Five Leaves Left

I really enjoyed this album quite a lot. Saturday sun was a definite add, as was cello. I liked the feel of this album and this is really what I'm digging these days.

We have now listened to the entire Nick Drake discography with this third album. While not as powerful as “ Pink Moon”, this was still haunting and engaging. Really beautiful guitar. I had never heard of Drake until this year, but I am a big fan now. Sad he died before he ever saw success during his life.

a really pleasant listen.

Crap accidentally left my review for this one on bryter layter, that's what I get for falling behind:(

PREFS : Time Has Told Me, River Man, Three Hours, Day Is Done, 'Cello Song, Man in a Shed, Fruit Tree, Saturday Sun MOINS PREF : Way To Blue

Really nice album - very restful.

HL: "River Man", "Way to Blue", "Man in a Shed" "Safe in your place, deep in the earth That's when they'll know what you're really worth" ("Fruit Tree") JESUS- not what I expected from the debut album So Bryter Layter was the outlier, not Pink Moon- having heard the 3 albums in reverse order, I figured this would be more commercial & upbeat as well- nope. So very very melancholy. Might be my least favourite of the 3 but it's such a narrow margin- gah it gets a 4 like the rest of em April 26 2023

lovely stuff, too few Nick Drake songs exist and some of the most beautiful are on here

Das Orchestrale nervt manchmal bisschen. Ich mag es eher minimalistisch, wie auf Pink Moon. Trotzdem gut.

More Nick Drake.

These are incredibly beautiful songs. It's a shame they've never become very popular, because there's a lot to love here. Nick's voice is so unique and contains so much emotion in it. The lyrics are poetic and beautiful and the instruments, however few they may be are played so fantastically. I enjoy his music very much. 4/5

Suprisingly nice

4/5

Nice moosic

After discovering Nick Drake through this project, I was pleased to see another album of his pop up, though I knew from the beginning it was going to be tough not to compare it to "Pink Moon"; I was curious to learn if his first studio album would be as good as his last. This was really a great debut album! Even from the beginning, Nick Drake had a strong sense of self, musically. This is easy to listen to, peaceful, and folky without being too folky. While not quite as minimal as "Pink Moon", even this debut album keeps things pretty minimal from a music angle. Nick Drake also showed himself to be a great songwriter immediately out of the gate, as each song on this album feels complete and lyrically rich. Again, everything here feels advanced compared to where folk rock generally was in 1969. After having listened to my second album Nick Drake album as part of this project, I can say that he has proven to be one of my favorite 1001 project finds. A very solid 3.5 getting rounded up to a 4 here!

Amazing

He might not have the best voice, but the songs are well crafted and produced.

All the songs felt the same but I did enjoy the chill vibes

He's famous for his lycricsm and unique voice and this album definitely demonstrates this. I've replayed river man countless times, I wish the was some more interesting elements to make each song feel a bit more unique as they all kinds blur together. Otherwise great.

I like the stripped down, guitar style music on this versus bryter layter.

Great singer/songwriter album. Very smooth, unique voice.

ok

Really Good 7/10

Well arranged, beautiful folk songs. Favourite tracks: Time Has Told Me, River Man, Three Hours, Way To Blue, Saturday song 4/5

I think I underestimated Nick Drake the first time I got him near the very beginning of this journey. Definitely was robbed from us too early. However the songs are, for whatever reason to me, lacking something that would make them amazing. For me they need to be like 10% more to be perfect.

Driving around with the windows down after a nice spring cleaning listening to this album felt like visiting that spa from Rick and Morty where they remove your toxins but clone a shitty version of yourself. While my better self was listening to Five Leaves I bet my toxins were off getting an earful of Sinead O’Connor or Booker T & The MGs

While I love the instruments, the mixing and sounds, there's something about this guy's voice that annoys me. Otherwise it's a great album.

Lovely tone of voice. Skillful and peaceful orchestration. But all the songs sound the same.

Not my fav nick drake album but good.

I'm a sucker for an accompanying strings section to an album, it was one of my favorite parts of Lronard Cohen's You Want It Darker. So, considering this is also a singer-songwriter album with an orchestra tied to it, I did enjoy this. It was pretty mellow most of the way through, so it wasn't like something insane was in here, but it was still pretty enjoyable. Considering all of Drake's discography is on this generator, guess we'll see hoe it improves as his career goes on.

