Five Leaves Left

No i kolejny pan Drake na liscie, dosc niespodziewany pick, bo jego pierwszy studyjny material z 69 i jak dla mnie najmniej osluchany jego krazek, wiec o ile pink moona i brytera laytera katowalem, tak piec pozostalych liscow przesluchalem raz i nie wrocilem do nich ponownie, bo reszta dyskografii brzmi o tyle lepiej, ze debiutancki material wypada przy niej nijako, brak mu charakteru, pomimo tego ze nadal utwory sa barwne i pobudzajace wyobraznie, to jednak brakuje im jakiegos zabarwienia emocjonalnego jak desperackie proby przebicia sie do mainstreamu z brytera, czy pogodzony artysta z swoim brakiem sukcesu wsrod szerszej publiki, a tak pierwszy album miesza ze soba melancholijne kawalki jak day is done lub way to blue, ktore jednak sa balansowane przez bardziej pozytywne kompozycje w postaci time has told me czy river mana, nie moglo zabraknac takze czegos dotyczacego wyidealizowanych realcji miedzy ludzkich, bo drake mocno idealizowal lub moze nie chcial pisac o czyms realnym, wiec dla jednego takie przedstawienie relacji bedzie smieszne, a dla drugiego glupie, a jeszcze inny bedzie oczarowany tym jak mozna interpretowac dane sytuacje, natomiast jesli chodzi o strone instrumentalna to podobnie jak na innych nagraniach nagrywal wszystko na zywca bez overdubowania, co jest czyms niecodzinnym gdy wokalista gra jeszcze na akustyku i jest wspierany przez liczne aranzacje smyczkowe, ktore sa glownym instrumentem budujacym klimat plyty, do tego dochodza pianinowe wstawki, elektryk na jednym kawalku i dodatkowe pomniejsze instrumenty, ciekawym nawiazaniem jest sam tytul plyty, ktory odnosi sie do paczki fajek, o ktorych rowniez mial utwor na innym wydaniu, tytulowe piec lisciow zlozylo sie z data skoku na gleboka wode jakiego dokonal konczac swoj zywot artystyczny, co dodatkowo nadaje tajemniczosci tej niezrozumianej i tajemniczej postaci brytyjskiego folka, na plejke dodam openingowego time has told me oraz river mana, wiec pozytywniejsza strone tworczosci Drakowej, bo jednak jest ona w mniejszosci biorac pod uwage caloksztalt materialu, wiec na nowo poznalem sie na albumie juz osluchanym i chyba bardziej docenilem znajac juz reszte tworczosci, dodatkowo biorac pod uwage jak ciezko o tak rowne folkowe materialy, bo 41 minut jest rowne zarowno muzycznie jak i lirycznie

Lovely fingerpicking, pretty voice, swaggy cello

Good but don't remember much

One of the most consistently excellent discoveries this list has offered. Amazing guitar playing with a tasteful amount of string accompaniment to round things out.

It was very mellow and reminded me a lot of Simon & Garfunkel

Mjög ánægjuleg hlustun, ekki sama gegnumgangandi snilldin og Pink Moon, en þarna eru lög sem eru alveg frábær.

A simple voice yet so rich in colour combined with a guitar playing style focused on unique tunings and songwriting structure. No exceptional song, but a smooth listening experience from beginning to end with a timeless and minimalist production.

Great, timeless album. Harrowing and soothing voice paired with great guitar playing. Quite liked this !

Quite pleasant

Awesome debut album, it has been a while since I lsiten to it and Wow ! Nice folk album, I won't wait that long before listen to it again.

I have always been in love with his album "Pink Moon", but I had never dug deeper to find out more from this artist. Like everything I've heard from Nick Drake so far, this album is another gem of folk that takes us on a journey deep within ourselves.

Classic.

so 60s...

Beautiful

Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Time Has Told Me, Day Is Done, ' Cello Song, Man In A Shed, Saturday Sun Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Don't typically care for these more introspective singer songwriter albums but this was soft and lovely. Didn't really feel the melancholy that people associate so much with him on this album but maybe that's a retrospective thing that I'll understand after hearing more of his stuff. On to Pink Moon.

This was a really nice pleasant album. Really sounds like it could have come out recently.

I listened to the first half of this album and it was really not doing anything for me. Put it down, came back later to the second half and it was great. Is it an album of two halves, or did I just need to wake up a bit more before listening? On a second listen, I still think the second half is stronger but its definitely a great album throughout

Very tea-and-toast British, but still endearingly grim.

A scoop of ice cream tumbling off the cone. Putting down a beloved old dog. Eleanor Rigby. In the mid-90s, the Smashing Pumpkins released an epic LP with a title Nick Drake could have considered for his own: 'Melancholy And The Infinite Sadness.' Nick Drake can out-bum out the bluest any other singer/songwriter from his generation has to offer. Even Joni Mitchell had a few, ‘Big Yellow Taxi(s)’ in her repertoire, for cryin’ out loud. Not Drake. Every song is a meditation on the unending truncheon blows of depression and other debilitating effects of isolation, exacerbated by the relentless impending approach of death. ‘Saturday’s sun won’t come and see me today,’ Drake concludes on the final track. ‘Saturday’s sun has turned to Sunday’s rain. So Sunday sat in the Saturday sun and wept for a day gone by.’ One of his songs has the word ‘cello’ in the title, quite possibly the saddest sounding musical instrument ever invented. (Banjo and Accordion tie for the happiest.) Even the title, Five Leaves Left, refers to a brand of rolling papers that carry a caution upon nearing the end. Drake was writing for his life here, apparently literally. But all this is not to say that I didn’t enjoy the album. To the contrary, I found it melodically rich, with uncommon (in the best way) chord progressions. Painfully tender, like a bruise, and approached carefully, respectfully, so as not to cause further damage. Songs best listened to, I imagine, on a rainy day, and best heard in the autumn/winter of one’s life rather than the spring/summer. Drake sings on ‘Way To Blue’: ‘Look through time and find your rhyme. Tell us what you find. We will wait at your gate hoping like the blind.’ We used to play an imaginative game as kids concerning which of our senses we would most miss. Sight was generally the favorite, and for good reason. Imagine the inability to a gaze up at a snow crested mountain against a clear blue sky, or down into the toothless grin of your infant child. I always chose hearing, though. Still do. And with gratitude for musical artists like Nick Drake, who have shown me, repeatedly, the ability of sound to bring vision, too.

