Made to Love Magic

Made to Love Magic

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
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 tranquilized 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 University student and string-arranger Robert Kirby) the album is a labor 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

Tracks:

Rider On The Wheel
Magic
River Man
Joey
Thoughts Of Mary Jane
Mayfair
Hanging On A Star
Three Hours
Clothes Of Sand
Voices
Time Of No Reply
Black Eyed Dog
Tow The Line

Amazon.com

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 tranquilized 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 University student and string-arranger Robert Kirby) the album is a labor 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

Customer Reviews:

Serendipity.......2007-06-11

I first discovered Nick Drakes music while watching the movie Serendipity. I fell in love with "The Northern Sky" and they also use the beginning of the song "Black Eyed Dog" here and there about the movie. His music Haunted me, I downloaded them and listened to them and continue to this day to listen to his words.
I never read anything on him until today, I didnt even know he passed. His music formed new meaning as I discovered more and more about his life.

Simply Magical.......2007-05-27

I stumbled across this CD a week or so after visiting Tanworth in Arden and Nicks grave..a coincidence I am sure but still !!!

This does Nick justice, and everyone involved in putting this compilation together should be proud of their achievements.

The fact that many of the tracks on this CD did not make an 'official' appearance when nick was alive does NOT diminish them

If you have never heard Nick Drake before then this is as good a place to start...then go and buy Five Leaves Left

Definitely Worth Having (If You Don't Have It Already).......2006-12-16

Nick Drake's body of work is getting a bit cannabilized at this point, having been packaged and repackaged several times over. This is yet another collection of tracks that did not make his three studio albums (or did, but this provides alternate takes). Drake was such a wonderful guitarist and had such a unique voice that anything he did is worth grabbing up, but for his diehard fans a lot of this is going to be duplication. The new listener might want to check out highlights such as "Mayfair," "Hanging On A Star," or "Black Eyed Dog." A better starting point, though, would be his actual albums: "Five Leaves Left," "Bryter Layter," and the haunting "Pink Moon."

Just great.......2006-03-20

In a nutshell - all Nick Drakes tracks are fine also all
this cd's tracks.

Excellent outtakes/rarities collection.......2005-06-03

Nick Drake was woefully overlooked during his lifetime, so much that the American music press virtually forgot him for many years ("Rolling Stone Album Guide" even dropped his name from their second edition in 1982). Fortunately, he had a small but devoted set of fans, and his admirers continued to grow, so much that his music found its way into TV commercials and critically acclaimed films. His three original albums are wonderful, but they're an unfortunately small legacy, making MADE TO LOVE MAGIC essential to anyone who's grown to love Nick Drake's music.

If you're new to Nick Drake, I'd suggest getting PINK MOON, FIVE LEAVES LEFT, and BRYTER LAYTER first. They're the only three albums fully realized by Drake before his early death. Outside of those three albums, you have your choice between this CD or an earlier CD called TIME OF NO REPLY (now out-of-print). Though they are very similar, both discs have distinct differences, and this one, MADE TO LOVE MAGIC, is the superior collection. The sequencing is better, and the song selection is a bit stronger.

So what are the differences? First of all, two songs, "Time Of No Reply" and "Magic" (titled "I Was Made To Love Magic" on the TIME OF NO REPLY disc) have been overdubbed with orchestrations on this newer CD, MADE TO LOVE MAGIC. Posthumous work on any artist's recordings is often dubious, but there are rare cases where it works. According to the liner notes, Drake knew Robert Kirby since his days at Cambridge University, and he had Kirby arrange orchestrations for "Time Of No Reply" and "Magic." Both songs were intended for his first album, FIVE LEAVES LEFT, but before Drake could record these orchestrations, he already had a surplus of songs, so Kirby's orchestrations remained on manuscript only and both songs were shelved indefinitely. Raw tracks for both songs were issued on TIME OF NO REPLY, but for this CD, the producers went back to Kirby's arrangements, recorded them, and overdubbed them on Drake's raw tracks. The results are excellent.

As for the other tracks, "Tow The Line" is a newly discovered song, and it's heard for the first time on MADE TO LOVE MAGIC. "Clothes Of Sand," "Black-Eyed Dog," "Rider On The Wheel," "Voices (aka 'Voice From The Mountain')," "Joey" and "The Thoughts Of Mary Jane" are heard in crisp, well-balanced mixes (the versions on MADE TO LOVE MAGIC had some echo and some more pronounced flanging). "The Thoughts Of Mary Jane" fades out a few seconds earlier on MADE TO LOVE MAGIC, cutting out a dissonant guitar note that ended the performance, but it's a very minor difference.