Beautiful songwriting

Rest in peace sensitive soul

Lindo disco, aunque no escuche este género pues no es de mi total agrado. Lo que tengo para rescatar de acá son los riffs de guitarra que tiene, la simpleza y la tranquilidad que transmite el muchacho Nick con su voz. No pude analizar la letra pero por lo que pude entender no es nada del otro mundo. Con la duración justa. Nose donde se pone el puntaje pero para mí es un 6.8/10 o un 3.4/5 depende como lo quieras fraccionar

An ear calibrated for Drake must be attuned to the quiet, the music that can background but has no need to. His debut sags a touch seventy percent in, but on top of the Nick Drake goodies I expected was the perfect sequencing of the first side. I couldn't make out as many instruments and it almost didn't matter.

Genres: Folk, chamber folk, folk-pop Formed: 1967 Run time: 10 songs, 41 min 11 sec Very chilled music. Poetic lyrics. Very reminiscent of Bob Dylan. It’s sad that mental health got the better of him. His career only lasted seven years, which was still longer than many in the music industry, but it was far shorter than it should have been. My Rating: ****

wonderful album. i enjoyed this one far more than bryter.

Rustig, mooi

mellow, moving, contemplative. As you might expect from Nick.

Pleasant sound, the vocals went a bit too far for me in a couple of the tracks and I didn't really like the big shift half way through for one track. Keen to hear the others on this list.

Я прослушал этот альбом 4 раза. Глубокий, меланхоличный, простой и в то же время комплексный. Очень трудно уложить все мысли об этом альбоме в один текст, это как раз тот случай, когда лучше будет послушать и прочувствовать его самому. (8)

This album is beautiful. The combination of the strings and woodwinds with the folk guitaring is and Drake's pleasant voice is really neatly done. Good balance of over-produced vs stripped down.

Haunting and beautiful, good listen. Saved tracks: River Man, Way To Blue, Fruit Tree

4.75

lovely stuff, too few Nick Drake songs exist and some of the most beautiful are on here

The best album of Nick Drake actually. Super good. 4 It takes some listens. But it just gets me idk.

Finally, one of my artists pop up here! Nick Drake is in my opinion one of the greatest singer/songwriter of all time. Very tragic that he died so young and I can't keep myself from wondering, what if he didn't die so young? This album is fantastic with incredible tracks such as "Time has told me", "Three hours", "Day is done" and "Saturday sun". This is Drake's debut album and I do love this but I do think his other two albums are a tad bit better, therefore I give this album a 4.5/5.

Somewhere deep inside I knew that Nick Drake had more than just the Pink Moon album, but for some reason I had never listened to this. Just like Pink Moon this is simply sublime. 4 stars.

Moody boy music. It's lovely though.

This is the second album of his that I've gotten. I was very close to giving his other album a 4/5. I really like his voice and he has some really interesting songs. Looking forward to listening to his albums again. Sadly know his career was ended short.

A fine debut with beautiful songwriting, his whispering voice glides over it all.

This was a lovely album.

I thoroughly enjoyed this album, it is quite different from the type of music i usually listen to, but i liked the different vibe. This album has a unique acoustic sound which is sometimes paired with a melancholy piano. The only way I can describe Nick Drake’s voice is a mixture of Jeff Buckley and Van Morrison, with the lyrical skills of Jim Morrison. The mixture offers unique sounds and story telling, which I thought was sick

De timing van dit album zat perfect. Mooie, kalme muziek

Big Dick Nick

Very smooth album. I really enjoyed it.

Nick Drake was sort of an enigma. Unfortunately we lost him much too soon. This record is such a strong debut. Everything down to the production is really good. It has a really moody sound, which is amplified by his untimely passing. I think Nick Drake really set the stage for more modern folk acts of the 2000s and 2010s

Amazing themes and diverse sounds, would love to hear this again!

Right now, this is my least favourite of Drake's trilogy, but that's really not saying a lot. Songwriting, atmosphere and intimacy is still incredibly on point, and this is undeniably an impressive debut. My short attention span was a little challenged this time around, since Drake's compositions are so bare that they demand full focus.

I will never grow tired of Nick Drake’s haunting and beautiful vocals. Simply beyond comparison when it comes to singer/songwriters. In this matter his debut album is no exception. Somehow Five Leaves Left might still be my least favorite of Drake’s three albums. Some compositions overstay their welcome by just a bit and nothing seems as eerily close and personally important as on Pink Moon. Being my least favourite Nick Drake album is nevertheless far from bad. It’s like being my least favourite gourmet chocolate. At the end of the day the quality is still in a league of its own.

Beautiful example of Nick Drake's style; a mix of sparse and lush kept intimate by the gentleness of his vocals. Some really lovely textures with the strings throughout. His delivery stays consistent and unrevealing throughout, being lent context by the arrangement and words more than any outward level of expression bouncing easily between bleak and welcoming. Favorite Tracks: River Man Three Hours Fruit Tree

Made have some nostalgic melancholic longing feelings.some honestly good music I've never heard before.