Really enjoyed this one. Loved the combination of singer-songwriter folk and jazz, and the consistent tone throughout. The musicality was really cool throughout as well, with interesting timings on songs like Day is Done, and awesome chord progressions like in River Man. Definitely made me want to listen more.

Very soothing and pleasant

A little boring but in a nice, background music sort of way. Melodic, warm, soothing.

Do not skip this one. Such a great album. Folky and moody, a great album for a rainy day. Favorite song: Saturday Sun

Superlike

i liked it! first time ever listening to nick drake :)

Love this album! Such a classic! Don't know if I could listen to it again, given I spent so much of my tragic youth listening to this and Grace by Jeff Buckley, but it was great.

I knew some of this stuff already and Nick Drake always feels like an artist I should know about and love but haven't ever explored that much. Should get into it - liked this album a lot!

Melancholy, contemplative, imbued with much sadness, in many respects Five Leaves Left is a tough listen. Drake’s voice is beautiful and the production exquisite but the mood is dour and there is little variety between tracks. Probably a 3.5 but I’ll lean 4 because it is the festive season.

Lovely chamber pop

schnulzig aber eigentlich ganz schön, produktion überraschend fresh

Really liked this. Nick drake is good. I would pick this up if I saw it at my record store.

Beautiful

Melodic and olde worlde sounding but both melodies and (especially) lyrics have an edge and a heartfelt sadness.

Cuidadosamente trabajado. Primera vez que escucho a Nick y la verdad que me pareció un gran arte este álbum.

I definitely liked this album more than Pink Moon, and that was a pretty good album. This one had more instruments and a more complex production which I liked. Like Pink Moon, none of the songs stand out on their own, they just seem to blend together into a really good listening experience. Fav songs: time has told me

Very folky. You can tell that many of the current folk artists have taken notes from this album.

Five Leaves Left by Nick Drake (1969) British folk singer/songwriter Nick Drake accompanies himself on dreamy, floating, and clean acoustic guitar. Lyrics are reflective, fatalistic, and mostly sad, but lacking maturity (He wrote them before he turned 21). They’re metrically loose, but too strongly attached to simple rhyme. Evoking sympathy, if not empathy, they bring out the paternal in the soft hearted listener, but there’s no need to get all weepy. Not yet, anyway. Chord structures are jazz/folk eclectic, sometimes bordering on the arbitrary (especially on the opening track “Time Has Told Me”, “Three Hours”, and portions of others). He keeps the listener on his/her toes. Spare but inventive instrumentals (strings, double bass, congas, piano, flute, double reeds) are well arranged, providing striking and fulsome background to Drake’s vocal and guitar stylings—very intelligent choices here. The melodies and instrumentals are as humorless as the words, except on “Man In a Shed”, which is a bit of a mismatch between lyrics and musical setting, but is entertaining enough anyway. No drumsticks are heard on this record, except very subdued on the slow closing track “Saturday Sun”, with delicate vibraphone and trap set. Cello and vocal hum duet at the end “‘Cello Song” is hypnotic—I’ve never heard anything like it. Drake’s voice is recorded without reverb or dubbing, producing a clean and smooth timbre reminiscent of Leonard Cohen—a safe choice when one’s pipes lack classic range, strength, and vibrato. It takes a lot of breath, but he never seems to run out. I don’t know why, but on first listen, I frequently wanted to hear some of these songs performed by Judy Collins. Or maybe Kenny Rankin. Or maybe you & me. Yeah, you & me. The album is over fifty years old, but if you had told me it was recorded last week I wouldn’t have doubted you. I’m afraid if I listen to this too many times, I’ll fall in love with it. Too late. One time did it. I downloaded it and added eight of these ten tracks to my “Wooden Music” playlist for a long drive on two-lane highways in the Far West. Alone. This is a good album. Where are the suits when you need them? 4/5

Only really heard Drake’s “popular” (ads) tracks, but dug this one…especially the country tinged guitar playing.

Very chilled out folk, occasionally dark and deep.

Ooh, he was very good that Nick Drake, wasn't he? I'm not a folk fan, but if I was I would probably really enjoy this. I enjoyed this 3 stars, but feel like it's a 4 or 5 star album.

Old slow music. if u in the mood its great.

4/5

A wonderful surprise of an album. An artist whom I knew nothing of, Nick Drake has really won me over here. It’s just full of lovely arrangements. The bass is strong and purposeful, the strings and wind in particular are gorgeous and there are even congas in places (Three Hours and the delightful Cello Song probably being the two standout tracks on the album) adding to the record’s overall texture. Drake’s vocals too are soft and warm and weary, helping to pull everything together and make it all work perfectly.

Strong 4 stars. Great blend of folk songwriting and jazz. Drakes voice is also great. Will definitely return to this one

Nice

A pleasant 60s folk

Beautiful and brooding. Loved the guitar riffs.

