Five Leaves Left

Eughh, I appreciate there is good musicianship here and I know it's all a sad story but this was hard work and too melancholic for me.

The acoustic guitar and tone is nice at first, but gets old. It’s all kind of the same. Definitely a time and place for this type of sound.

Not quite my type

was great, but made the other people in the car pretty annoyed. 2/5

2/5

Zzzz

meh...

Not really a fan of this sort of folk.

Ok, just not really my thing.

Just not a go to for me at the moment. Wasn’t exited to listen.

kind of a snooze

didn’t like it that much, classical basic rock album out of 60s

It all sounds like one long song…

Not a fan.

It came and went without me noticing

eh it was mid

2.5

boooooring

Not great but not terrible either, peaceful folk music

Mild

Boring album. After a couple of songs you’ve already hear everything. Strings sound phenomenal though in this album. Good lyrics and songwriting, but his voice and style becomes too repetitive.

2.5

Sömnigt.

Not terrible. Actually reasonably ok but just a bit to bland for it to be interesting.

I liked the songs I listened to, and I can tell that he influenced a lot of newer artists but it’s still kinda meh

Haven't heard this Nick Drake album before. I do like Nick but this album wasn't very interesting to me. After 2 songs I forgot I even was listening to music. Background noise 2/5

meh, Kinda boring

Ik hou wel van af en toe traag en rustiger, dit is té traag en rustig voor mijn voorkeur

Didnt go into this one with high expectations - i'm usually not a fan of folk albums. But this was a nice surprise. Beautiful melodies, thoughtful lyrics and storytelling.

Meh. Got sick of his voice. First song gave me a little hope but then this one really drug out.

Eh

Enough!!! I’m sick of this guys shit.

Lighten up Nick.

meh

Meh

It was cool but probably won’t to return to it

Nick Drake does a very folky bluey soft rock with largely nice intricate instrumental work. It’s not the type of mood I seek too often

Nothing burger of music. Forgotten the moment it ended. Maybe if I was a native English speaker I would appreciate it more.

I don't hate it, but it's a little too folky for me.

This was a pretty okay album. I thought a lot of the instrumental was pretty and added to each song. I just cant get behind the vocals... They felt dragging and relatively monotone.

I’ve been told how great Nick Drake is by many people. I don’t hear it. Mediocre “poor me” tunes.

Not my cup of tea.

Much like the global review...can't say much about "Five Leaves Left." Another sleepy, softy. I don't think Drake deserves the list let alone twice. Did this guy have a huge impact on the music world at the time? Is it because he suffered from severe depression and overdosed at age 26? It's not bad music, but like "Bryter Layter," it's just not for me...1.63 stars.

wasn’t bad but not really my vibe and too sleepy for this tuesday afternoon

Melancholic

Meh

meh

I didn't listen to every song on the album but I didn't enjoy what I heard.

Would have been 2.5 if I could, relaxing but nothing I would listen to again.

I already had Bryter Layter on this list and I loved it. But this album was just too slow and nothing about it really grabbed me

More unimaginative folk. Good musician though.

Worst Nick Drake. I was pleasantly surprised by Byrer Later...opposite on this one. 2/5

I really wanted to like this album because Nick Drake has such a great reputation but I am ashamed to admit I found myself pretty bored for the majority of this album.

so so

I was not big fan of this one, it’s okay, but pretty boring and it feels repetitive.

Droning and monotonous. Lyrically the songs have depth but the music ruined it for me.

meh

Not for me.

British Dylan? plenty strings. 2nd track sounds entirely different vocally? different singer altogether? no clue. some orchestral ambience quite different than track 1. too many tracks already bored. well now i'm familiar with this artists' story and i'm depressed, thanks. track 3 has some percussive element barely audible. weird. depressing and kinda mid. do I have to listen to the entire thing?

Very samey and boring. Despite good vocals.

I appreciate his poetry, but this barely qualifies as music. It's a nice lullaby I suppose. Favorite Track: "Three Hours".

It's inoffensive and you can put it on in the background if you want people to think you're sophisticated.

Not my tipe sincerely

kind of boring

Pretty much the same as his other album. I don't hate it, but fuck me is it boring. This one is probably worse it's about 15 minutes longer

This was on in the background. I do not think I could listen to this for extended periods. It is easy to drown out, but I appreciate the guitar playing.

