Family Tree

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Customer reviews

review by: spike123 date: 2009-01-09 rating:
It wasnt the planes that killed him
I am sorry to disagree with the other reviewers of this album, but for me this is the disc that made me put my Nick drake albums to the back of the cupboard. It did exactly what Jeff Buckleys mum no doubt thinks that unreleased JB stuff would do, it breaks the spell, it reveals too much. About half way through Nicks oh so posh voice and oh so depressing songs make you want to put something jolly on. It is like wading through a doldrum quagmire. I have the studio albums and A time of No Reply AND Nicholas Rodney Drake ( one of those semi bootlegs ) and that is all I need. This just is so uneccessary and do we need to hear his ma singing? Er, no, why should we I dont think she would have been any bigger than Nick and on the evidence of this offering, I can see why he was relatively unknown in his lifetime. br /Get the studio albums or the box set fruit tree and dont go near this, it will debunk the myth and make him what he was in his lifetime, an unsucessful folky

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review by: MRMOJORISING date: 2008-05-03 rating:
Great, But Should Have Been better!
Other reviewers have already commented at some length as to the merits of these old home recordings by the masterful Nick Drake and they are excellent, but I feel this collection could and should have been better. What we have here are a selection of home recordings extremely well remastered. These recordings have been floating around on the net and on at least 9 unofficial bootlegs for several years but the difference in the sound quality on this official release is significant and therefore justifies the purchase of this set without a doubt. But the real problem I have with Family Tree is that this cd alone will not make you want to throw out your old bootlegs because this set is simply not long enough to satisfy a big Nick Drake fan and after all that's surely who this set is really aimed at. The casual fan is not going to want to go beyond a 'best of' compilation or the three main albums but someone who's really into Drake's music is going to want a lot more than this and herein lies the problem with Family Tree. We get one wonderful Dylan cover (Tomorrow is a long time) but not the other one (Don't think twice, it's alright)we also miss out on some other great covers namely Betty and Dupree, summertime, Dino Valente's 'Get together', Cocaine blues etc. Commendably at the end of the set we get lovely stripped down versions of 'Day is done' and 'way to blue' but why not the beautiful stripped down versions of 'Three hours', 'Hazey Jane' or 'fly'? Where is the sublime 'picked' version of 'Place to be' or the great sounding parasite takes etc etc. Im not suggesting that every single track, take, alternate version has to be included but there are some real ommisions here wich is a real pity beacuse they sound great even on substandard bootlegs. Family Tree was never never going to be a commercial venture so why not go that bit extra and give the real fans something to really sink their teeth into? Another reviewer said that they hoped this would be the last Drake release for fear of 'Scraping the barrel' I personally think one more volume would wrap things up nicely. Buy this for the great music and sound (comparitively speaking) but don't throw your boots away just yet! br /

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review by: Mo Backstep date: 2008-01-30 rating:
A beautiful packaged gem...
I agree with the other reviewers here by saying that this is definitely one to check out after you've heard Nick's three studio albums. I'd also recommend checking out 'Made to love magic' and if you are, at that point completely obsessed with finding everything Nick did (like me!), check this out. br / br /One thing I will say that other reviewers failed to mention is that even if you have got hold of some of these tracks on bootleg releases over the years, this is still worth getting hold of. The edits are different, some tracks are different takes completely, and the sound quality is vastly superior. Not to mention the clips of Nick talking and introducing some of the songs. Also there are some tracks I've never heard before on any release. br / br /Definitely obsessive details, but important ones for purists like me...! br / br /But what really stands out for me is the concept of the album. The tracks have been tenderly put together, and many run together as a mix. Add the tracks by Nick's mother and the family playing together and you have a wonderfully thought out and interesting album as a whole. I just feel that it's a really lovely idea. A lot of time and care has been put into this collection, and in my opinion, it all works. br / br /Oh, and for the record - I thought Nick's clarinet playing was pretty good!

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review by: date: 2007-08-08 rating:
Tanworth-in-Arden demos remastered - plus unheard material from the vaults
If Jeff Buckley's mother Mary Guibert needed an object lesson in how to manage her son's legacy, she could do a lot worse than copy those who run the estate of deceased singer-songwriter Nick Drake. br / br /Rather than flooding the market with overstuffed "legacy editions" and live collections, Drake's sister Gabrielle has wisely put out only the best of his work. This is probably the best rarities collection yet - finally remastering the so-called "Tanworth-in-Arden demos" which have been circulating in inferior sound quality on the net for years. br / br /Family Tree gives you a mixture of Drake's pre-fame home demos, comprising covers of blues classics and prototypes of songs which were later to appear on his debut album Five Leaves Left. The blues covers offer a surprising amount of insight into how Drake's own songwriting was to develop, the wistful sadness with which he imbues them contrasting with the summery sweetness of his very English voice. The brilliance of his fingerpicking style on guitar is also highlighted here, with his work on Robin Frederick's "Been Smokin' Too Long" an especial delight. br / br /Not widely circulated in bootleg form are a couple of bittersweet, Ivor Novello-ish songs from Nick's mother Molly, a duet with his sister and a version of Mozart's Kegelstatt trio played by a collection of family members, with Nick himself on clarinet - a reminder of how close-knit and creative this middle-class rural family was. Drake's youthful experience was as far from the bluesmen whose songs he explores here as it's possible to get - yet his disappointment and depression was every bit as real. br / br /Yes, Family Tree is for completists - for an introduction to Nick Drake, choose the "greatest hits" compilation Way To Blue or just pitch in and sample the genius of his final work, the bleak and beautiful Pink Moon. But for those already familiar with his work, these recordings offer a fascinating glimpse into a genius just beginning to flower. br / br /First published at subba-cultcha.com


review by: date: 2007-07-23 rating:
Pretty good, but not for new fans..
I agree with other reviewers who have said that it's best to listen to his other albums first. I'd recommend starting with his 1st 2 official releases, Five Leaves Left and Bryter Layter, these are both readily available at a reasonable price as are most of his albums. br /If you like those you might then like to try this album. It consists of several home demos and similar recordings from 1967-69, the standout tracks being Come Into The Garden and They're leaving me behind. br /Other notable tracks include his take on Bob Dylan's Tomorrow Is A Long Time, and there's a nice version of Way To Blue, which of course appears on his debut, Five Leaves Left. The quality of the tracks on this disc is a bit uneven, but this is to be expected given that they were mostly recorded on a 1960's reel-to-reel tape machine. They have been remastered quite well though, and the generally lo-fi sound somehow fits quite nicely. A recommended purchase then for Nick's fans old and new. Timeless stuff. br /

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