Q: Is it ironic that someone uses a 'pipe' on thoughts about Mary Jane? A: No. f/u Q: How about the fact that Im sharing my thoughts about on the track 'thoughts on Mary Jane'? ---- Here are some more of my thoughts... "Way to Blue" should've been retitled to 'Way Too Blue." "'Cello Song" is makes me think of cool, misty morning walking through dew right before the sun comes up along a river. "River Man" and "Man in A Shed" Makes me think of Matt Foley ... yeah. Matt Foley. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv2VIEY9-A8

I like Nick Drake’s guitar playing style. I dig his voice. Three Hours might be my favorite song on this album. Man In A Shed is nice little jazzy lounge number. Way to Blue could go. It uses strings only I think. And this track is where I realized I’m attracted to the finger picking folk guitar on many of the other songs.

Smooth acoustic folk. Mellow.

Great album for guitar. Didn't love it at first but it grew on me.

melodic and relaxing vibes with some soft and pleasant instrumentation. kind of reminds me of iron & wine

I enjoyed this album. Hard to believe it was from 1969. It felt much more modern.

Really enjoyed this one - felt very melancholy.

He has such a great sound. Want to listen again.

Very mellow. Great for a rainy day.

This is actually rather listenable

Very Melancholic and the lyrics are vaguely depressing. The tone is relatively the same throughout which is a drawback but the composition and instrumentals are great. 7.9/10

I liked this one quite a bit. Vocals are solid, and the instrumentation is quite good. Big fan.

Somber, mostly eerie to me, since I've never really listened to folk before. I think my favorite tracks to listen to were Three Hours, Day is Done

More ornate than Pink Moon which was all I knew before, but still well crafted

very nice relaxing album

One that I’m aware of - cello song being a classic. Lots of influence here on other artists which is fun

Nice and mellow

Man, those chord changes. I like this album for a lot of reasons, but especially those chord changes.

Ova legenda je moj čovjek jeseni. Ne prođe jesen, a da ne pustim bar jedan od njegova tri albuma. Prošle godine je najviše bio Bryter Layter, a sada evo u proljetno doba vjerujem da neće toliko ostaviti trag kao što ostavi u jesen poput Fleet Foxesa, ali svakako ne bi trebalo utjecati na rejting. Al paz ovo, u šumi si ili svom dvorištu sa pogledom na mali potočić, sunce prolazi kroz krošnje, lišće je šareno, vrijeme oko 15tak °C, svježiji zrak, a svejedno dovoljno da budeš u trenerci, slušaš ovaj album i uživaš u zlatnom satu godišnjeg doba.

interesting country/folk sound. Definitely like it.

Enjoyed it, arrangements seemed a bit sparse at times though

The humble beginnings of Nick Drakes three album run and it was a gentle album with light instrumentals.

Ндаа, это конечно не Коэн... И не Кейв... И не Федоров. Тоже ничего, конечно, но... не Федоров. По сабжу — годнота, первая и последняя песня какой-то праздной хуйней показались и в целом не зашли, но всё остальное очень балдежно, особенно наиболее зловещие и диссонансные песни. Между подходами прогнал Song of Love and Hate ещё разок, и на контрасте всё-таки Дрейк немного Бардижем показался. Но в целом одобряем всецело, 8/10

Выкупаю, конечно, что всё дохуя грамотно и продуманно, на века пилилось. Слушается на одном дыхании и весьма приятно. Но в этом стремлении к цельности, единообразию будто сглажено всё то, за что ухо зацепиться может. Ни один трек не запоминается, ни один мотив не хочется напевать, несмотря на их лаконичность и мелодичность. Музыка, которую почти не замечаешь. Забыл вырубить плеер во время половой ебли, так и прокрутился, будто нет. Но всё же это - хорошая музыка, которой не замечаешь. Может, складно подойдёт для фона при работе с текстом, на что раньше годился лишь Fear Inoculum там.

Very chill, good easy listening

I bought this CD, in a plastic cover with no booklet, from an old head - I forget his name - in Kuzmas on Main Road, Rondebosch, Cape Town, some time in the mid-90s, I think for R5. He sold it to buy beer. I'd never heard of Nick Drake, but he assured me it was good. I decided to take a chance; he was right.

Beautiful - I have heard bits and pieces of Nick Drake but never gone through an entire album - so nice to have this in my world now..will def be going back - such a smooth and soothing voice, and simple but effective arrangement

Beautifully crafted songs. Brings to mind Cohen and one of my favorite contemporary artists, Michael Head.

Je moet er wel voor in de stemming zijn, maar dan is het ook wel een van de mooiste albums die ken.

Great for a melancholy mood. Cello Song is probably my favorite on the album. Pink Moon may still be my favorite Nick Drake album though. This one still good.

Very good. Chill. Pretty good soundtrack for packing up in Omaha.

he'e been the discovery of the generator for me

Pues chido. Si me gustó el toque melancólico mood killer de domingo por la tarde. Sobre todo me gustó la guitarra en Three Hours, suena bien dark. Y cello song también está padre. Mood: recibiendo la eutanasia como una bendición.

Melhor música : Day is Done

I wish I had listened to this album before his final one. I think it would have made me appreciate it more and give it a higher rating. This album is so good. I’ve listened to it twice already and while some of the songs I could take or leave, the album as a whole is very strong. I love the peacefulness of the songs and the way it plays nicely in the background. Even this album feels very minimal. There are only a few more instruments in this vs Pink Moon. As I listened to this album I just kept thinking, who is this Nick Drake and why did I never hear about him before this list. My favorite song was ‘Cello Song. I also really like the album cover because I feel like that was a happy moment for Nick before things started going downhill and he was like “hey get a shot of me, I’m feeling this attic”.

7

This beautifully melancholic record grows on you. The Way to blue is mournful but lovely and River man is Drake at his best. If you're in the mood for chill folky music you can't go wrong with this record.

