Pink Moon and the Myth of Nick Drake｜Vinyl Monday
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- Опубликовано: 31 июл 2024
- And now we rise, and we are everywhere.
Welcome (or welcome back) to Vinyl Monday! This is my weekly series where I give the who/what/when/where/why and how I feel about classic albums in my collection. My thoughts on Nick Drake’s quaint, singular, powerful master work: Pink Moon (released 1972) Subscribe for more Vinyl Monday and vintage fashion!
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This episode is with special attention to Nick’s legacy - because I refuse to believe an artist who was allowed to produce 3 albums in 4 years was not believed in. This video would not have been possible without the hard work of Nick’s family and other early champions, biographers and fans dedicated to dispelling mythology surrounding him, the Nick Drake Subreddit for somehow getting ahold of and transcribing the Pink Moon press release, and Keith Morris’s many photo shoots with him. All photos of Nick in this video are by Keith.
Timestamps:
intro - 0:00
ANNOUNCEMENT!: 0:50
Pink Moon - 2:12
track listing/release - 11:01
nick’s legacy - 16:13
my thoughts - 20:12
thanks for watching! - 33:38
Music:
Intro Music: Yeah Yeah Yeah (Long) by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...) Artist: audionautix.com/
Outtro Music: Ticket To Nowhere Man by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...) Artist: audionautix.com/
#vinyl #vinylcommunity #nickdrake
PS: this video is something of a V********t diss track. If you see this: hi :)
what’s your favorite nick drake song? comment below!
well from the morning made me cry today so. it's fine lines though when talking about favourite nick drake songs
Norhthern Sky - timeless & beautiful. Love your work, Abby - thank you!
honestly this is my first nick drake album so i cant rlly say i have a fave yet 🙂
Leaving Me Behind. It was unreleased until featured on a Nick Drake Best Of and when I heard it I fell in love.
@@petesawchuk it is timeless yes.
I got into Nick's body of work when I was about 17 years old in 1996. Having been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder later in life, Pink Moon was a record that brought me so much consolation and solace during my periods/treatment of severe anxiety, clinical depression and suicidal ideation over the years. And continues to offer that solace. You've no idea....
I was also 17 but in 97😊 I also been diagnos with a few things past my 40s. Nick Drakes albums always kept me Calm. Check out Teiturs first album, Neil Halstead and José Gonzales
@@stayuntilforever I'm 21 and finding this album gave me a new motivation and gratefulness of life after being suicidal
Gotta say, really appreciate how you actually tell the story of Nick (from what we have) without any of the super romanticized, “tragic brooding genius” shit. Like on the NMH and Nirvana episodes, you really drive the point that these people were just that, people.
I agree 👍🏾💯
She has an excellent talent for presentation ☺️
Been to his grave in Tamworth In Arden, when I used to work nearby... Worth checking out his Mum's (slight) album and, even more so, the recent album The Songs and Poems of Molly Drake by The Unthanks, currently the most interesting English folk group, who've also covered King Crimson (Starless). The book Nick Drake by music journalist Patrick Humphries, who was at Cambridge University with the mellifluous singer, is insightful. in 1999 Brad Pitt even recorded a tribute to him for BBC Radio, Lost Boy - In Praise of Nick Drake.
When The Guardian newspaper in the UK got bored with all the end of the century best album lists having the same records (Beatles, Dylan, Stones etc) on them in 1999 they asked a bunch of music journalists for their alternative best album of the twentieth century. Bryter Layter by Nick Drake won that poll! Pink Moon was Number 80 out of the 100 listed. (It also included Odessey and Oracle at 77)
Agreed, and “Parasite” while revealing a somber mood, also lends an appreciation to the darkness, like a starry sky.
I feel sorry for the musicians who never lived to see people give them the love they deserve. Ian Curtis, Elliot Smith, Jackson C. Frank, Jeff & Tim Buckley, and of course Nick Drake. But it's refreshing to know that even after death, their legacies live on. There's a saying that you die twice, once when you stop living, and again when your name is spoken for the final time. So if we followed that rule, all those people I mentioned will live forever, thanks to their music.
Nick's story is beautifully tragic, as someone who's also battled depression, his music really resonates with me a lot, it's very comforting. Great episode once again 💜💜💜
Add Jackson C. Frank to your list 😥
@@jockejocke1 Just read about him, yeah, similarly tragic, too.
@@smaz9 Yeah Jackson C. Frank had a couple of achingly beautiful tracks on his only studio album.
And since you mentioned Jeff Buckley, we also need to mention his musician father Tim. Tim also made beautiful music. It's insane and cruel how none of them made it past 30.
@@jockejocke1 Of course.
