Nick Drake - River Man

Today it's exactly 40 years since Nick Drake died from an overdose of antidepressants, 26 years of age. Whether it was intentional or not has never actually been uncovered, but the poet/singer/songwriter did suffer from mental problems. He recorded three astounding records that established him as one of the finest of songwriters of his generation, notably Five Leaves Left (1969), Bryter Layter (1970) and Pink Moon (1972). "River Man" is from the first of these, and just maybe my very favourite song of his. It has some serious competition though, so it's hard to tell for certain, but this little gem is definitely among his best no matter how you look at it. It's a quiet masterpiece expertly produced by Joe Boyd with a dramatic string arrangement by Harry Robinson that just nails the song completely. Magic may be at work here, it's just beautiful!

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