Tres bon folk 4.0 je vais reecouter!

Pleasant

Nick Drake was Jack Johnson before Jack Johnson...

This album is a delight. I'm surprised I hadn't heard of Drake's work but it's folky and mournful. He sounds like a Young Eddie Vedder, perfect for a rainy afternoon. Wistful and gorgeous.

How have I never heard this album until now? It's so good! It's like if John Denver focused less on mountains.

Avslappende. Har en melankoli som i alle av Drakes album, men også en optimisme som mangler i hans senere utgivelser. Gitarspillingen som Drake er kjent for blir satt litt i baksetet til tider, men det går helt fint.

I had to run an errand last night so found myself driving around in the dark while listening to this and it was quite a nice experience. The moon wasn’t pink, but still… nice experience.

super calming music

a really nice, melancholy album. Three hours is one of my favorite tracks. The popular tracks were River Man, Saturday Sun, and Cello Song.

Very soft and beautiful. Some songs reminded me of renaissance festivals or role-playing games. DH felt it reminded him of Dispatch.

nick is amazing. it's weird that we kind of almost forgot about him, and then he reappeared and now people know his work again.

Very good. Slow and poignant. Loved River Man

Nice chill acoustic guitar with a smooth singer Reminds me of Jose Gonzalez or This Empty Northern Hemisphere. Pretty good :)

Mesmerizing vocals, haunting.

River Man!! *****

Very good, want to play guitar like this

Another banger of an album

Nice instrumental and singing

Soothing strumming

Old acoustic guitar rock

nostalgico tranquilito

Did music start getting good in 1975?

Pretty good, a nice chill vibe.

Very mellow, very cool.

Really pleasant listening album

love Nick Drake! I'm a sucker for that vibe

Reminds me of Donovan a lot. Nice discovery!

I prefer the stripped back beauty of Pink Moon more, but this is still great.

I can hear how he went to influence artists like Jose Gonzales, Jack Johnson, Shawn Mullins and basically anyone with an acoustic guitar

The album was not able to communicate with me. It's calming though. Might be John Mayer's influence.

This guy is very talented and appears to be very sad. Best track: River Man

:(

1969. Key Songs: River Man, Saturday Son, 'Cello Man

3.5/5. Very melancholy, good after an emotionally exhaustive day. Not particularly my favorite genre. Standout Tracks: The Thoughts of Mary Jane, Saturday Sun

Gorgeous album.

Pretty strong debut, but Bryter Layter and Pink Moon are better. Closer to a 3.5

Very pretty, I liked this

Good chilled out summer vibes. Fit the mood.

was good, not my type of music but I still liked it, some songs sounded similar to each other but it wasn't that big of a deal, 7/10

This is the third, and final Nick Drake album I'll get on here as I recently read that he sadly died young and just released the 3 albums. It feels oddly fitting that this is my preferred one out of the three, as once I had finished it I only then looked up about him and read about the sadness of his life/death. That does explain his music a lot more. I felt like there was more going on here musically than on the others and I enjoyed songs such as "River Man", "Day Is Done" and "Thoughts of Mary Jane". I would actually listen to this again which isn't something I considered with Bryter Layter and Pink Moon. Though I admittedly wasn't a fan of the others, I'll say thanks Nick for contributing to the wonderful world of music.

Sultry and poetic, Nick Drake truly was the precursor to people like John Mayer and Pete Yorn. I’ll admit to not paying too much attention to the lyrics whilst listening. I just let the instruments and his voice carry me off. I enjoyed this album, though not as much as the other that I’ve already come across in this list.

Great writer but music is very monotone and just did not hold my attention.

very relaxing. we just got a puppy and she is finding comfort in this album

There were a few nice sounding tracks on this near the beginning but otherwise was boooooring. Its very pretty though. 3 stars

A nice listen! I'll probably revisit this one again, but for now not a lot stood out. Standout Tracks: Time Has Told Me, Three Hours, Man in a Shed Rating: 3.5

Sounds like pretty standard folk to me on first listen, the Nick Drake hype is not clicking for me but I'm also not a huge folk fan to begin with. Three Hours, 'Cello Song were the highlights for me.

Nick Drake's Five Leaves Left is one of those albums that quietly pulls you into its world. It's incredibly soothing, with gentle acoustic guitar, delicate string arrangements, and Drake's soft, introspective voice creating an atmosphere that feels timeless. Listening to it reminds me of Game of Thrones at its most peaceful, or old English folk songs echoing through the countryside. There's a distinctly medieval, pastoral quality to the music that makes it feel like it's from another era. What makes the album so captivating is its simplicity. Nothing feels forced or overproduced—every song unfolds naturally, giving the listener space to absorb the emotion. Drake's lyrics are thoughtful and poetic without being overly complicated, and the melancholy running through the album never becomes overwhelming. Instead, it feels comforting, like a quiet walk through misty fields on an autumn morning. Although Five Leaves Left wasn't widely appreciated when it was first released, it's easy to see why it's now considered one of the greatest folk albums ever made. It's subtle, beautiful, and rewarding with every listen. If you're looking for music that feels peaceful, reflective, and deeply rooted in English folk traditions, this album is hard to beat.

I did not expect to like this - thought "oh great, another British album by someone nobody cares about". But the interplay between Cave and the other musicians is great. The song he considered the centerpiece of the album is in 5/4. The harmony sounds interesting. So I wouldn't say this is going to work its way into my favorite albums but I like it. Following up with some Brad Mehldau since he covered River Man.

6/10

what if the river man also happens to be the man in a shed

Pretty music made by a pretty boy. I'm probably selling it short with this description but it just didn't do very much for me. Just somewhat boring and slow but I think he was talented. I read online that he was a very depressed person, partially because his music got very little recognition while he was alive. That makes me sad. I don't want to contribute to that problem even though he has been dead for many years. I think he's a talented guy who should have gotten more attention, this just isn't for me.

beautiful collection of ballads

Really enjoyed 2 songs. Rest is fine.

