Nick Drake's career was brief, profound and ultimately ended tragically. Some compare his music to another British folk musician, Donovan; others consider his spirit more in line with troubadours like Van Morrison. Though each of these comparisons are accurate, the trajectory of Nick Drake's career most resembles the band, Big Star. Both recorded three stellar records that changed the texture of the music world afterwards. Yet, both went relatively unnoticed during their recording years, only achieving recognition much later. And both influenced countless bands in the decades that followed.
Drake's first two albums, "Five Leaves Left" and "Bryter Layter," are each masterpieces in their own right, but sold poorly when released in the late '60s. According to reports, Drake plunged into a deep depression, often unable to talk to people, let alone to record new music. Yet, in 1972, he managed to turn out one final record, "Pink Moon." The album has 11 tracks and clocks in at less than half an hour. Drake famously claimed that he just had nothing else to record. He died two years later from an apparent suicide, overdosing on antidepressants. More than the two records before it, "Pink Moon" cemented his posthumous significance. The record also serves as the artist's epitaph.
"Pink Moon" is a raw work that features Drake's hushed vocals alone with just a guitar. It is a work that can make even the most stoic listener feel overexposed. There is nothing to camouflage the depth of his alienation and longing; the whole record is an open wound.
The title track starts off the record on an appropriately doomed note. The lyrics to "Pink Moon" are a short warning to anyone who is listening: No matter what the state of your life is, you better get ready because something's going to hit you down the road and cut you down. Two tracks later, the album shifts to a more somber song, "Road," which is the very definition of seeing the glass half-empty. An incredible guitar line leads you into the first verse, where Drake sings, "You can take the road that takes you to the stars now I can take a road that'll see me through."
Immediately after this track, you get a very sweet song, "Which Will," where Drake asks a series of questions to the person he longs for, wondering what they want if not him. It's a simple thought that cuts to the core of every love song recorded before or after.
Then a few songs later, the album switches back to a doomed tone with the song, "Things Behind the Sun." Drake issues a warning in the chorus about the people you surround yourself with, singing, "Please beware of them that stare,
they'll only smile to see you while your time away."
It may sound like a tough record, but Drake's craftsmanship and ear for melody run through all these songs and his lyrics, though tense and heavy, are poignant and worth piecing through. This is a record that should be listened to like a short story on tape, repeatedly and for nuances.
Seth Fiegerman
Pink Moon
Nick Drake's career was brief, profound and ultimately ended tragically. Some compare his music to another British folk musician, Donovan; others consider his spirit more in line with troubadours like Van Morrison. Though each of these comparisons are accurate, the trajectory of Nick Drake's career most resembles the band, Big Star. Both recorded three stellar records that changed the texture of the music world afterwards. Yet, both went relatively unnoticed during their recording years, only achieving recognition much later. And both influenced countless bands in the decades that followed.
Drake's first two albums, "Five Leaves Left" and "Bryter Layter," are each masterpieces in their own right, but sold poorly when released in the late '60s. According to reports, Drake plunged into a deep depression, often unable to talk to people, let alone to record new music. Yet, in 1972, he managed to turn out one final record, "Pink Moon." The album has 11 tracks and clocks in at less than half an hour. Drake famously claimed that he just had nothing else to record. He died two years later from an apparent suicide, overdosing on antidepressants. More than the two records before it, "Pink Moon" cemented his posthumous significance. The record also serves as the artist's epitaph.
"Pink Moon" is a raw work that features Drake's hushed vocals alone with just a guitar. It is a work that can make even the most stoic listener feel overexposed. There is nothing to camouflage the depth of his alienation and longing; the whole record is an open wound.
The title track starts off the record on an appropriately doomed note. The lyrics to "Pink Moon" are a short warning to anyone who is listening: No matter what the state of your life is, you better get ready because something's going to hit you down the road and cut you down. Two tracks later, the album shifts to a more somber song, "Road," which is the very definition of seeing the glass half-empty. An incredible guitar line leads you into the first verse, where Drake sings, "You can take the road that takes you to the stars now I can take a road that'll see me through."
Immediately after this track, you get a very sweet song, "Which Will," where Drake asks a series of questions to the person he longs for, wondering what they want if not him. It's a simple thought that cuts to the core of every love song recorded before or after.
Then a few songs later, the album switches back to a doomed tone with the song, "Things Behind the Sun." Drake issues a warning in the chorus about the people you surround yourself with, singing, "Please beware of them that stare,
they'll only smile to see you while your time away."
It may sound like a tough record, but Drake's craftsmanship and ear for melody run through all these songs and his lyrics, though tense and heavy, are poignant and worth piecing through. This is a record that should be listened to like a short story on tape, repeatedly and for nuances.
