Second Grace: The Music of Nick Drake

Nick Drake, Christopher O'Riley | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 10, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: World Village USA
• ASIN: B000N6U1CS
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #101,217 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Pianist Christopher O'Riley again dances with the possibility of cliché and instead pirouettes into art. Second Grace: The Music of Nick Drake marks his fourth album of covers, joining his two CDs of Radiohead tunes (Hold Me to This and True Love Waits) and one exploring singer-songwriter Elliott Smith (Home to Oblivion). O'Riley is attracted to quirky composers and tragic writers, and Nick Drake, who died of an overdose at 26 after only three albums, fits both bills. Although Drake had a fondness for jazz voicings and odd chord changes, he was ultimately a more direct and simpler composer than Radiohead's Thom Yorke or Elliott Smith. O'Riley respects that in his interpretations. Whereas his previous albums often ventured into flights of unalloyed atonality, Second Grace feeds on the autumnal melodic lyricism that Drake pursued over the course of his three albums, Five Leaves Left, Bryter Layter, and, of course, Pink Moon, the title piece from which helped reignite interest in Drake's music when Volkswagen unearthed it for a TV spot in 2000. O'Riley doesn't attain that fragile, on-the-edge-of-disappearing voice that Drake had. Instead, he replaces it with the quiet reserve heard in the minimalist feel of "Riverman" and the breathy rhapsody on "One of These Things First." The lounge-jazz break in the middle of that tune seems like last call at Joe's Pub. A concert pianist, O'Riley often cites classical sources for inspiration in his arrangements, including Baroque composer Couperin in the lyrical treatment of "Introduction: Bryter Layter." As with his previous interpretations, I'm not sure that Second Grace would actually appeal to Nick Drake fans. Instead, it stands on its own ground, a passionate and obsessive hymn to a lost voice. --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I've Never Heard Magic As Crazy As This, April 21, 2007

By 

Gordon Danis (Eastchester, New York United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Second Grace: The Music of Nick Drake (Audio CD)

This doesn't necessarily qualify as "Spacemusic," but it's exquisitely gorgeous and I heard it on ECHOES, played by that closet folkie John Diliberto: I've just sat and listened (and listened...and listened..you get the idea) to "Second Grace: The Music Of Nick Drake" by Christopher O'Riley.

O"Riley is a well established classical pianist, and while his interpretations of Nick Drake (or Radiohead, for that matter,) don't veer into the jazzy experimentalism of Brad Meldhau, where Nick's music doesn't sound comfortable to me anyway, he nails that English Pastoral sound the way Ralph Vaughn Williams might have. Plus he is leagues ahead of the "Look Ma, no left hand" school of "jazz pianism" best demonstrated by George Winston, who should not be allowed to record again until he plays through every Bill Evans songbook in existence.

OK, that's what "Second Grace" is not-but what IS it? It's the way "Northern Sky" and "Joey" always sounded to you when you were humming those tunes to yourself; it's "Fly" and the dawn of spring, it's the melancholy of "Three Hours" and "River Man," it transforms "Rider On The Wheel" from a throw-away Nick tune into a possible Cassandra Wilson cover.
Even then, though it may sound deceptively simple on first listen, but keep going-this is one of the best CDs of 2007.

I must repsectfully disagree with my friend John Diliberto on one point-I think he gives a short shrift to Nick's fans when he rights that "I'm not sure that "Second Grace" would actually appeal to Nick Drake fans." Like the music of Nirvana, Nick Drake's has stood the test of time; like Cobain, the creator of the music unfortunately doubted his own creative genius. But that genius is EXACLY what appeals to the resepective fans of Drake and Cobain.

Note to all screenwriters; Where is the "Nick Drake movie?"

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars i always enjoy chris o'riley.., August 12, 2007

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Brenda Roudebush "ghost" (Portland, OR US) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Second Grace: The Music of Nick Drake (Audio CD)

if you like this nick drake tribute, be sure to try out 'home to oblivion'.. (o'riley's tribute to elliott smith..) plus his radiohead cds which are awesome too..
ghost

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars No Leaves Left, February 22, 2009

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Anthony Gliozzo "Anthony G." (Mission Viejo, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Second Grace: The Music of Nick Drake (Audio CD)

I know Nick's music quite well and this work of art does not parallel Nick's work at all. Although Chris is clearly an accomplished piano player he does no justice to Nick's illustrious compositions. Most of these renditions sound rushed which scorn the original versions' interior and exterior beauty. Avoid this disc and check out other artists like Tim Story who perform this style of music much better.