I'll add those names to my original comment
Duane Allman? Allman bros were just coming out of obscurity when he passed on. But he did get love from Clapton which probably meant more than laurels
People often miss what a subtly supportive and uplifting album Pink Moon is - it says something about Drake that he was able to muster that from the depths of clinical depression.
I agree. It’s hanging on to even the dimmest hope while on the darkest side.
i'll admit even i missed that - it's brave to have hope
Hi abbi! I’m 14 and ur channel has inspired me to start an art/music channel (I’m commenting from it😛)where I draw art based off of classic rock albums. Ur videos are so good and introduce me to a lot of new music! Thanks for making great videos and teaching me so much about this music. I’ve never even heard of Nick Drake until today, but I listened to Pink Moon and liked it! Just wanna say thanks
Was not expecting the Slowdive and Neil extra feature. But that really made this even more special. Thanks!
This is the most loving review of music I have ever heard. I'm sure Abby would have loved to have met Nick in person. As we all would. Thank you, Abby!
I hope that Nick Drake is at rest somewhere better than here. As someone who struglles with mental health issues, his music helped me a lot through rough times
I love you and your channel. I never miss !! For me, I feel that Nick is the Vincent Van Gogh of music. He didn’t get popular until after his death, but I was lucky enough to have a girlfriend of mine back in 1989 turn me on to Nick Drake. After she played the album Pink Moon , in its entirety for me, I immediately went out and bought every album I could have his. I then proceeded to lock myself in my room and “binged- listened “ to his music. I heard his genius and felt his pain. It was like a spiritual experience, and till this day he is still one of my favorite artists. It’s just ashamed that no one appreciated his talent during his short life on this planet, but just think what would have happened if he was recognized for his talent and achieved fame and fortune. Would he still be writing great music today or would he have still met the same fate that had ended his life? We will never know 🙏☮️
This is Nick's best album, in my opinion. One of the most beautiful records ever made by anyone. His first two were good, but I prefer the unadorned Nick, just his voice, guitar, occasional piano. The way it was meant to be. Listening to this album is akin to laying on a cloud or floating down a peaceful river as the sun sets.
Hello, Abigail. Gabrielle Drake was a early life star on the uk series, UFO. It's on the roku channel and she wore a purple wig! If you didn't know...thanks for your beauty vids.
She seems to have her own small cult fan base in the vintage SciFi community. Quite a cutie!
Pink Moon is one of my favorite albums. I love the sparse production and the alternate tunings. Just a brilliant piece of work to listen to on a rainy day when you're home and warm.
Your lines about "blend of light and shade" and "beauty in simply being alive" are so perfect. This made me think of how I get the same vibes from the Wim Wenders 1987 film "Wings of Desire". That film and Pink Moon are about the incredibleness of being human, having human senses and thoughts all in the vastness of the physical and spiritual world.
You are bringing attention to Nick and his band mates. True talent always rises to the top, it may take decades, but there is a place. 🥬🍕☕🚀📬50th year on, good luck Nick.
I read that Nick Drake's producer Joe Boyd said of him: Nick was a brilliant singer-songwriter guitarist, when playing live though after each song he would have to retune, as each song had different guitar tunings. This would be musical coitus interruptus to his audience. In turn, this would affect bookings. His albums are great but he couldn't generate a live audience. Today, he could have 3 guitars ready with guitar techs tuning them for him.
a description of why exactly that tour went so wrong - this included - was in my OG script but cut for brevity. i have no idea why nick wasn’t at least provided with a second guitar for shows, if not a tech - the guy didn’t even have a personal manager. not to mention booking him in noisy clubs and bars. strange choices all around
@@abigaildevoe More importantly, Joe Boyd said that Nick was so prepared and so much of a perfectionist in creating precisely the sound he wanted that he would almost always do the first take just right. So Joe Boyd always made sure to give attention to the other musicians or the orchestral arrangement, since they were the ones who couldn't get it right in one take. As for live performance, I don't think anyone else could manage to get his tunings right. I'm not a guitarist but have read that other guitarists have struggled for years trying to achieve his sound. His tunings were highly unusual and tricky. Further, he seemed to be playing on dead nickel strings, according to one guitarist who has a lengthy analysis of searching for the Nick Drake sound, and that thuddy, deep tone was part of his signature sound.
I really appreciate you devoting a lengthy commentary to the music of Nick Drake. He gained a much larger audience well after his death, largely due to the VW commercial featuring "Pink Moon". I championed his music well before that, after I discovered one of his albums at a university radio station where I was a DJ. At that time, he was almost totally unknown. It's tragic that he died before a larger audience could embrace him, maybe because of being somewhat ahead of his time. His haunting voice, his gorgeous guitar work, his emotional richness and deeply affecting lyrics--all contributed to a body of work that is rich with so many songs that transport us to a place unique to his sound.