"Hanging On A Star" is presented here in a different take that is preferable for the stronger vocal (Drake actually recorded his voice and guitar separately for the first time on this recording). "Mayfair" is presented here in an earlier version - it sounds like a rough demo, and some say it's better than the 'proper' version on MADE TO LOVE MAGIC, but I actually think it's inferior. "River Man" is presented here in a pleasant solo acoustic version, and there's a nice alternate take of "Three Hours"; neither of these two are on TIME OF NO REPLY.

Several outtakes and alternate takes, including "Man In A Shed," "Fly," "Been Smoking Too Long," and "Strange Meeting II," cannot be found on MADE TO LOVE MAGIC, but are available on TIME OF NO REPLY. They're interesting, but not essential, so unless you're a completist, MADE TO LOVE MAGIC will suffice.

Average customer rating:

A memento of a productive partnership.

Tauber & Lehar

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Das Land Des Lachelns: Act 2: Dein Ist Mein Ganzes Herz
Das Land Des Lachelns: Act 1: Ich Trete Ins Zimmer - Immer Nur Lacheln
Das Land Des Lachelns: Act 1: Ach, Trinken Sie Vielleicht Mit Mir Ein Tasschen Tee - Bei Einem Tee E - Richard Tauber/Vera Schwarz
Das Land Des Lachelns: Act 1: Von Apfelbluten Einen Kranz
Das Land Des Lachelns: Act 2: Wer Hat Die Liebe Uns Ins Herz Gesenkt - Richard Tauber/Vera Schwarz
Das Land Des Lachelns: Act 2: Ihr Gotter Sagt, Was Ist Mit Mir Geschehn? - Kann Es Moglich Sein?
Friederike: Act 2: O Madchen, Mein Madchen
Friederike: Act 1: Heimlich Kling't In Meiner Seele - Sah Ein Knab' Ein Roslein Stehn
Friederike: Act 1: O Wie Schon, Wie Wunderschon
Friederike: Act 2: Liebe, Goldener Traum
Der Zarewitsch: Act 1: Allein, Wieder Allein - Es Steht Ein Soldat Am Wolgastrand
Der Zarewitsch: Act 3: Kosende Wellen - Warum Hat Jeder Fruhling, Ach Nur Einen Mai - Richard Tauber/Carlotta Vanconti
Der Zarewitsch: Act 3: Madel, Wonniges Madel - Willst Du? Komm, Und Mach Mich Glucklich
Paganini: Act 2: Gern Hab' Ich Die Frau'n Gekusst
Paganini: Act 1: Schones Italien
Paganini: Act 2: Niemand Liebt Dich So Wie Ich - Richard Tauber/Carlotta Vanconti
Paganini: Act 1: Was Ich Denke, Was Ich Fuhle - Richard Tauber/Carlotta Vanconti
Eva: Vorspiel - VPO/Franz Lehar
Frasquita: Ser (When The Moon Is Shining White - Farewell, My Love)
The Land Of Smiles: Always Keep Smiling
The Land Of Smiles: You Are My Heart's Delight
The Merry Widow: Waltz Song (Now Or Never And Forever)/Villa Song (There Once Was A Villa)...

Tracks:

Giuditta: Act 1: Freunde, Das Leben Ist Lebenswert
Giuditta: Act 2: Schon Wie Die Blaue Sommernacht - Richard Tauber/Jarmila Novotna
Giuditta: Act 3: Welch' Tiefes Ratsel Ist Die Liebe - Du Bist Meine Sonne
Giuditta: Act 4. Finale: So Wie Um Den Sonnenball
Giuditta: Act 5: Schonste Der Frau'n
Schon Ist Die Welt: Act 1: Bruder Leichtsinn, So Werd' Ich Genannt - Schon Ist Die Welt
Schon Ist Die Welt: Act 2: Liebste, Glaub' An Mich
Schon Ist Die Welt: Act 1: Frei Und Jung Dabei - Richard Tauber/Gitta Alpar
Schon Ist Die Welt: Act 2: Es Steht Vom Lieben - Richard Tauber/Gitta Alpar
Der Rastelbinder: Act 1. Walzerduett: Ein Ausflug Mit Ihnen - Wenn Zwei Sich Lieben - Richard Tauber/Carlotta Vanconti
Das Furstenkind: Act 1: Ich Wollt' Nichts Von Ihr Erzwingen - Schweig, Zagendes Herz
Das Furstenkind: Act 2: Freihet, Du Bist Unser Leben - Lange Jahre, Bange Jahre
Zigeunerliebe: Act 3: So Sprach Noch Niemals Ein Mann Zu Mir - Es Liegt In Blauen Fernen - Richard Tauber/Vera Schwarz
Frasquita: Ser: Schatz, Ich Bitt' Dich - Hab' Ein Blaues Himmelbett
Die Lustige Witwe: Act 3: Lippen Schweigen
Die Lustige Witwe: Act 2: Es Lebt' Eine Vilja
Die Lustige Witwe: Ov
Paganini: Girls Were Made To Love And Kiss
Paganini: Love Never Comes Too Late - Richard Tauber/Evelen Laye
Paganini: Nobody Could Love You More - Richard Tauber/Evelen Laye
Paganini: Beautiful Italy
Frasquita: Ser (When The Moon Is Shining White)/The Land Of Smiles: Always Keep My Smiling - Love...