Aspirational acoustic guitar and vocal sounds. Orchestral overdubs not necessarily my cup of tea

Ok

Beautiful album. Cello song is a cracker. Nick drake is the type of artists that transcend time, and have had so many artists emulate him that he fits in to any era. Awesome album, sit back and just fall into it

3.5

This was mellow, chill and a pleasant experience

First time listening to his music. Cool orchestration, the strings are beautiful. Really amazing, unique voice. Will have to look at more of his work.

Weno pero meh era todo similar pero quizas es porque ya me habia tocado escuchar otro de Nick Drake. Pero siento que el otro me gustó mucho más.

I suppose it's good "piano bar" music? Something that's easy on the ears but you don't really need to pay attention to.

A few good songs but overall too long to keep attention. Too much sounds the same.

Nothing stood out to me, but I love folk music so it was enjoyable for sure.

The vocals are to mono tone for my liking. The lyrics are interesting a good way. I enjoyed the music and most aspects of this album, just the vocal range that let me down.

I'm familiar with his work, and understand the iconic status attached to this album, but I've somehow never heard it before in its entirety. I enjoyed it. There, Ive said it. The first three tracks are superb. There are many latter year immitators that clearly take influence from this, but IMO they fall short in comparison. Just falls short of purchase material. Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit 🫳 ★★★☆☆(6/10) Total reviewed : 352 Already owned : 78 Purchased : 16 To buy : 3 Nope : 255

OK as background

Sympa mais sans plus

Didn't like it as much as Pink Moon, but still very nice easy listening. Favorite Track: ' Cello Song

Enjoyable album, it just wasn't to my personal taste.

This was good, but I didn’t like it as much as Pink Moon. His voice still comes through but the arrangement somehow misses the mark

- Uscito il 3 luglio si spiegano molte cose, che archi. - La colonna sonora per una passeggiata fra boschi e sentieri - River man !! Way to blue !! Day is done (fav) !! ’Cello song !! Man in a shed !! - Che bel titolo, perfetto. Voto: 8

Rating:★★★ Ok Album. I liked some of the songs, but I really liked the last song. Otherwise, lots of same sounding songs that made me zone out a bit.

Whilst there's nothing at all to dislike about Nick Drakes music I find the albums a bit samey without a great deal of variation. A pleasant enough listen but not enough to excite me unfortunately.

Mellow, chill, alright

Nick Drake, as I have said before, has been a bit of an albatross for me over the what, 20 or so years since folks decided to give him a rebirth? Because ultimately he is a fine guitarist but his post-hippie stoner-kid vibe just hasn't grabbed me. Like, I feel like this inspired every Jack Johnson/John Mayer/Dispatch/whisper mouthed frat guitarist of the turn of the century, and he will never properly pay amends for that. I think the guitar work strikes me a bit more on this earlier album than on Pink Moon. It's been a few months since I got that by now, but this feels a bit more upbeat, a bit more interesting. It's something I can picture wanting to learn musically. But it's that codeine voice that keeps this from resonating. Another 3* for nick.

An enjoyable listen, but can be a bit dull at points

I think it works and it seems like a soundtrack, it could be for a life or a movie and that's amazing!

Solid funky background music. Almost 2 man mushy.

Flotte numre Jeg skal høre det flere gange, men så tror jeg, det kunne sidde fast Sindssygt flotte strygerarrangementer Det er nok højere næste gang eller gangen efter det, men denne gang: 3.7

Jeg er slet ikke i tvivl om, at han er dygtig, og måske er det fordi, jeg mangler tid og mulighed til at fordybe mig i tekstuniverset, eller flere gennemlytninger som Anders også nævner, men umiddelbart bliver det lidt for monotont - især hans sangstil som næsten ender med at irritere mig lidt - og kedeligt. Det sagt, så er jeg slet ikke i tvivl om kvaliteten, og det er også utroligt smukt (og tidsløst) flere steder. men kan ikke komme højere end 3 (store) stjerner

Two listens probably not enough to really appreciate this, but didn’t pull me in immediately.

Pretty good. The last track, Saturday Sun, is probably my favorite!

I didn’t think this was very original or compelling. The only interesting thing about it is his voice and the rest sounds mostly like generic folk to me.

lagana gitarica i pjevušenje, ponekad nešto više. fora: lagano, solidno, dosljedno kvalitetno, ali meni u konačnici ništa posebno. neki momenti malo kvazidubokoumni. preostalo pet rizala, no samo tri zvjezdice, jebiga, niče drejče

This feel likes astral weeks done right, done way better. Gone is the horrid singing that covers over the pretty solid guitar riffs, but with the trade off being that the backing seems a bit more plain.

Whoever made this list really wants to make sure I’ve heard of Nick Drake by the end. I’ve liked the offerings but I’m still not sure how frequently I’ll come back.

excellent music for virgins, stoners, the clinically depressed, and anyone whose favorite book is The Perks of Being a Wallflower

This was not the best beach album I’ve ever listened to, which is not Nick Drake’s fault. I see the appeal though.

I don’t, in general, view “artist did another thing I like more” as a valid reason to dock points. But I do feel like Nick Drake made the same album 3 times and did it a bit better each time. So there.

Ken dit album helemaal niet. Alleen de cover art komt me bekend voor River man: mooi Day is done: wat een intro, deze ken ik van de kwis lol. Wel echt mooi met die viool ook Fruit tree: hobo fuck yeah Eerste indruk: Niet helemaal mijn pakkie an, maar wel echt heel mooi. Consistent uitgevoerd maar genoeg variatie. Vooral in instrumentatie.