Wonderful as always

4.25

4.5/5. Up until now, the only album that I've listened to by this artist was Pink Moon, which is excellent in its own right. I don't think there's anybody that does melancholy quite as well as Nick Drake.

This is what I've been looking for, for a while, it's soothing, but kind of dramatic at the same time. Favorite tracks: Fruit Tree, Time Has Told Me and River Man, least favorite track: Way to Blue.

Better than Bryter Layter I think. Great music.

Klinkt niet verkeerd, wel chille pop met verscillende instrumenten. Bij vlagen vrolijk, maar soms ook wat droevig. Wat te langzaam voor mijn smaak.

nick Drake is cool. Feels like I’m listening to philosophy.

Incredibly beautiful. Best folk album I've ever heard. The song Three Hours might've even lasted that amount of time, what a great piece.

Pleasant folky listening. Nick sings it well and plays great.

A pleasant listen, though it may not be for me personally.

1969 - clearly the year of many great things

I enjoyed the acoustic guitar parts

Good good

Nick drake has to be one of the more underrated guitarists out there

I do like Nick Drake, such a lovely voice. I don't think his songs are at all dated, considering the time and way they were recorded, they actually improve with age. Saying that my favourite album of his is Pink Moon.

It was good. Soft. Real soft

Pretty chill album

The more I listen to it, the more I like it. I think I keep being biased by the first song (which I don't like) to dislike the album, so I think I'll skip that one in the future. I still prefer Bryter Layter, though.

Really beautiful, will be listening to some more of his music.

Never heard of him before this besides hearing Pink Moon on his 1972 album. I dig the folky-ness of his sound.

Excellent.

Was a little bored in the first track but then River Man came and swept me off my feet. What a beautiful and atmospheric cut. Remained pretty consistent after that. Enjoyed!

It’s funny, I was listening to Pink Moon right as I was putting in yesterday’s score. Nick Drake was a hell of a songwriter, though, and I like the country tinges he added to his folk sound. It’s a strong combination, even if this ultimately sounds like a demo reel for Pink Moon. B+

One of the rare artists who I am at least partially drawn to by their vocals; his deep haunting melodic and never strained voice is integral to the music which for me is all of the above and more - uniquely-played acoustic guitar using alternate tunings and the occasional odd time signature. Nick Drake is/was the rare acoustic artist that for me was fully captivating. In a marked change from my usual preferences, my favourites are the songs with a minimal mix as well - the songs work best when there's just vocals and guitar although I do enjoy when seemingly from nowhere another instrument or two (e.g. "Three Hours") emerges from the depths. Compelling. 8/10 4 stars.

Real chill, I would play this on a lazy Sunday or something

Creí que iba a ser aburrido y me sentiría como un disco de Simon y Garfunkel o de Rodriguez, pero incompleto. Y no. O sea, si es un singer-songwriter y eso lo pone en la misma categoría, pero creo que tiene una voz muy propia que le da su lugar único. Además de la voz, me parece que la producción es muy buena: no es nada más su guitarra acústica (que es muy agradable) sino los detallitos en piano, eléctrica, órgano, cuerdas… de pronto es un solista que está cantando sobre una pista muy completa y bien hecha. Las letras tristes y melancólicas cuadran con el estilo y con su vida y creo que si le diera más vueltas al disco, podría incluso ganarse un lugar en mi biblioteca.

Listened to on 8/1/22 4/5 Favorite song: Saturday Sun, Time has told me This is perfect working background music and very calming

Nice. Like a big hug.

Nummer 400. Nick Drake. Gefällt mir besser als Bryter Later.

Folk. Suave, nostálgico.

Pretty refreshing

Pretty damn good, I think I’m turning into a bit of a Nick Drake fan.

Second Nick Drake album this week (Pink Moon), which is refreshing with the amount of rap that has come up. This Drake's music is the opposite of rap, thought provoking and a calm, chill listen. Nick Drake's debut, Five Leaves Left is even a more enjoyable listen than Pink Moon, less depressing and a much more optimist emotion to it. Well performed and well written, glad to see Drake finally receive much deserved attention and critical acclaim for his music , well after his death. I said Pink Moon was essential, start here first and you'll be rewarded by a great record.

Very chill vibes. Nice acoustic vocals. Reminds me of Jeff Buckley but more striped down and a bit more somber

good

Very nice folk album. It hash uncommon harmonies on some of the songs compared to what I was expecting, like Simon and Garfunkel.

New to me but on a par with his other brilliant work.