Very slow and boring, not my thing at all

Not for me. Don't actively dislike it.

è fatto con cura

Five songs into the album and I was convinced this was a 1 star record - boring, monotonous music and singing. Then ‘Cello song can on and it got 1 additional star for the soundtrack. Man in a Shed was also Ok - as in I actually noticed it vs the song just being background noise. Just not for me.

Mostly sad songs, well-structured and interesting. "Man In A Shed" is the most upbeat of the bunch

2 come le canzoni che sono riuscito a finire

Beautiful music. If this album was just music or another singer I would have loved it, but I just can't get into his voice. 2/5.

Ah…. Just quite dull!

i would describe this as inoffensive

not for me

It wasn't bad but it wasn't good, I can't see myself going back to this one

Pretty alright. Bit samey

None of the songs particularly stood out to me. It’s a good listen and I can see it being enjoyable for background music but I don’t think it’s Nick’s best.

Perhaps the lyricism was impressive to some. Guitar playing is good.

Nöd mega intensiv glosst. Au nöd mega guet gsi. Aber weiss npm meh schriebe

meh

Kinda hard not to giggle during a song called 'Fruit Tree'

Good enough, but not for me

Good musically, just not really my cup o' tea.

I’ve liked other nick Drake better but I think I need a second listen

Songs for a very sombre mood. Nice and inoffensive but a bit too boring

It was okay - kind of same song-y. Would have to listen again when not at work.

very pleasant. i think my environment ruined the listening of this one (was in the office). need to be walking in a woods somewhere.

Perfectly fine. Unremarkable. I'm sure all of the songs are lovely in isolation, but when it came to a second listen, I kinda thought, what will I gain from another listen? Still gave it another go, but 3 albums from this artist is overkill on a list like this

Didn’t catch much

honestly not so keen on this album as a whole. the instrumental work on this album is great but that’s pretty much the only compliment I can give it. the vocals and lyrics are objectively good but they just don’t connect and engage me. favourite tracks: river man, three hours

Eh

Underwhelming. Thought I'd enjoy it a lot more than I did.

Not for me, a bit too slow and melancholy. 'Cello Song was my favourite.

Too similar of an album. Decent background music. Decent songwriting. The best composition is Man In A Shed

Not really digging it

Meh

Durchschnittlich.

Relaxing, but not all that interesting.

Bored me

This is again on the side of folk music I don’t care for. It’s not the darker themes, or the lyricism. It’s the way that the singing/lyrics feel disconnected from the music as a whole. There’s an interesting album here, I just wish the people who weren’t Nick Drake got some mention, since they were doing the more interesting things.

Five Leaves Left opens with a style that instantly feels introspective, and as I started listening, I was struck by how much of Nick Drake’s vocal approach seems to have influenced artists like Eddie Vedder. Not necessarily relevant to this album on its own, but it added an interesting layer of context for me. Drake’s voice, while pleasant, has a certain detached quality that I found difficult to fully engage with. It has a drifting, somewhat inconsequential tone, which makes me shift my focus to the guitar. The guitar work has a similar quality—it’s delicate and atmospheric but not exactly gripping, leading me into this loop of refocusing from voice to guitar and back again. Oddly, listening to both together as a whole doesn’t quite resolve this feeling of drifting. There are highlights, though, where the arrangements feel more layered. For example, Way to Blue has a string arrangement that elevates the song, giving it a fuller, richer sound. The word that kept coming to mind as I listened was “meandering.” The album feels like a one-sided, stream-of-consciousness conversation, and while this has a certain charm, it also feels unfocused at times. As a debut, Five Leaves Left hints at ideas that could be refined, and perhaps with his next two albums, Drake will bring more definition to his style. I’m curious to see if his later work will add to my impression of him as an artist. Standout Song: Way to Blue Score: 2/5

Too slow

Kinda boring but not bad

Some of the music was ok for easy listening. The vocals added nothing.

This just isn’t the type of music I like.

My feeling this one today, surprised this so the 2nd Nick Drake album on the list here. Appreciate that this is influential, but I enjoyed that later album a bit more.

It's literal poems being recited with a little chant and a guitar tune. That being said, it's too soft and uneventful for me, not my thing at all. I did look into Nick Drake's other songs and I think his other albums are better, I liked the Northern Sky song in his second album.

