15. River Man; Way To Blue - The Songs Of Nick Drake

The Songs Of Nick Drake - Way To Blue
15. River Man
Teddy Thompson

[@juliea1111]

Still get goosebumps when I hear this. Love Teddy Thompson's voice, and all the musicians are great. Zoe Rahman's piano playing is out of this world.

[@harrymarionkillinger3165]

Stunningly beautiful. Transcendental arrangement, every bit of it.

[@estreyakesler1948]

Hauntingly stunningly beautiful.

[@julieanderson7561]

Love, love, love this! Teddy Thompson has one of the best voices I've ever heard - so soulful. I love Way to Blue, and this live version of Nick Drake's River Man is simply superb. A stunning performance.

[@blaumausfrau]

I imagine Nick up in the clouds not believing any of this could be happening.

[@juliea1111]

@@blaumausfrau I like to think he would be amazed at how his music has been received, even after all these years, and that he would love these incredible musicians paying tribute to his phenomenal talent.

[@nallekarhu7994]

Great piano playing, nick would have loved this cover.

[@macicana64]

I moved to USA about two decades ago, was when I found Nick Drake, ... what I think about Nick now?...... A National Treasure!

[@garygrimshaw9941]

A brilliant celebration of Nick Drake's music. Thoroughly enjoyed thank you, beautiful, Gary, Seaton, Devon

[@philliphoffmann9697]

Exquisite cover version of this great Nick Drake song.

[@thomasmoraninspace]

Bravo! What a fine rendition.

[@ironduke2000]

Wow, what a voice, with that beautiful vibrato. But, then, his mum had one of the great voices of her day -- and, like his dad, knew Nick.

[@keeshommes2235]

The piano is just like the river ...

[@flight1919]

Teddy is a good soul from amazing stock.A heartfelt rendition delivered sweetly.Great art is always open to new explorations.Just enjoy the love.

[@flawgee]

Amazing vocals, Teddy!

[@Benjamin-om3ih]

Great version

[@martycrow]

Great interpretation and ownership of a great song. May we all delve deep into the multiple meanings of the mystical lyrics. Let all our rivers flow.....

[@Amanda-si1qz]

It’s an interpretation of the rivers running water which personally I thought beautiful, being a pianist myself.

[@harrymarionkillinger3165]

Who is the pianist?

[@josefinagarza241]

​@@harrymarionkillinger3165Zoe Rahman

[@mariachristinadunderdale]

Nick Drake why you had to go😢

[@julienbyrne3262]

I think Nick Drake would approve!

[@outbacker1]

What's with all the hate on this version, if only pop music sounded this good anymore, I love Nick Drake, I had no problems with the piano - call me a rube, but the criticism is rather overblown. I'll play some Ellie Goulding to cure anyone that thinks pop music matters anymore

[@nachtstrom]

thanx :-) the piano solo is wonderful, btw.

[@chrisdrummond8893]

I agree. I wish there were more musicians than celebrities creating formulas for noise that sells

[@flawgee]

The piano is masterful. No point in just mimicking the original. I didn't feel it was over the top at all. Oh well.

[@jamessilva7991]

Agreed. Nothing wrong with the piano.

[@jezebelinadancer]

I adore.....

[@andyzar1177]

Majestic!

[@TheMonolake]

Whats with this song.could it be one of greats for the ages?

[@gregduncan5647]

Wonderful arrangement.

[@heatherdaydream]

Superb

[@1posnania]

ciary. melodyjnosc, romantyzm i kunszt muzykow.

[@1xdoubley07]

Brilliant The piano represents the river. You might need to be a musician to understand the song

[@huwzebediahthomas9193]

Outstanding adapt.

[@palpiteirotv8747]

muito bom

[@bringmeknitting844]

I get why some don't like the piano, it is a bit distracting in places... but really overall this is a gorgeous version. Great vocal from Teddy, and rather poignant having Danny Thompson there playing as he did on the original.

[@doke4090]

dont agree with the hates for the piano. For me the piano gives a wonderful color. Maybe at 2:50 she accidentally plays A over Bbm. Thats sound weird couse i think is creating an accidental tension. The rest is great! cool version

[@maricaborsello2810]

You are perfectly right.Great version.