Really pretty and really really melancholy. Does not sound like 1969 to me. I *loved* Pink Moon which was given to me many albums ago; this one doesn't speak to me quite as much. Still compelling, just not quite perfection. Favorite: 'Cello Song

A mellow and pleasant album. Nick's voice is textured and the songs are soft and well crafted. His biography adds to the intrigue. I enjoyed listening to it, but doubt I would ever re-listen to it unprompted.

The youngest performer still alive from this (at least that I could find anything about) is Richard Thompson at 73; Drake himself would turn 74 this year if he’d lived that long. There is a timelessness about his music though. It was never actually folk, and presaged genres like shoegaze by decades. It seems he spent his brief career on the precipice, head barely above the rough seas of drug abuse and mental illness, and this tension both informs and impairs his music I think. It is a sad tale.

Man… this one hit me hard today. I never heard Nick Drake before and didn't know what to expect. I was gripped from the first song through. I'll have to explore more of his catalog. 4/5.

Just made me want to listen to Pink Moon. Not as good, but the instrumentation was solid.

In this household, we stan Nick Drake

lovely but prob my least fave of his

Low key and lovely, maybe not my favorite Drake, but awfully good. “Saturday Sun” is a career highlight. “Time Has Told Me” and “Cello Song” are also great.

With a calm and meditative tone Nick reveals himself to be a lyrical and elegiac poet, dedicated to the search for wisdom through. (7/10) FT: River Man, Saturday Sun

Beautifully chill. Seems like I've heard this before, but can't place it. Almost dreamlike.

Mellow, I enjoyed it. : ]

I need more Nick Drake in my life. Lovely guitar and vocals. Solid album.

Vocals, beautiful. Delivery, dreamy. ARRANGEMENT, folk and jazz and classical perfectly merged. Haunting melodies and a totally unique "voice." This is a quiet masterpiece of an album and it's not even his best. It's not even his second-best! I'll admit a couple songs could have been cut down or cut. That, and because he needs somewhere higher to go for other albums, are the only reasons this gets a 4.

4/5

Utterly captivating! This is what Jim Croce would sound like if he was deeply depressed. Drake's gentle instrumentation and introspective storytelling beckon the listener to come closer, come closer, so you can fully immerse yourself in his world. What a beautiful, sad, sensitive soul who was too pure for this world.

Came across this artist a few years ago, interesting music and a very tragic story. You have to be in the mood for this morose folky singer-song writer. I appreciate the music just not something your going to listen to often.

Some really great playing, songwriting, and a far more mature voice than would be expected for his age. Strong album and a sad loss of a great talent.

Good. I don't know if it's as good as Pink Moon.

I have never listened to Nick Drake before. That will 100% have to change. The music is beautiful and sad, and engagnig. A lot of the same qualities I like from someone like Elliot Smith (has to be an influence, right?)

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.

My first exposure to Nick Drake was Spotify's algorithm force-feeding me his music based on my other selections. It bothered me so much, I wrote him off. This is the first time I've listened to a whole album. I get that people find his lyrics and singing beautiful. I find it kind of slow and boring. His singing is so understated that the lyrics aren't clear. It may require repeated listening to fully appreciate. After only one run through, it's a little too much of the 'sad and sensitive boy' for me. Given that Spotify was pushing him, I was surprised that this album isn't available there. However, I found it on YouTube and noticed another link that said 'without orchestra'. I might prefer that. The violins on songs like River Man distracted from his voice. Cool that Richard Thompson plays on this LP. 10 songs in, and I think they all kind of sound the same. It's a distinctive sound that might be good to fall asleep to.

Listened through it, not bad definitely has a mood, wouldn't turn it off if I heard it again, but likely would not seek it out again on my own.

Sad, but like cool sad

Nick Drake is new to me, and it's sad that he didn't get the appreciation that he deserved during his lifetime because there is a lot to enjoy about his music. It has similarities to the Donovan album I listened to a couple of months ago, but it has a more melancholic edge. Some of the songs, especially the first two, get a bit repetitive, but the engaging orchestral arrangements, interesting chord changes and a voice that sounds both world weary and hopeful make for a relaxing, interesting listen. Man In A Shed and Fruit Tree are my personal highlights. A solid 3 stars.

09/12 Was okay

not for me, but i can think of a couple of people in my life that would love this

It's a fairly good album it's a lot like pink moon so if you've heard one you've heard both imo

I’ve never gotten into ND

Nick Drake surely is one of the best songwriters of his time. Still, I feel like the vocal variety on this one wasn't enough to pull me through

Ik voel het niet

Took a while to warm up to this album. Not the biggest folk music fan, but as soon as the orchestration came in I was more invested. Pretty good. 3.5 stars

Slowly getting into quite a bit of Nick Drakes stuff. Not my favourite album from him but soem really nice moments on here.