I take issue with so much time spent on the "Pink Moon" cover art before delving into the songs themselves, and also a bit too much quoting from the critics of the day who couldn't appreciate Nick's music due to their own inadequacies. But the rest of your commentary contains some important information about Nick's troubled life and those who tried so hard to make him successful, to reach a larger audience that he deserved. And you're right to talk about the challenges of getting airplay and support for an artist who was so introverted and socially awkward. But don't be misled. According to Joe Boyd and others who knew him, Nick DID think he was destined to be a major figure in the the music business. He was deeply disappointed by the lack of commercial success, feeling that his music was worthy of massive sales and notoriety. According to one of the reports I've found, David Geffen was said to be enamored of Nick's music and swore he could make a star of him. But apparently, no record deal could be arranged to shift him from the Island label, where Chris Blackwell was very devoted to Nick.
I urge people to seek out his first two albums as well as "Pink Moon," his most raw and harrowing set of songs. There are great songs on those first two albums, "Five Leaves Left" and "Bryter Layter" which also feature some excellent musicians working with Nick, including Richard Thompson and John Cale. The posthumous album releases are much more inconsistent. There are a few great songs worthy of being released, but also too many that are not up to his standards and should not have been released, in my opinion.
Another sad story but only recently rediscovered beautiful album, Judee Sill's 1973 Heart Food would be worth a Vinyl Monday, though I'm not sure if it's on vinyl, though I'm sure trusty Abi can find it.
Another fantastic review, and nothing left out or unsaid in 34 minutes. Pink Moon is beautiful and creates a very comfortable escape and timeless vision. Five Leaves Left is also purely excellent for those who haven't heard. You even covered the strings on his guitar. Bravo!
I swear to God, I have Beavis bubbles popping around my head right now! This is the coolest Vinyl Monday installment EVER!!
Heard my first Nick Drake song yesterday, he has a kind soul
I've been obsessed with this record for the last 3 months, and have been binge watching some of your videos in the laste few days, so this video was such a pleasent surprise for me. Thank you
Really enjoyed this episode! This is one of those albums where you feel the music throughout your entire body, it’s unexplainable but always gives me goosebumps in the best kind of way.
This album doesn’t sound like a typical 70's album bc it’s very proto indie and acoustic like a Donovan album or maybe a Dylan album but more stripped back 🎸🎼
But that’s sucks this album was released like three years before his death bc its sad to see some artists go before they can see the love we give their work like Ian Curtis from JoyDivision and ofc Nick Drake
This may just be your best Vinyl Monday yet, Abby! I found my parent's dusty old CD reissue of Pink Moon from the early 2000s, and played it constantly throughout high school and college. I found myself getting a little misty eyed during your recounting of watching the Nick Drake documentary; I had a similar experience reading Richard Morton Jack's new biography of Nick that came out last year, especially how it talked about his family life and how they tried to understand his mental health struggles. Side note: another great album I thought of when you mentioned Nick's hushed vocals and the concept of "nothing music" is the Habibi Funk label's reissue of Roger Fakhr's "Fine Anyway". A lot of songs on that album owe a stylistic debt to Nick's guitar playing and singing. Keep up the great work!! 😀
Nick Drake made a profound difference in the way I listen to music. Just to give my two cents, I think Pink Moon struck a chord with me because of how intimate it sounds and the music itself is so personal. When I put on his vinyl, including Five Leaves Left and Bryter Layter, there’s something about his musicality, tone, and style that come together to feel that he’s singing in the same room as you. It speaks volumes that his music resonates so deeply with almost everyone that hears it, thank you for sharing your thoughts and using your platform to bring awareness to the amazing world of music Nick Drake created!
Always look forward to watching each episode of Vinyl Monday! An extensive knowledge of music history, brilliant album reviews from a wide range of artists both known and lesser known, Vinyl Monday is always a highly informative and entertaining watch. Loved this review of Pink Moon and Nick Drake. Much appreciated💜🙏❤️
just walking through the streets of my home city, someone playing pink moon. sunny afternoon. happy pigeons. feels good.
Love love love this album. A great late night contemplative album or a rainy day. ❤❤
'One Of These Things First' is my favorite. I heard it driving and I had to pull over! Your commentary at the end made me emotional because your words and appreciation for his music came from your soul. Some art/artists can make you feel deeply and I loved your tribute to such a fine musician. Thank you Abby! Godspeed Nick!