It’s fine, I think the truest Nick Drake is the Pink Moon Nick Drake.

No he llegado a escucharlo entero

This isn't too bad but it's jsut a bit too mellow for me. I think I might put this on if I was in a super chill mood. I hate to give this a low score but it is just so boring to me. I don't think the music is bad it's just very much not for me.

Not my favorite Nick Drake- River Man and Cello Song are unbelievable but 40 minutes of it feels like he's just spinning his wheels a bit

Very slow, melodic, dreamlike. His voice is pretty nice and the guitar is gorgeous. For some reason it just didn't grab me.

Este me gustó bastante menos que el otro. Igual lindo álbum, es muy bueno logrando melodías vocales gancheras y se hace todo llevadero. 6/10

It alright not my type of music

Good, but not great

Nice sounding album. One pace, one sound the whole way through

I didn’t realize when I got to the last song. 6/10

Nick drake locurita, muy piola el vago este

I think this is going to grow on me but initial 3. Vibes were very lovely but a bit sad. Music is very good

Got repetitive after a while but he’s got a lovely voice and the music is pleasant on the ear

Yet another album from this week that might be in my rotation

Ok

*Pink Moon is the essential Nick Drake, but this album is interesting to hear his guitar with more orchestration around it.

I’m really unconvinced that all three Drake albums need to be on this list. This is probably the weakest one.

He delivers melancholy in his own unique way, and it sounded better on a rainy morning.

The first song is like the opening credits for a touching movie where I'm ready for the opening credits to be over and something funny to distract me from how bored I am. In fact, the whole thing is like the soundtrack for a movie I didn't really want to watch, but it's thought provoking. Like it provoked the thoughts that I should have gone for a walk instead of watching the movie or listened to something else. It's fine, but I'll forget it pretty quickly.

It is a very calm and chill album. It's not the style of music that i like but te instrumental sounds great. I would have enjoyed more with stickier melodies

just ok. its not a bad album, but I don't understand why it is on this list.

Norm

o kadar huzur vericiydi ki

I thought this wasn't for me, but it grew into a pleasant, warm sound. I think i could come back for this record when I need the mystical, fluid sound to calm and immerse into it.

Dark and somber

Nice enough but kind of all blurred into one after a while

album cover describes it well

Not my taste, phenomenal composition, just a little too slow for me, feels very coffe shopy for me, i like a heavy drummy guitary song, but yeah liked a total of 2 or 3 songs

I've found it hard to understand why this album didn't click for me, but it just felt too monotone, too uneventful, too overindulgent to move me. Looking forward to some of his other albums on this list to see if anything changes for me

me sorprendió, tiene sonidos totalmente smooth y para la época en la que salió sentí que tenía todo el sentido del mundo en términos conceptuales

Beautiful album, definite Wes Anderson aesthetic, needs the right mood.

Good just not for me really.

a bit too “soft” for me, but i like some songs, and their not bad but i wish there was a bit more like “dynamics”

i like dit mag in de playlist voor rustige muziek die mijn ouders leuk zouden vinden

This was a perfectly fine folk rock album. I like it, but I didn't love it. Would have hoped for a little more variety, but it passed by like water over rocks. Smooth, nice to look at/listen, but nothing to keep around.

I have mixed feelings about this because it is a wonderful album: great to listen to, pleasant, and moody. But it just doesn’t do it for me. I went to go to listen again and just didn’t really want to. Nothing stands out to me.

Muy bonitas las melodías, no me gustó como canta

Much better than Joni Mitchell yesterday

Listened to this album on my way from the countryside, so you could imagine my joy. I can't tell if the album was good by itself or because it matched the scenery, but either way it was a blast. I rlly enjoyed it, specially Time has told me and river man.

Saved? ✅ Would listen again? ✅ Would recommend to anyone? 🤔 Would buy on Vinyl? ✅

I really wasn’t sure if it was my cup of tea at first - but by the end of the album I was really impressed with the bones of it. There are so many instruments used - I ended up really appreciating the instrumental aspect.

Interesante. Aunque bastante homogeneo todo el album

Let’s start with the good news. The instrumentation is great. A good use of different instruments throughout, and well played. Didn’t think I’d like bongos and cello in the same song, but here we are. But Nick’s voice is not my style. Lacks range and seems to run flat a little? The late 60s are a crowded field, and this album doesn’t break through.

This was interesting. Never heard it before. Would probably not seek it out but I could imagine listening to the whole album front to back again. No stand out songs but overall pleasant experience

Never Heard of, but good music.

Nick has a great smooth voice, very relaxing. This is a great jazz infused folk music album. Very talented

pretty voice, pretty instrumentals. kinda boring, sorry nick

Ahead of its time but not my jam

Solid lyrics, not much else.

This was the 2nd time I’ve reviewed this album, I adored it 1st time around, but now I find it rather tame, and out of sorts bad s couple of songs.

