhere / Even through solid air.” As James said on the night, no tribute to Nick Drake would be complete without a rendition of Solid Air. That rendition was stunning.
Other Drake tracks included Fruit Tree, Pink Moon, Northern Sky, Three Hours, One of These Things First and the dramatic Way to Blue, the strings being played superbly on double bass. Black Eyed Dog was particularly memorable, James’ vocals being suited to the track.*** They closed with River Man, a much revered track for both musical talent and poetic lyrics. In addition to these was a rendition of Davey Graham’s famous Anji and, I am appalled at myself for forgetting, a flamenco rendition of a Spanish poet’s work.
The stark contrast between the extravagant BBC tribute and the humble James and Foot tribute is phenomenal. During the BBC tribute, an interviewee (I believe Joe Boyd**** himself, although I am not 100% sure) stated that if Drake were alive to witness the [BBC] tribute, he would be very proud – I do not deny this in the slightest. However, it is my opinion that if Drake were to witness the tribute of James and Foot, he would not only feel proud, but, because the renditions given on the BBC show seem so far removed from Drake’s own work, so much more gratified.
This is, clearly, speculating and I do not pretend to think I know what Nick Drake would make of the two tributes. Maybe it is wrong to compare the two, for they are as chalk and cheese as Five Leaves Left is to Pink Moon. However, if you have an interest in acoustic music, singer-songwriters or any of the mentioned artists, I encourage you to check out Keith James and Rick Foot’s Tribute to Nick Drake. Tour dates and ticket links below.
Songs of Nick Drake | Keith James.com | Tour Dates
Notes
*Unless otherwise stated, information on Nick Drake is extracted from “Nick Drake: The Biography” (1997) by Patrick Humphries.
**Discussing anything to do with Nick Drake is unfortunately a tricky area. No less than twice have I been snubbed by others for my opinion on something to do with his life or work; this pretence should not exist.
***Joe Boyd was producer of all of Nick Drake’s records. He is synonomous with the name of Nick Drake and is highly respected
****Black Eyed Dog was one of four posthumously released tracks, originally ‘tacked’ onto the end of Pink Moon on the Fruit Tree Compilation (1979)
