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Amazon.co.uk Review
All the world's a stage and folk legend Nick Drake--a frail, reclusive romantic whose music was sad but beautifully emancipating and who died young in 1974 in mysterious circumstances--was one of life's reluctant players. As epithets go, the lyrics to Made To Love Magic ("I was born to sail away into a land of never, not to be tied to an old stone grave") aptly convey how Nick Drake's legend continues to gather no moss, even some three decades after his lonely tranquilised farewell. Enthusiastic newcomers should start with any of Drake's three studio albums (Five Leaves Left, Bryter Layter, Pink Moon) and Patrick Humphries' definitive biography but Made To Love Magic is, nevertheless, essential. Consisting of rare and unheard tracks (many of which have even avoided the mucky paws of the keenest bootlegger) and compiled by those closest to him (sister Gabrielle, engineer John Wood and fellow Cambridge Uni student and string-arranger Robert Kirby) the album is a labour of love. Lost amateur recordings of Nick Drake at University in Cambridge, outtakes from the Five Leaves Left album, Robert Kirby's unused string arrangements for Magic and Time of No Reply finally restored, an early rendition of "Three Hours" featuring Rebop Kwaku Baah (Traffic, Can) on percussion and remixed versions of those despairing final songs from July 1974, including the newly discovered "Tow the Line". This is surely the final word on Nick Drake; unless, of course, those Aix-en-Provences tapes and that mythical lost Peel session from August 1969 ever make themselves known. --Kevin Maidment
Review
The announcement of the discovery of a new Nick Drake song, found at the end of a tape reel and forgotten for over 20 years, has been met with the enthusiasm normally reserved for the earthly materialisation of minor deities.
Leaving aside the merits of the rest of this new compilation of rarities, previously unreleased material and occasional picks from Drake's small but perfectly formed canon, it's ''Tow The Line'' which will prove the most irresistible lure to his vociferous and evangelical fan base.Possibly the last song he ever recorded, it mines a similar vein to the other songs taped shortly before his death. Sparse and direct, its resigned tone is enhanced by an insistent guitar and the quiet poignancy of Drake's vocal.
Whether its worth the price of admission alone depends on your devotion to the Cult of Drake, but certainly there's other startling material on offer, including a version of ''Three Hours'' in which Nick is accompanied by future Traffic percussionist Reebop Kwaakhu Baah and an unknown flautist. There's also a solo rendition of ''River Man'' dating from 1968 and recorded in a Cambridge college bedroom by Drake's friend and future arranger Robert Kirby. Shorn of its string arrangement, Drake's incredible guitar playing and effortless melodic sense are all the more apparent.
Less effective is the re-arrangement of ''I Was Made To Love Magic'', ditching Richard Hewson's dire string arrangement heard on the posthumous Time of No Reply album and replacing it with Kirby's original charts. Whatever the ethics of such posthumous tinkering, its just not a particularly great song.
The addition of strings to ''Time Of No Reply'' itself is more successful, and at least benefits from the presence of Drakes intricate guitar filigree, but the effect remains slightly akin to coming home and finding someones redecorated your favourite room without asking you. That said, Kirby's arrangements remain benchmarks of sensitivity.
More welcome are remixed versions of Drake's other final recordings, including a previously unreleased version of ''Hanging OnA Star''. Impassioned and austere, they retain their gripping allure, although sensitive listeners may find ''Black Eyed Dog'''s creeping foreboding slightly too harrowing in the light of Drake's subsequent fate.
One wonders what would have happened had Drake followed his own advice, overcome his demons and towed the line of contemporary record industry mores; interviews, tours, appearances on Whistle Test.This has led some critics to argue that Drake's tragic end lends his music a gravitas it doesn't always deserve.
Certainly, Drake's death has frozen his reputation in aspic -the eternal youth, gilded with romantic allure; a Chatterton for our time. However, none of this should diminish the achievement of his music, which continues to retain its honest and beguiling power despite this compilation's admittedly minor faults.