Liked fruit tree

#1042. This is old folks' home music. 3/5: fine

I got Pink Flag as one of my first few albums and my thoughts basically got summed up as "I think this man was sad." Having listened to Five Leaves Left, I can confirm that this man was sad. I don't really vibe with this music much, nor get much from it. It's fine, but just not really for me.

3.5 This was a nice album, but nothing groundbreaking for me

I think this is the best version of Drake. It’s fine

Good acoustic guitar, very reminiscent of Paul Simon. But the album itself feels very monotone - same tempo, same vibe for every song. Might listen again while reading or to have something in the background.

Piola, buenos temas, nada wow. 6.5/10

Decent, maybe a bit to chill for me

Quite pleasant and gentle

Very pretty, but a bit quiet for me. “Cello Song” stood out to me.

Another pretty short post, since I’m traveling right now: Nick Drake’s “Five Leaves Left” sounds like any other singer-songwriter album from the 1960s. That’s not a bad thing at all, since the folk scene of the 1960s was certainly remarkably vibrant and innovative. However, in my opinion, at least the latter isn’t the case with this recording, which makes evaluating it very easy: perhaps that’s the definition of average.

Muy tranqui

Not bad

First listen

smooth tunes! new to me and i enjoyed this songwriter soft listening.

A name I have heard but not listened to. I like some neofolk (the non sketch kind) and a lot of rock/metal with folk influences. ----- Nick is a very competent acoustic guitar player that is for sure. His noodling is soothing, melodic and honest. As an album it is quite dark in theme with the use of other instruments to enrich his sound. I particularly like [Way to Blue] and it's atmospheric strings which we see again in [Cello Song]. Overall it's a moody mix of folk with classical influences which occasionally lacks in dynamism. ***

It's pleasant. I don't have the patience to find the good in this

Mopey man music. Maybe if it was fall and raining out.

First listen. I’m very familiar with Pink Moon, and love that album. I do t like this one quite as much. It’s good, not great and maybe one song stands out Cello Song.

Pretty nice

I want to like Nick Drake. He's often recommended to me, and is clearly adjacent to lots of stuff I really love. And it's pretty good: you can hear the craft in the arrangements and the emotions in the lyrics. But ... he just never fully comes together for me. I think there's a degree of monotony, of flatness, in his delivery and style that I just can't quite get on board with.

A light breathy acoustic album. I didn’t really find anything all that special in this album. It was decent. Nice guitar work, some fun instrumentation in there, lyrics were great (very poetic), vocals got kind of samey after a while. Most of the singing was done in a kind of breathy way with no real dynamic swings. It didn’t really add anything to the experience. I’m sure Nick Drake has better albums out there (Pink Moon), but this one didn’t wow me. It’s just fine.

Mec mélancolique

Ok

This was my second Nick Drake album; it didn't quite hit me like Bryter Layter but it is a really pretty, comfy album.

Soft instrumentals and vocals are easy listening. Pleasent enough so long as the volume is kept low.

He’s a beautiful songwriter without a second gear

Interesting and easy to listen to. It kind of reminds me of similar singers (Robert Roseeka & B.J. Thomas). Good album.

cozy but felt a little long

Sparse arrangements and hypnotic vocals…it’s a Nick Drake album. This is a very strong 3 but could be a 4.

There was some beautiful guitar work in here but again nothing that left me wanting more.

Beck, Elliot Smith and Kurt Vile should just give him a writing credit they're such direct ripoffs. That said - I like all of them better than this. Very innovative but also boring as hell. Some awesome string arrangements on River Man.

Muy lindas melodías pero ahi se queda. En todos los temas se disfruta la combinación de instrumentos y la armonía que estos generan, pero siento que con una buena explosión, momento de mayor impacto por así decirlo, o cambio en el ritmo sería temazo tras temazo. La voz del Nicky también medio apagada en todos los temas. Buen album para sentarse afuera de una cabaña en el Sur con un mate.

I think in general I just don’t like Nick Drakes voice? The album is good I think but his voice just doesn’t do it for me

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.

Me gustaría escucharlo nuevamente con más atención en las letras. Algunas me gustaron mucho, como River Man, pero de todos modos no es algo que escucharía hasta gastarlo. Me gustó mucho más de lo esperado.

fw nick drake again, obv not his best but a crazy debut at like 19.

Nick Drake keeps coming up for me and my response to it is always the same: I should probably give this more attention. Then life goes on and I forget all about Nick Drake.

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