Customer Reviews:

A memento of a productive partnership........2001-11-19

EMI commemorate in this double CD a remarkable partnership in the C20th world of music. It began in Berlin in 1926. It had been 20 years since Franz Lehar's "Die lustige Witwe" became the light opera that everyone wanted to see. In places like Beunos Aires it had run simultaneously in five theatres in five different languages. Lehar's subsequent productions had met with diminishing success. His latest light opera, "Paganini", which contained some of his best music, had flopped at its Vienna premiere. Nervous and dispirited as its Berlin premiere drew near, Lehar wrote to the tenor Richard Tauber, "You must sing in Berlin, a second flop is inconceivable for me. I'm suddenly afraid of everything to do with the theatre - I'm getting old".

Tauber obliged. The Berlin production was a resounding success, Tauber sometimes being required to repeat "Gern hab' ich die Frau'n gekusst" as many as five times. Lehar admitted, "Richard, during this moment I have been born again as an artist!" And so began a great final flowering of Lehar theatre productions, all featuring the Austrian tenor Richard Tauber.

Fortunately the Lehar-Tauber association resulted in an extensive series of recordings, in many of which Lehar conducts the orchestra. EMI began issuing a collection of them towards the end of the LP era, and now, in 2001, they are collected onto this double CD. I read the claim that a great many of the tracks appear on CD for the first time, but here in Australia most have already been available on CD.

I don't always find Tauber unexcelled in this repertoire, preferring other tenors sometimes and their recordings. Several of the "Paganini" recordings were made before the Berlin season opened. Tauber and his then wife Carlotta Vanconti sound as though they are sight-reading unfamiliar music. I once possessed several of the "Das Land des Lachelns" items on 78s. The 1929 sound seemed robust and full then, but seems sadly emasculated here.

Tauber, I believe, somehow had the secret of touching the hearts and minds of all who listened to his singing - composers, colleagues, chancellors and charwomen. This comprehensive and well-planned issue will ensure that his work with the Hungarian composer Franz Lehar will continue to charm and delight.

Bruce Ford Sings Viennese Operetta (In English)
Average customer rating:

Kudos for Bruce Ford

Bruce Ford Sings Viennese Operetta (In English)
Bruce Ford
Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00007B8PX
Release Date: 2003-01-21

Customer Reviews:

Kudos for Bruce Ford.......2007-01-19

Bruce Ford is one of the premier tenors in the world and this album shows why. Mr Ford's beautiful and expressive singing is a delight. It is quite enjoyable to hear these lovely melodys sung with such expression and style. Don't miss this one!

Entertaining Made Simple: Merlot Filet Mignon & Mozart

Average customer rating:

Add it to your list - "Gifts for the impossible to shop for"

Entertaining Made Simple: Merlot Filet Mignon & Mozart
Andrea Immer
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Entertaining Made Simple: Pinot Pasta & Puccini
Entertaining Made Simple: Big Reds Bistro & Ballads
Entertaining Made Simple: Chardonnay Shellfish & Schubert
Entertaining Made Simple: Champagne Chocolate & Chopin
Entertaining Made Simple: Brew BBQ & Blues

ASIN: B0000A4FTP
Release Date: 2003-07-22

Tracks:

Five...Ten...Twenty
If, Perchance, Madame Would Call You At Night
If You Woud Dance, My Pretty Count
No Longer Will You Flutter
Cherubino's Love Song
Where Are The Golden Moments?
Letter Duet
Wedding March
Banquet Scene; Leporello's Catalog Aria
Night And Day I Work
Peasants' Chorus: Young Girls Who Are Ripe For Love
Give Me Your Hand
Champagne Aria
Hit Me, Dear Masetto
Minuet
Come To The Window
Console My Treasure
Papageno's Birdcatcher Song
How Strong Must Be Thy Magic Sway
A Pretty Girl For A Wife
Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa Papagena
Belmonte's Love Song
Osmin's Love Song
Long Live Bacchus
Oh, How I Will Triumph

Customer Reviews:

Add it to your list - "Gifts for the impossible to shop for".......2003-08-11

I've got a few friends who are really impossible to shop for, basically because they buy everything they need themselves! CDs usually are good gifts for anyone, but I always like to go off the beaten path a bit and find ones no one else has heard of. Being someone who was a voice major in college, I check out the classical stuff every so often - and came across this CD. It's definitely a 'beginner' disc for classical music folk, but the cool thing was for NYC-ers like myself it's awesome to entertain with. I actually tried the Zucchini Cups recipe on another disc (bought 3 of the 4) and the recipe is surprisingly delicious.