Album: Five Leaves Left 1969
Every time I think about Nick Drakes life and music, the quote from the film Blade Runner pops into my head: the light that burns twice as bright burns half as long. Unfortunately for Drake, no one saw just how bright his light shone during his tragic and short life time.
A product of the golden-age of folk music and the fertile music era of the 1960s—both in America and in the UK—Drake belonged to the generation of folk-pop/progressive folk singer/songwriters that was overshadowed by the presence of Bob Dylan, Donovan, and Simon and Garfunkel. Although never garnering any recognition during its initial release, Nick Drakes debut album (at the age of 21) has grown in stature since his premature death in 1974 to be considered the pinnacle of the British Folk-Rock scene and the singer-songwriter genre in general. If musical talent still sold, hed basically be the Bill Gates of folk music, thats how I think about it.
A blend of progressive folk-guitar and baroque pop, Five Leaves Left has a distinct acoustic-driven orchestral sweep in its delivery and is anchored by the poetry of Drakes meditative and introspective lyrics that focus on themes of the darker side of life: equal doses of heavy melancholy, the frailty of human life, broken romances, depression, and the transitory nature of fame lurk on the surface of each song, but nevertheless there is something comforting, rather than isolating, in the albums sadness. Each song on this album is a separate entity unto its own, and a separate masterpiece on its own that envelopes you in an atmosphere of cathartic emotion, pastoral landscapes and settings of a dream-like quality. The strong melodies and complex guitar work is perfectly complemented by accompaniments of wind and string instruments that enhances rather than takes over the structure and tone of each song.
Although he followed this album with two more masterstrokes, with 1970s Bryter Layter and the 1972 minimalist masterpiece Pink Moon, this album is where it started for me and this is where I became a lifelong fan of his music. It also sparked my interest in 1960s folk music, so if youre looking to delve deeper than Bob Dylan or Simon and Garfunkel, then this is the perfect place to start. A few more years of spreading the word about his music and Drake will finally get the widespread, mainstream recognition that has been overdue for more than 30 years.
I think youve read enough, so just listen
Go out and buy his other albums too!
Copyrights to the album belong to Hannibal Records.
My personal favorites are
River Man
Fruit Tree
Man in a Shed
Tags: nick drake five leaves left folk music acoustic guitar progressive album baroque pop 1969 singer songwriter sad british river man
![How To Play Riverman [Nick Drake]](http://i2.ytimg.com/vi/Y4JIqqFb2DU/default.jpg)