This has a nice sound and has it's moments. I like the guitar playing. I'm not feeling the vocals. Fine background music.

I was super hopefully after hearing those first acoustic chords and his voice in the first song but then my excitement started to wane. It’s like each song would start really well then by the end, it would just lose my interest. I really liked his voice though and Cello Song.

Ethereal...and I'd visit again when I need a score for a contemplative day.

Too slow

Didn't like this one as much as Bryter Layter. A bit more one dimensional than his next album.

So dreadfully boring

un pò strascinato..

Rustige muziek, fijn geluid

I reviewed "Pink Moon" recently. As mentioned previously, he's a name I've heard over the years, usually some rockstar complimenting him on songwriting or a brilliant album, but I've never really listened to anything he's done. Must be a musician thing, I don't find anything compelling about him. This album is super mellow like "Pink Moon", his voice is more pleasant than what I know loosely from his Bad Seeds days. I get some of that early 70's California singer/songwriter vibe. Again, nothing mind-blowing or groundbreaking but enjoyable. I damn near fell asleep during "River Man" and "Three Hours", snorefest! I can't hear his influence in any other artist and there are zero hits or memorable songs on this entire album. Honestly, I was bored out of my skull, every song is as dreary as the one before it. I am glad I had an opportunity to get introduced to older ND, but not sure I'd include this or anything else he does in a true Top 1001 list.

I want to like Nick Drake, but he kind of just bores me. This is the second album from him I’ve gotten on here and I am just not interested in anymore. Which stinks because I’m sure Pink Moon is coming at some point.

Not something I'd usually go for, so wasn't sure what to expect. Overall i didn't think it was great but a couple of songs stood out to me: saturday sun and Day is done. 4/10

I listened to this album as I was watching a soccer game and it made me thnk about the culture clash happening on the field, Colombia, Italy, Dominican Republic, and all while taking video and listening to this. Felt very samey in the back half but I like his vocals and quirky lyrics its a 2 though

Really enjoyed this.

usually I have a lot to say on my opinions. this time I got nothing.

A little too slow and same sounding for me. It all had a kind of sad and low energy vibe. Lyrics seemed like they could be good but I was struggling to pay attention. 4/10

Wasn’t too bad, song writing was really good and loved his voice. Solid 2 star album for me

+4

Slow

Too croony soft for me

Like every other Nick Drake album

Ooof. Slow and somber.

Not my type of music. I like the playing on the album but it is too repetitive. Nick Drake has an ok voice but not a lot of range. It makes the music rather boring to me.

It was OK, maybe a bit too hippyish for my liking. Great use of instruments, with a cello and a guitar. I wasn't a fan of his voice. I prefer his sister, Gabrielle's and she doesn't even sing.

01) Time Has Told Me - 6,0 02) River Man - 6,5 03) Three Hours - 6,0 04) Way to Blue - 5,0 05) Day Is Done - 5,5 06) Cello Song - 5,5 07) The Thoughts of Mary Jane - 6,0 08) Man in a Shed - 5,5 09) Fruit Tree - 5,0 10) Saturday Sun - 5,5 TOTAL: 5,65 (57/100) Current ranking: 228/270 Boooriiing!!!

..

Pliisua taustamusiikkia.

The most forgettable album so far. I listened to it, some of it twice. I couldn't even tell you what it sounded like.

Not my type at all. I guess the songs were all in the same vibe but it honestly felt like listening to the same song for 40 minutes. Would be perfect to fall asleep to tho Favorite : Last one

It might have come before? but reminds me of Bell and Sebastian. Nice but very mello. Maybe my next Sunday morning listen

Little too sleepy for my tastes. Most the songs were far too similar too.

Kinda boring. Lots of the same.

🥱

Meh

#46 - Mellow and pleasant, but didn't particularly speak to me

A bit boring.

This one was a bit bland.

The instrumentation on this is pretty class, but that's all I really liked about it

Soft and soothing, although it feels so very beige.

s.s., 1969 -> 2

gehört ja, aber nicht in erinnerung geblieben.

Not bad, just… boring

boring

Very melancholy. If I were a lyric man I would probably like this more but it was too slow and folky for my taste

although I appreciate the talent it took to create this record, not my cup of tea.