Ok

Dit is een perfect woensdagochtend albumpje zeg. Folkrock, ik heb het in het verleden saai genoemd, maar ik trek het vandaag heel erg goed. Een nummer als Saturday Sun? Prachtig, met de zon op de achtergrond. Muziek is soms zo ontzettend afhankelijk van je eigen mood en de sfeer eromheen. En vandaag is een rustig folk rock tokkel album gewoon precies wat ik wil. Ironisch dat Pink Moon eigenlijk precies hetzelfde album is, maar toch heb ik het idee dat er op dit album meer gebeurt. Of dat nu komt door de instrumenten, de stem van Nick die meer emotie draagt of dat ik zelf gewoon wat lekkerder in de wedstrijd zit? We zullen het nooit weten. Feit blijft; dit is een prima album, lekker relaxed voor bij je eerste kopje koffie in de ochtend. Is dit een album dat ik de komende weekenden elke keer aan ga zetten? Nee zeker niet, maar voor een luie zondagochtend zie ik mezelf dit best nog wel eens aanzetten. Het is namelijk meer dan prima achtergrond muziek. Dat is meteen ook een beetje mn issue hiermee; achtergrond muziek. Om hier nu echt met de volle aandacht naar te luisteren... Mij lukt het niet, en dat is ergens zonde gezien de status van de beste man als een sterk schrijver. Ik denk dat daar de muziek gewoon niet interessant genoeg voor is, althans niet voor mij. Wel een lekker koffie albumpje, dat dan weer wel. FAVO: River man, Thoughts of Mary Jane, Saturday Sun

Some of the best acoustic guitar playing on the list. The songs are poetic and haunting. You can tell he had some demons in his closet. Knowing he died so young I bet his lyricism would have greatly improved with age. He sounds like he's much older than he is.

Best fag paper related album so far... Also, who doesn't like a lyric about a nice shed?

Trivelige greier, og de beste låtene er gromme. Men det er for mye av det samme her, og litt for mye som grenser til det kjedelige.

no opinion either way

Medium. Some nice sounding songs if not a tad bland at times

Thoughts before listening: Sad mopey British folk. People go crazy for Pink Moon, but it has never really done all that much for me. I don't now this one, but I would expect more of the same sound wise. Review: This is very pleasant musically although I am sure a deeper dive into the lyrics would show a much darker undercurrent here. This is obviously a precursor to the type of material that someone I enjoyed growing up like Elliott Smith put out. Pleasant enough music (especially the string flourishes throughout) with lovely harmonies but also dark subject matter. Its hard to hate on this, but the music is also fading to the background for me. I think it may be the hushed vocals that are keeping this from fully connecting. Still though I can appreciate the songwriting and musicianship on this album. 3-stars

3.5 Good, not great. "Pink Moon" is the GOAT, though.

Album definitely gets you feeling a certain type of way. Nick Drake is talented, but seldom am I going for such a melancholy vibe

Gud

Really enjoyed the vocals. I think I’d really appreciate this album with repeated listens.

Couldn't distinguish between songs. All about the same. 5 minutes after this finished playing couldn't tell you the name of the album or artist. Definitely mellow but unmemorable

Not what I'm into but it's chill.

Wow this is true folk music. I really love the lush orchestral arrangements. This must be a progenitor of the present-day indie folk subgenre of "chamber pop." I don't love some of the vocal stylings but they are 100% folk and not country, so I can deal.

man, Alexi Murdoch is just a cover band, huh? I'm enjoying this. Not my usual genre, but its calming, and sad.

Nice folksie singer/songwriter stuff. Reminds me of Rodriguez (who of course came later but still...) Enjoyable but I like my music a little more energetic as a whole

Nicht meins.

Still monotone, but, at least it was chill to listen to. Hi there, Niels. How's your morning going?

Nice folk album. Probably would be what Elliot Smith would sound like if he were from the 60s.

These are objectively lovely songs but somehow they don’t engage me. I think it’s something to do with his slightly ethereal, gentle vocal delivery coupled with lyrics that are more suggestive than direct, and are sometimes whimsical, eg Thoughts of Mary Jane. I know that a lot of artists I love are big fans of Nick Drake’s music but I tend to approve of it more than I like it. Cello Song is the standout track for me here. Given his backstory, Man In A Shed is very sad and also a bit of an exception from the lack of direct engagement in the lyrics.

Pleasant 1960's folk to while away 40 minutes but not special enough to make me want to return.

Alot of cellos! I like Man in a Shed though, great pianos.

I imagine this music playing over footage of some teens in a field of daisies. They are from the 1970s. At first, the teens are kind of running around and playing, but they end up losing their virginity.

3.7 if i could

Cozy

Nick Drake’s debut is very much "a listening album" that demands focused attention to appreciate its subtleties. However, its consistently sombre tone, and maudlin vocals, means it is perhaps not a record one would reach for on a regular basis to get intimately acquainted with. It remains a sophisticated, albeit emotionally distant, collection of songs that didn't really connect with me. Three stars. Side A 1 "Time Has Told Me" (3/5) 2 "River Man" (4/5) 3 "Three Hours" (4/5) 4 "Way to Blue" (3/5) 5 "Day Is Done" (3/5) Side B 6 "'Cello Song" (4/5) 7 "The Thoughts of Mary Jane" (3/5) 8 "Man in a Shed" (4/5) 9 "Fruit Tree" (3/5) 10 "Saturday Sun" (3/5) Total - 34 Average - 3.4 273/1001 148/273 albums reviewed were new to me

Nice. Sad tale this chap.

Nice chill jam session

I wanted so bad to give this 4 stars, but it is just too sad and slow. I'm just so blue by the end... First half of the album was a bit weak, but the 2nd half is great. I really connect with the big feelings he's trying to process in his songs, though romanticizing his depression is a little bit off-putting. He's a gifted lyricist and musician clearly deep in his own head. Made me really have to think about whether this album deserved 4 stars. - Mix seems sub-par on the first song. I can't really hear the singer, for no obvious reason other than that the instruments are too loud? - I think I liked the sunnier first album by Nick Drake more actually. This one is kinda busy - 2nd half is getting more of my attention. I'll do a lyric listen-through I think - Reiterating that first half of this album is pretty weak and 'in the clouds' lyrically. Turns with Day is Done though - 'Cello Song' is beautiful too. Clearly entering some BIG feeling territory (meaning of life, dealing with grief...)

