British singer/songwriter Nicholas Rodney, "Nick Drake", is hands down one of the greatest musicians of all time. I will do my best to express in words just how incredible his music is, but ultimately you'll have to listen to find out for yourself. Only recorded three albums in his short life, Nick Drake's melancholy acoustic arrangements exemplified his simple, yet troubled life. His voice is haunting and beyond his years. In fact, the first time I heard him I thought he was a present artist (not one from the late sixties/early seventies). To me, his music teaches us how to slow down the rhythm of the world, pay attention to little things, colors, sounds, trees, tiny animals...everything that people tend to forget. He was an extremely shy person who probably could put Jesus to shame with his modesty and humbleness. However, despite being a shy and introspective individual, he rarely failed to leave a lasting impression on people. He goes deep into feelings but without sticky sentimentalism, asks some questions to life but without being aridly philosophical. He was a man who went deep into life, until it became too much, and the yearning for a better further place became too strong. Severe depression and insomnia lead to his unfortunate overdose of sleeping pills in 1974 (age 26).
This is my favorite picture of Nick Drake. I think I want it blown up in my room back in New Orleans. This photo, in my opinion, represents him the best. Paul Wheeler, friend of Nick, stated that "Your first impression of Nick was of incredible elegance. Only later would you notice his shabby lace-up shoes and ill-fitting jacket." In this photo the natural woods, guitar, book and especially his back turned away all encompass him and his music. When Nick would record, he would face the wall as to avoid glares from people watching. In fact, he only rarely performed live. There are hardly any photos of him, no footage other than of him as a young kid, and because of his introversion, interviews were hard to come by. This is what fuels his cult following. People who hear his music and learn his story want to engulf themselves in everything Nick Drake, but unfortunately they come to a dead end. At some point, his fans can look no further. I've currently hit this end, but his music still leaves much to be understood.
Five Leaves Left (1969) was the first studio album of Nick Drake. Similar to his second album, but unlike his final album, accompanied orchestrations can be heard throughout. You can't fake these emotions; every poignant lyric, every aching guitar chord, and every weeping cello proclaim that this is the voice of a troubled and self-critical soul. This took him over a year to put it all together. "Cello Song" was covered by The Books (a great band that I will discuss in future posts) for the brilliant compilation album Dark Was The Night. I'm really struggling on how to describe this album. Just listen.
Bryter Layter(1970) is Nick Drake's sophomore album. "With a voice paradoxically feather-light and grave, [one] of the most beautiful and melancholy albums ever recorded." (Alternative Press 2001). Personally, though this album has some of my favorite Nick Drake songs, overall - I prefer his more acoustic works. One of my favorite lyrics is "Stay indoors beneath the floors, talk with neighbors only; the games you play make people say you're either weird or lonely...". Most people should recognize "One of These Things First" as it was featured on the Garden State soundtrack.
Pink Moon (1972) was Nick Drake's final studio album. Some people call this album an "English version of Robert Johnson's blues" - Not only do I love that comparison, but I couldn't agree more. This is my favorite studio album of his because it's simply just Nick and his guitar (with some piano sprinkled in here and there). The result is a bleak testament to melancholy and alienation that has a haunting and pristine beauty. The title track "Pink Moon" is a beautiful folk ballad, performed with just Drake's acoustic guitar playing and haunting vocals. Throughout the album you notice the depth of his lyrics and his guitar playing. Drake intended "Pink Moon" to be his final album, saying he had nothing left to record. When you lose yourself listening to these songs, you can actually convince yourself that this was true. The whole album is only 29 minutes, but that's all it takes. Nick Drake didn't need many words or songs to tell his story.