Objectively pretty orchestration, but overall not memorable

Wel oke

Too slow for me.

Three Hours Fruit Tree Saturday Sun Nothing notable but not awful. I honestly don’t even know what to say about it. It doesn’t stand out to me.

Heard loads about this guy — I'm not sure why Nick is portrayed as a "tragic hero who's flame burned out too soon." I was thoroughly ennuied by "Five Leaves Less."

Drake has nothing on Jim Croce or Donovan. Fine for background music at a pub, but the lyrics are laughable and the vocal creative range is minimal. I cannot believe there’s more than one album on this list.

Too slow

Nah

It was okay. Probably won't be looking him up for future listening.

Sounded pretty much the same throughout and pretty boring to me in general. Not a bad singer though. 2/5

Not interesting at all.

This album was a little boring. Usually I like mellow music, but this one just really didn’t stand out to me. Fruit trees was ok.

J'avais même pas capté que l'album était terminé

Gentle tonefull.. ja siinä se.. paljoa ei ole..

This is really starting to become a slog now.

Plodded along. Not a fan of this kind of stuff and this wasn't the album to change my mind on it.

Monotone and a tad boring

Not great

He has a unique sound and voice but this album wasn't very interesting to me

my previous review of Bryter Layter from about 9 months ago: "this album was fine and pleasant background music. nothing here that i'd really seek out or revisit, personally. i had never heard of this guy before now and I'll probably forget his name in a week :\" applies perfectly again here now. though last time he got three stars and this time he gets two for not changing his schtick in the slightest. favorites: i guess the popular ones? river man, day is done, Saturday sun. they're all basically the same though

"Person playing acoustic guitar and singing" might be the world's most boring genre of music.

This would be nice to sleep to

Its sad but its solid folk

Meh not bad

I feel like i should like N. D. but for some reason i don’t. Idk if it’s his voice or what but i can just get into it. Even Pink Moon i thought was meh

I really believe some albums have magical powers. For example, this album can cause someone who’s just had three cups of coffee after a full night’s sleep to get extremely drowsy and almost drive off the road.

Slow and boring.

Not my vibe. Some interesting moments, but overall nothing memorable. 2/5

Perfect background music on a lazy Sunday.

Melancholy ramblings for the hobo in your life.

Good guitar playing.

2.3 per track.

Nick Drake always sounds like he's singing out of a snorkel at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

J'hais assez de genre là de guitare/voix. Non merci.

I like the singing and acoustics. Reminds me of Johnny Cash. 2.45

Nick Drake's Five Leaves Left showcases his beautiful voice and heartfelt lyrics, inspiring many in the folktronica genre. However, I found the album a bit repetitive and lacking variety. While Drake's sad story adds to the album's allure, others like Fairport Convention and John Martyn offer more diverse sounds and expand upon the folk genre. Overall, Five Leaves Left is a classic, but it may not excite everyone. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 1 STAND OUT TRACK - Time Has Told Me

Really good homework music. I got a lot of work done and was not at all distracted by what I was listening to. Not very attention capturing.

Immediately forgettable.

I want to take a nap after listening to this album.

Not great, not bad, just sort of middle of the road. 2.5/5

I’ve given this enough listens to say that its definitely bouncing off me. Nothing’s really landing. Nick Drake’s songs at his best really is good. At the worst, it feels monotonous, energy-wise. I don’t know if it’s his voice (?) that sounds a bit plain and unchanging? That’s a bit unfair. I always feel like the arranger of strings, overdubs, etc, is just trying to spice up and make more interesting a collection of songs that don’t really go anywhere, don’t have a ton of drama. Some of the songs are really beautiful, gorgeous, but things just stay stagnant for a long time. This isn’t my favorite Nick Drake album, even though I liked it when I first listened. A few more listens made me feel apathetic to even the good parts. 2/5

gentle bucolic and lilting; nice work listen but don't think I'll revisit

I am sorry but what is this? Like is this supposed to be good? Again, purely drug addict music.

Folk is not for me. One track was interesting, rest was boring

Day10 - i don’t know if this is an album i needed to hear before i die but it was ok

Got bored after a few songs

2.0

i am at the point where I can tell the album is a boring shitty folk singer-songwriter waste of time just by cover and name now. although, this one wasnt as bad as the others a very useful skill for the future, im certain Significant 34/101 (for previous one - the police) Liked 16/101 Added 4/101 NNN

Not a fan.