Every time I listen to this it ends up being background - despite intended concentration.

wow

6/10

Good stuff

I know I need to listen to this more to take in the full meaning. I had it on in the background a few times and still enjoyed the chilled sound

You know that guy at the bar who’s had a few too many and he thinks everything he says is way more charming than it really is? Nick Drake is that guy in musical form. He doesn’t sing so much as suggestively whisper his lyrics into your ears, mumbling and slurring in his ‘sexy’ voice. It’s kind of fun at first but it gets annoying real quick. When Drake creates simple songs with an unadorned arrangements, something he will do on subsequent albums, the drunken whisper delivery works. Songs like Northern Sky from the next album and a couple from Pink Moon come to mind, but nothing on this album works like that at all. This album is too busy with all those instrumentations. It all feels sloppy and overdone.

I like Nick Drake but I don't listen to Nick Drake.

1: River Man 2: Saturday Sun 3: Thoughts of Mary Jane

Wow two Nick Drake albums in the same week. After listening to Pink Moon, Five Leaves Left was pretty much what I expected. There were more unique instruments on this debut album, like strings and drums, and I think I liked it a bit better. It gives it more life, volume, and variance. Five Leaves Left suffers the same problem as Pink Moon, or vice versa. It's still too samey throughout. Drake's lyrics are all delivered in the same sleepy style and it doesn't hold me for more than a few songs. It's not bad, it's just not that enthralling. Standout tracks were "Three Hours" and " 'Cello Song" It's another 3/5 for Drake from me. It's simply fine. Pleasant songs and lyrics, but doesn't do much more.

Com certeza é um álbum muito bem composto, porém eu acho que preciso de bem mais tempo para digeri-lo.

I don't know what it is about Nick Drake. Based on what I listen to, I should love his music but I just cannot get into it.

Immaculate sounding, cannot believe this was made in 1969. Not my genre at all but I cannot die the beauty

I quite liked this, nothing crazy about it though. Not really my style.

Tiene canciones mejores en sus otros discos que además suenan más completos. De aquí me guardo "River man" y "Cello song". Una pena que se fuera tan pronto de este mundo.

The album was well written, and sort of melancholic. I like how he plays guitar. Will probably listen again.

htela sam da hejtujem ali nisam uspela, nik i njegova muzika su prosto toliko chill, ne moze ih nista zaustaviti. sladak, opusten album. ponekad ima nekih zanimljivih i neocekivanih instrumenata koji upadnu, ali uglavnom je produkcija veoma ocekivana, sto nije losa stvar, znas sta te ceka! vokali su u prvom planu uglavnom i peva o zivotu, najs.

I feel like I’ve heard this artist’s name but cannot tell you why… His voice and songs were pleasant, but true appreciation for this album is probably lost on me.

🙂

The melancholy never abides. The lyrics are deep and the voice is incredible for someone that was so young when this came out

Chill background folk singer/songwriter.

A nice and simple album but nothing really stood out.

3- Stars (7/15)

Folk is one of my least favorite genres, so this was tough. But not as bad as I feared. The less closely I listened the better it was for me. It’s pleasant. For me the orchestration detracted, and a lot of it was just not to my taste. Easy to see why people love this though.

I can see the foundation of what he would become scattered on this record, but he just wasn’t able to put it all together here in a way that really pulls me in. It’s somewhat of a shame that this list gave me “Pink Moon” first because it was always going to be a bit of a letdown hearing his previous albums after listening to what many people consider his best record.

Treig nesten country Gammel musikk Litt kjedelig, men hadde fine melodier til tider

Meget fint album

it's very peaceful but not the type of peaceful I'm into. sounds like sitting by a river in a village update: day is done is pretty melancholic and sad in a calming way update: if i heard him busking on the st i would stop and listen

An ok album, if you're into sad folk ballads.

I know I like to say I hate this man but I don't actually mean it, I think he was just really depressed and he makes sad, mournful music that isn't quite to my taste. There were, however, some gems in this album including 'Way to Blue' which shockingly I did enjoy and so I will **tentatively** give this a 3.

Chill album, but very similar from song to song. Also never realized Nick Caves work went all the way back to the late 60s.

Ok for background music. Liked Three Hours and Man in a Shed best.

Coffee shop vibes. Liked Man in the Shed.

Powerful album, but just didn't impact me as much as I thought it might.

Some vintage chill music! I really like Nick Drake. Some of it is a bit monotonous but I really like his vibe. Shame he passed on so soon, would have liked to see how he evolved.

Calm Good for a background song at home during chores/reading. Heard better but still nice 3/5

Some were pretty cool, some were pretty meh cool + meh = 3 maths

Weirdly I liked this. Based on self-knowledge I shouldn't have liked this but I did for totally unknown reasons.

The first half was complete bullshit, but it got a lot better later, especially when the pianos kicked in.

Começo a perceber o porquê de tanta gente gostar de Nick Drake. Acho que se o ouvir mais umas vezes vou começar a entranhar mais a sua música e a viciar. Não sabia que a ' Cello Song era dele. Apenas a conhecia porque os Fontaines DC têm uma cover desta música. Gostei de ver uma ligação a uma das minhas bandas favoritas e tanto a música original como a cover são incríveis. É um 3/5, mas no futuro pode ser mais.

Overproduced not my favorite nick drake.

Nice album, altough out of my usual comfort zone. I have mixed feelings about it, because I appreciated the melodies, but struggled to appreciate the voice of the singer. However I could definitely see myself listening to this again with a hot chocolate and a book by my side ! Favorite tracks : Three Hours and 'Cello song.

Sleepy dreamy alhum… requires more listens. Last track, Saturday sun is the standout and it’s amazing

Enjoyable and chill.

Bom álbum, nada demais

Too low energy for me to really love it, but it is beautiful and sad.

Was decent enough - nothing that really grabbed me, but a pleasant listen