Review courtesy of Radio 2's Folk site --Mick Fitzsimmons
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent additon to the Collection,
This review is from: Made To Love Magic (Audio CD)
When I heard that there was to be a 'new' collection of Nick Drake songs, I was quite surprised. Having heard the three studio albums that were released during his life time, the previous out takes collection 'Time of No Reply' and the bootlegs of home recordings such as Tamworth in Arden, I wondered what else there could be to hear. The rediscovered song 'Tow the Line' is the obvious attraction to the die hard fans to whom this collection would appeal to the most. There are some other surprises to be had. The newly orchestrated songs by Drakes ex Cambridge University friend Robert Kirby are worthy additions to the cannon, along with alternative versions of songs such as 'Three Hours' and thoughts of 'Mary Jane'. Like many compilations of this nature though, there are songs which would have been better left in the can. Nick Drake had a very high degree of quality control but Mayfair is a terrible song by anyone's standards. I have also found it difficult to work out the differences between the versions of 'Black Eyed Dog' on this and the one contained on 'Time of No Reply'. Unlike other compilations of this nature, there seems to have been a good deal of care having gone into this release. The quality of the majority of the songs contained within it does help. Similar albums of unreleased material by people such as The Beatles, Prince and Jimi Hendrix have all suffered from tinkering, lack of good material and a feeling of trying to cash in. As far as I am concerned, none of these apply to this release. The single of 'I was made to love magic' reaching the top 40 in the charts shows that the fan base for Nick Drake is strong and no doubt growing year on year. For those who have heard about Nick Drake and are looking to start your collection, I would recommend the collection of songs called 'Way to Blue - an Introduction to Nick Drake' as a starting point. For those who have everything else, this is a excellent addition to the collection. Now all we need is the home recordings to receive the attention they are due and then the Nick Drake recording legacy will be complete.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The last word on Nick Drake,
By
This review is from: Made To Love Magic (Audio CD)
Indispensible really for anyone who owns the trilogy of Drake albums released in his lifetime. Features some great tracks that presumably Nick would have been happy to release - Rider on the Wheel (one slight vocal fluff), Time of No Reply, Black Eyed Dog, Magic and his final recording Tow the Line - the only one not available before in some form. They feature his great guitar playing, distinctive voice and enigmatic poetic lyrics and on the whimsical Magic , the gorgeous but, perhaps, excessive orchestration, more subtly done on Way to Blue. Black Eyed Dog is extremely moving in the context, the darkest of blues. Other tracks are weaker songs eg Joey, Mayfair or the painfully strained Hanging on a Star, or alternative versions - Three Hours, Thoughts of Mary Jane and River Man, all interesting takes. Understandably not a cohesive or homogenous album but good clean (remixed?) versions. Let's just be grateful for that.
30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great collection of new and previously released songs.,
By Sean (London) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Made To Love Magic (Audio CD)
Nick Drake, besides Bob Dylan and Nirvana (before I go on, I'd like to reassure you that I'm not going to mention Nirvana and Kurt Cobain again in this article. NME's review of this album compares Nick to Kurt less than favourably, stating that his albums would never have gained popularity if he hadn't died - I assume that writer never listened to Nick Drake, and shares the usual masturbatory glee most NME writers have when writing about Nirvana) is perhaps the most name-dropped act by fellow musicians. Yet until very recently he was practically unheard of by the public. I'm not quite sure of the reason for this - Joe Boyd said in a program recently broadcast on BBC Radio 2 that of all the people he had lent one of Drake's CDs to, one or two had come back to him saying it was "okay". The rest, he said, had gone out and bought all of Nick's material shortly after hearing one of his album.With only three "real" albums, then, you would think they would have sold brilliantly, but alas most people never get to hearing a single Nick Drake CD. Even the diehard fans have a lack of extra material without having to resort to crackling bootlegs - the posthumous "Time of No Reply" being the only other official release. "Made to Love Magic" uses six tracks from Time of No Reply as is, with only remastering to improve them. This is unfortunate, as "Magic" is short at only 13 tracks (most less than three minutes long), and could have been improved with other rarities. But what of the "new" songs? Two ("River Man" and "Mayfair") are taken from a tape recorded by Drake's arranger, Robert Kirby in Cambridge, and from those, "Mayfair" really stands out. Worse recording quality than the "Time of No Reply" version, yes, but a much more exuberant and joyful version. Another two tracks are also taken from Time Of No Reply, but have been given the original orchestration intended for them. Of these, "Time of No Reply" is the best, and probably the standout track on this album; made lush and truly joyful by the new arrangement. There is also an alternative version of "Three Hours" with respected percussionist Kwaahkuh Baah and an unknown flautist and a new version of "Hanging on a Star", which I feel has a better guitar track than the original but a rather thin vocal. That leaves us with the brand new song, found on the tape of the final session. Entitled "Tow the Line", it is a quiet but propulsive track with a droning bass string giving a backbone to the music. It is beautiful, evoking "At the Chime of a City Clock" from "Bryter Layter" and is a fitting addition to the officially recognised canon of this British musical genius. In summary then, if you've heard Nick Drake then you'll have bought this anyway, if not it's probably best to start with "Five Leaves Left", but if this catches your eye, definitely buy it - even a newcomer will be blown away by the raw beauty present on "Made to Love Magic".
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