The guitar work was really good but I wasn't a big fan of the singing. It was pretty slow moving overall. Probably would never listen to album ever again but it was a nice learning experience. Kind of like a folky jazz. Definitely some jazz chords in there. I could imagine Jose Gonzalez singing all the songs and it being a lot better of an album.

Too folk for me.

Boring

The most boring album I have ever heard for a while. Which is a shame considering how much I enjoyed his other albums despite disliking folk.

OK, the guy has the voice for this kind of music, but this kind of music is not something I enjoy. I know my son really likes this guy ad I keep trying, but I just feel I'm hearing the same thing over and over. A little too slow and pretty boring for me, but I do get how some folks are a fan. Not this listener, but not hell on my ears. 2

Apparently kicked off melancholy folk but I didn’t really like it. I got one “aha! So this is why people like him!” Moment but it faded cuz I just got tired of listening to him too much. Maybe in lesser doses he’d be good

Good acoustic guitar songs and lyrics

Easier on the ears than Bob Dylan.

Day is done is amazing. Rest of album ehh

too slow for me.

A few decent tracks but not my favorite album by Drake

Pretty but thought I'd like it more, didn't standout

Not a big fan

Would I listen to this album again? No. First time hearing the full album? Yes. Were there any songs I skipped? No Comments? The instrumentals were nice, but overall very tame and boring album. Favourite Songs? 'Cello Song

Folky background music. Fine I guess, but can't see me listening again,

Good songs but a bit too depressing to listen to the whole thing

Gikk meg hus forbi

Its okay guess

More than that in my yard right now.

Proper '60's folk music. Nothing special but it wasn't offensive.

Had never heard of Nick Drake prior to this. The album has some nice fingerpicking as well as utilizes some of the string section and cool percussion instrument which gives it a very different vibe from what you see in most music today. Wasn’t a super big fan of how breathy he sings though. He also structured a lot of the songs weirdly which made them feel really long even when there weren’t and not in a good way. Not sure this was a must listen. Does seem like some of the songs would fit really well in a Autumn indie movie though. 2/5

Previous one liked a lot better

Me gustaron mucho las guitarras y la voz el disco es lo que promete desde el principio, intimidad y relax mientras un ingles te canta al oido, pero no deja de ser aburrido de escuchar activamente. [Notas post investigacion]: El cantante tiene una historia interesante

Blah

Did not really like it

I found this quite boring and un-inspirational.

Not for me

Boring and same-y. I tried to write anything else, but I could not

Not bad musically, just not my style Whimsical, melodic, reminds me of the holidays

I can hear the influence this album had on artists that came after Drake, but this won’t be one I’ll be listening again.

Too slow for my taste. He has a beautiful voice though.

Folk music, most if not all songs sound the same. Meh

Solide, un peu daté mais efficace !

left very little impression on me

Too depressing for me, but I thought it was good quality.

Pleasant, but not really my kind of music. I do appreciate the strings though.

I felt like a lot of his songs sounded the same, either with a riverboat jaunty feel or an Evangeline feel. Favorite song was definitely Day is Done

Self-important 60s folk. Nothing special. 2/5

Zzz...zzz...

Folk. 60s folk.

not a huge fan of folk so eh

2/5 Best: Day Is Done Worst: Man in a Shed

Fine but forgettable

Lovely vocals but boring AF

Another depressed singer-songwriter singing sad songs.

Smooth and easy listening. I can see the appeal but not sure this one was for me.

Maudlin. Not in a good way. And a bit one-dimensional.

Pleasant enough but fairly boring after a while.

Since I like some of his tracks I’ve tried before to get into Nick Drake. Just like the last time I tried I just get too bored. It’s the same with modern acts in a similar vein such as Jose Gonzales. Nice guitar picking never did anything for me on its own. The orchestration doesn’t add anything for me but annoyance. Saturday sun I knew from before and like, but the rest of the tracks won’t enter any playlist.