[@fais6964]

love his voice and the ochestral part but not keen on the piano part here . i think this is much better with just strings

[@RVOLUTIONTV]

Nice version, but the original is best.

[@jamessilva7991]

They are both equally good.

[@willyvlyminck201]

Is Teddy a son of Richard?

[@huwzebediahthomas9193]

Wow, you never know. Or grandson. Linda?

[@gillesserrigny6324]

Of course, he is the son of Linda and Richard Thompson !

[@josefinagarza241]

​@huwzebediahthomas9193 yes Richard and Linda Thompson 😍

[@steveforest8385]

The piano 'noodling' is too much of a distortion for my liking. Kind of ruins the dark mood of the song.

[@manzybyrd9574]

Agreed, and yes I'm a musician

[@jamessilva7991]

It doesn't ruin it.

[@thomaskleinhans2384]

no - go - noodling on a serious thing....

[@whoareyou1332]

Noooooo! The piano arrangement is APPALLING and Teddy just doesn't have the voice for it either. This should never have happened.

[@jamessilva7991]

You're so wrong.

[@maricaborsello2810]

@@jamessilva7991 you are right . Such disparaging comments from envy and incompetent people should be forbidden.

[@andycarpenter3650]

Its the equivalent of a remix. Some are great and some not so. IMO the piano solo representing the river water swirling adds something. Not better than the original; just different.

[@donaldteed35]

The piano goes off the rails and ruins the feeling. No clue. Sorry. The rest works. Do appreciate efforts to duplicate Nick Drake in more current acoustic standards, but don't butcher the feeling and sustained place found in the original.

[@pepperm2883]

Silly Man, Off the rails; my ass!!! One should always consider a musicians right to artistic license, and it is NOT an easy song to play. Can you do better than she? Show us the proof!

[@lightotw]

One doesn't need to be a chef to appreciate the difference between a particular dish made by one restaurant and another. Nick Drake's studio recording has more subdued piano and that is how the song should feel. It isn't a place for virtuoso moments. Everything should gel together in this piece, creating unity, not branching out with fresh accents or exploring what else could be added. It is handled well with other pieces by this live performance group, and it is only the piano which is unbalanced in this particular piece.

[@celticoy]

I loved the piano absolutely it was not better than or as good as it was the artists' own individual flight which captured the original Artists texture and added a new dimension I can almost guarantee Nick liked it as well .

[@donaldteed35]

There are two ways to appreciate music. One is technically, and the other is being in a space created by the music. You can change it and create a new space, and maybe some will like that. Others will find that what could be taken as an enhancement just isn't the same feeling. Some people play for the technical aspect and have no regard at all for the idea of a musical feeling. In eastern Canada we have some excellent fiddle players come up in recent years. They can play 64th notes in quick succession. It is brilliant, but when used for some traditional pieces it adds nothing. Music which is about practicing something difficult and executing it flawlessly can have a lot in common with a technically demanding sport. It is practice and physical precision. Just because it is difficult it doesn't make it nice to listen to. Unfortunately this seems to be the boundary music wants to push as they look for something fresh sounding. It is always interesting to players of the instrument who see the challenge and appreciate what it took to get at the destination. But it has little to do with the experience of the audiophile. I can give an example in a different style of music: Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division. There are many covers, including New Order playing it in recent years with better equipment and sound systems. No one seems to be able to recapture the feeling in the original. When one understands the original's created space, the cover versions that come near it are still far away and really a different piece of music. I think perhaps it is intentional in this particular case they don't want to draw people into a darkness. But then why bother covering it when it is so out of jive between the cheerful cover's tones and the feeling of the words in the original?

[@donaldteed35]

Another example is Joni Mitchell's Big Yellow Taxi. When she does it, the song calms down for the "Don't it always seem to go" part. Why? Because it is a reflection, a time to think and feel that realization. If you listen to most other covers of it, like Counting Crows, the pace and foot tapping doesn't change at all. They just play it like background music for a cafe.

[@MrMosesMartin]

NO!

[@philipoconnor4263]

Best listened to if deaf, or on drugs. Some of the most over rated music of all times. If you aren't depressed before listening to his music you should be by the end.

[@michaelvogt-gitarre9096]

NO!

[@jamessilva7991]

Yes.