Nick Drake

Alright, I figure there must be at least one or two Nick Drake fans here, since we have a page for him and everything...right?

Anyway, Nick Drake is to me what John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, and Kurt Cobain are to others. I'm not a hugely emotional person, but his soft, autumnal music is incredibly comforting to a private, depression-prone person like me.

A fan on rateyourmusic.com put it best when they said, to paraphrase, that he sounds less like he's speaking to you, and more like he's sitting alone in an attic window, stroking a cat and mumbling to himself...and for me, that's the best kind of sincerity in a musician, because it's as if they don't have to translate for a wide audience. Tragic and short as it was, Drake's life was beautiful, and so was his musical output.

Anyone else here like him? Favorite songs, albums, anything?

Favourite songs: "Northern Sky", "Which Will", "The Thoughts of Mary Jane"

Favorurite album: I'm undecided between Bryter Layter and Pink Moon.

Bryter Layter is actually my least favorite. All that production (read: more than two musicians at a time) sounds unnatural on a Nick Drake album. Still great songs, though.

I listen to Pink Moon the most, but Five Leaves Left might be a bit better since it's more fleshed-out.

Favorite songs: "Day Is Done", "The Thoughts of Mary Jane", "Saturday Sun", "Hazey Jane 2", "Parasite".

Well, Five Leaves Left had a bunch of classical musicians being led by the arranger Robert Kirby (that's his name, right?). It's only Pink Moon that features Nick Drake on his own (not sure if on all tracks, but at least most of them).

Besides, Bryter Layter had John Cale as a guest.

Really? Guess you're a better fan than I am. I still have to get Time of No Reply, too, but it's so damn hard to find. I want a physical copy, and none of my local record shops have it.

I wouldn't say I'm a better fan. I just happened to read an article on him on Mojo (or was it Uncut?) magazine that told what I said.

I have Time of No Reply on digital form. I like the alternative version of "Thoughts of Mary Jane", not to mention "Mayfair", and of course, the haunting "Black Eyed Dog".

edited 6th Jan '15 3:32:06 PM by Quag15

You can always try finding a copy online. Although good luck getting a decent price on it because I'm almost sure it's currently out of print.

Anyway, Pink Moon is one of my favorite albums of all time. Maybe it's because I have a thing for "a guy and his acoustic guitar" albums in general, because I feel his songwriting is more focused on that album, or because it was the first one I heard by him. Most likely some combination thereof. His other two albums are classics as well. But there's just something about Pink Moon that keeps me coming back to it more than his other albums.

Oh, and I'd also like to point out that coincidentally, a couple days ago (less than 12 hours before this thread was made, actually), I added Nick Drake to the Short-Lived, Big Impact page.

edited 8th Jan '15 11:52:55 AM by FingerPuppet

I too love Pink Moon. I have a hard time getting into his more poppy stuff, though.

Anybody ever hear his cover of the classic Jackson C. Frank song "Blues Run the Game"? Great stuff, perfect for Drake.

After listening to it for a year, the album "Pink Moon" has finally become one of my favorite albums. It's among a handful of albums that actually help me sleep. I like how the vocals is mixed in a manner that it blends with his guitar so there aren't moments that feel invasive while I'm listening to it in a deep thought. The album has this distinctive magic that the listener can still take in the music's essence without paying much attention to it in a listening session. When I'm studying, I can listen to the album, give it little attention and it'd be as rewarding as any other listening session. I know it sounds silly but this hasn't happened for other albums for me yet.

I wonder what approach Nick would opt for if he lived a little longer. Perhaps he'd record a few more albums that almost resemble minimalistic music. But I'm sure he'd stop recording music after making several more albums, a la Syd Barrett.

.

edited 13th Jan '16 2:49:55 PM by awdur