Nice use of various instruments, nice background music but not something I could listen to much of for an extended period of time

Guess you either love or hate him

Meh

Chill Afternoon record

Not my jam. Cello Song and Saturday Sun were fine songs but Thoughts of Mary Jane was absolutely dreadful.

no more for me thanks. not as bad as k.d. lang, though

Very understated folk and singer songwriter album with some strings and other elements to add a sometimes relaxing, sometimes haunting atmosphere. I honestly think this album is extremely overrated. His voice is just ok, and the songs just kind of meander along. I can see it being decent background music and people like the lyrics but it’s not for me.

Not really for me

Prett Boring

eh lyrics are more like talking and im not that much of a fan of that

Five Leaves Left is the debut album by English folk musician Nick Drake. This melancholy folk album was almost ignored by critics at release, but has since been lauded as an excellent showcase of Nick Drake's interesting musical direction and beautifully monotone lyrics - perhaps his best album. I was not impressed by this album - although it did fit the mood of my grey Monday morning well - so I rate it as an average album. If soft, gentle, melodic music - or folk music - is your thing as a listener, then this is the album for you.

Tunnelmointilevynä oilein kiva, meni kyllä sen verran ohi kuunnellessa, että pelottaa, onko vähän tyhjä. Oletettavasti ei kuitenkaan.

Uneventful acoustic 70's rock with a bluesy jazzy edge.

Eh, I never really got into Nick Drake. Not for me, but I can acknowledge that it's done well, though.

Quiet, a bit muffled vocally, pretty in a very low key and laid back style, but bordering on boring. I prefer the fuller jazzier sound of the 2nd LP, Bryter Layter.

Harmless but uninspiring. His voice is unexceptional, and the acoustic guitar is well played but with little emotion - it all feels so very technically correct and emotionally empty.

Nope.

Folk lentorro. Rollo. Un 2.

I cannot remember any song. It’s a bank holiday weekend and the MW2 beta came out, so cut me some slack.

Um, yeah. This is definitely a record.

Destacó la voz de nick, instrumentalmente todo suena algo depre y triste, no es mi estilo pero tiene unos ritmos interesantes Las letras están bastante buenas pero si tuviera que categorizarlo sería música para ruptura amorosa o música de ascensor jaja Cancion recomendada "cello song"

Meh on this one

Awful

It was ok, didn't hate it but nothing grabbed me.

Meh 2

Nice enough, not my type of music though and got bored quickly.

Disco como trova en inglés. Algunas suenan jazzeadas, la música está bien. Las letras no me atraparon y en general se me hizo muy equis. 2.5 estrellas que bajan a 2 porque mañana no me voy a acordar de él.

4/10

Nope

Meini aika taustamusan puolelle. Ei jäänyt oikeen negatiivista tai positiivista sanottavaa. Vois koittaa myöhemmin joskus uudestaa

Did not stand out to me.

meh, the other one was better 2.5

I didn't like this as much as I thought I would, unfortunately. It was kind of boring.

Folk lentorro. Rollo. Un 2.

Not bad, was pleasant sounding but I wasn’t drawn in

Nice but boring

I can see the talent on display, but blimey it's boring.

One gets the feeling the curators of this list really, but really, love Nick Drake's music. This is the third album of his I'm getting, and as far as I know he had 3 albums released prior to his premature death. Anyway, as far as I'm concerned it's more or less the same as before: music that's OK for a quiet afternoon's background, but nothing that actually "lifts". If anything, I found this album more boring than its siblings.

It was ok, not my type of music. The way he sang was not my style. Short album, got bored halfway through

Found it kind of bland.

Ok

Nick Drake is kinda like Jeff Buckley - they're both unknown outside "big indie" circles but absolutely adored inside them, they both killed themselves in their 20s and they both bore the Christ out of me. 2/5.

more like five i leave and left the album alone

This was a bit of a snooze - I just don't really care for folk music like this. 4/10.

Late 80’s Emo music good. Late 60’s Emo music bad.

Not for me. It's not terrible it just reminds me of rainy Sundays in February. The musical equivalent of hearing the Antiques Roadshow theme tune signalling the end of the weekend and back to school tomorrow.

4/10, helt okej men verkligen en snarkfest. Musiken va fin, men hans röst är så enformig.

Please, no more sad lad music. I see all the other positive reviews and wish I liked this better to join the "Nick Drake" crowd, but it just doesn't work for me. His voice is just too monotone and its not only that I don't find it interesting, but it also has a negative droning effect on me.

Too easy listening for me, nothing for my ear to hook onto. Good background music