How come this Dutch documentary maker called Jeroen Berkvens always touches me with his work? He did it before with Jimmy Rosenberg: The Father, the Son and the Talent, and with his last piece of work on the number one music venue in Amsterdam, the Paradiso. Now I watched his documentary on Nick Drake on youtube, and I must admit that I do not have the vocabulary to expres my feelings. It is great, both by people interviewd, the lightning, the score, the colours, it is all sheer perfectionism.
Let's first get a closer look as to who Nick Drake actually was. I mean, I am a big fan, but hadn't heard from him till a few years ago, and there must be a lot of you that do not know him. Nick Drake was a singer-songwriter of the purest kind. He published three albums in the seventies, after which he died from an overdose of anti-depressives. To me, he represented two exceptional qualities. First, his songs had beautyful melodies, and original structuring. I haven't heard this kind of song smithering ever again. Second, though not much acclaimed as far as I know, is his guitar style. This has been such a great example for me, trying to finger pick each and every note where it belongs. In the documentary someone calls his playing a machine, and that is spot on and precisely how I'd like to see my own playing (believe me, I am not there yet, hehe). But, Drake had one terrible downside as well: he was depressed, and not just a little bit.
Back to the documentary. Drake was born in Birma, from what apparently looks like, a loving family. In the film his older sister explaines that their mother had a gloomy side herself, but the father made sure she didn't fall ill. His mother also resembles the artistic side: she was a composer herself. At the age of four, Nick moves to England, proudly presents his first album called Five Leaves Left. It all went wrong though when he made his first tour. He was very shy, insecure, and needed the whole venue to keep quiet and focus on his performance. Already I can imagine how he had to tune his guitar for every song (for having a different tuning), and the crowd was drinking and talking. He didn't have the staminae to stand up for himself and his music, and halfway the tour he simply quit. Never ever he played live again. He did continue to record though, two beautiful albums (Bryter Later, and Pink Moon, respectively 1970 and 1972) fulfilling his thin, but essential songbook.
In many rockumentaries the film makers usually put in as many famous people as possible telling how great the person, or act, was. So many band have been called the best band ever by people who once would like to be returned the favour and be called the best band themselves. Not this time though. Jeroen Berkvens chooses to interview Drake's sister (the beautyful, but slightly sinister Gabrielle), a friend from college, his producer and studio technicians. Not necessarily good talkers, but essential to portray Nick Drake. One of the other strong points of the documentary is the footage of the English landscape that Berkvens uses to accompany some of Drake's best songs like Way to Blue, or Day is Done. (Just as a thought: this reminds me of a song by Dutch band Johan, whose singer/songwriter is not a very happy man himself, but nevermind.) Most amazing scene, I thought, was when Drake's death is portrayed into the round window from his boyhood room, that slowly freezes over. Breathtaking!
A last thought I had was how sad and devastating these mental illnesses can be. They can account for lyrical artistic produce, but from a human perspective, you'd rather give the man happiness any time. From what looked like loving, warm surroundings came this mentally tortured soul that gave the world three amazingly fantastic albums. Should we be pleased, or feel sorry? Let's give tribute to the man who put it all into one 48-minute must-see documentary: Jeroen Berkvens. (still available on youtube. Ranking? 5 out of 5!!)
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