I've come to really adore the way that you analyze music! It's always a treat when you cover an album I have connected with deeply and spiritually such as this one. Having such an eye for the finer details has always been the most fruitful and fulfilling part of music listening for me, and being exposed to new details I missed after countless listens is amazing! There were truly times I found myself tearing up with the way you'd describe the beauty of songs like Horn. And the extensive research you do for each video will not go unnoticed. SERIOUSLY amazing video here, Abby! I have no doubt your approach to and passion for music analysis will take you very far!
Nicks Sister, Gabrielle had a quite successful acting career. In Sci-Fi circles she is best known for her role as Lt Ellis in 1969-70 UK series `U.F.O`.
Mind blown. Man, you really learn something new every day. I absolutely LOVE Lt. Ellis in UFO and had no idea! Wow!!! Craziness!
She really did a lot to promote his legacy.
She was a major beauty. And very devoted to supporting Nick and carrying his legacy after Nick's death.
this might be my favorite video about an album on this whole platform
i just never had you down as a nick drake listener abby: apologies if you think that i've made assumptions that i don't have any right to. a strong aspect of this weeks episode is the tracking of the artists living influence.
when i first heard five leaves it became imperative for me to access everything he had ever recorded. it seemed uncompromising music in it's own way: art and soul. absolutely one of my top ten favourite guitarists.
lucinda williams does a fine cover of which will.
there is the the sadness from unanswered questions when we first encounter his story but a day once dawned, and it was miraculously beautiful.
Recently I've taken the time to learn how to play and sing Which Will, and this video showing up in my recommendations feels like really special timing.
Thank you for the time and care you put into this album and Nick's music. It's such a lovely window into his music and someone's personal journey with it.
Thank you so much for giving this beautiful album a great show. Superb work. I don’t think it can be overstated how incredible a guitarist Nick was. There are tabs and sheet music around for nearly all of his songs, but his parts are extremely difficult to replicate. Amazing that he had such skill and imagination at that age.
Couldn't watch vinyl Monday live Abby-but I'm watching you now Abby - great show !!! Brian Birch
Lovely video thanks. Nick Drake is my favourite singer/songwriter - he has been a friend to me for a long time...
Thank you for exploring Nick’s world and music. I discovered Pink Moon from that Volkswagen ad 20 years ago and never looked back. His music is a blessing; some of the strangest yet heart wrenchingly, achingly beautiful. Once you listen to him there’s no going back.
As always, nicely done with the Slowdive plug. Bless you :)
Yay! Love Nick Drake!
This album is spring to me. I’m so glad you finally covered it!
i almost squealed when the recommendation for this video popped up! nick drake is one of my favourite artists and pink moon is one of my favourite albums. it's incredible and almost unbelievable how someone managed to capture so much beauty on one record. he was such a lovely, intelligent and skilful person (my nick drake poster is staring at me while i'm writing this comment 👀) and not to sound parasocial or anything but i miss him every day. i love your vinyl monday series! it's so great to see a young woman talk so unabashedly and knowledgeably about music, especially older music, which is a generally male-dominated and often misogynistic scene. i loved this video and i am looking forward to the next vinyl monday
Just discovered your videos, and I'm digging them - Working my way through, and I appreciate the shoutout for Northampton!
Never considered Devoe doing Drake, and she did a marvelous, insightful job. The new bio by Richard Morton Jack is excellent.
A lovely, knowledgeable review of a legendary album. My fave Nick song is 'River Man', a song that I consider to be haunting and beautiful; it always gives me goosebumps. There have been songs released that were recorded after 'Pink Moon' by Nick when it seemed that he was getting better. However, the song 'Black Eyed Dog' is heartbreaking; you can hear the pain in Nick's voice.
Once again, Vinyl Monday delivers the goods! If only there were twice as many Mondays in the month. Thank you Abigail for making Mondays my favorite day of the week.
...may is coming...
THANK YOU for always going in depth with the background and the creation of the album/artist! I'm very new to Rock music and I can't tell you the amount of bare info about the background of lesser known albums/artists on Wikipedia I've come across, when most of the times, that part is just as interesting compared to the music itself. This channel as been a godsend for me, as a great source of extra knowledge and info, that's surprisingly pretty scarce when it comes to leaser known "classics".
Always enjoy your videos, but just that comment on how Wiki offers little context of retrospective reviews drove me to leave a comment. I often come to your videos off the album names I recognize, but always end up staying for 30+ minutes just due to how well you lay out the history of an album. Also, great shout on 4+20
I had Nick Drake's music in my collection while he was still alive. At 14(1970), I returned from a vacation in England with my mother. I brought with me a copy of the music newspaper "Melody Maker", which featured an advertisement for an Island Records "sampler" 2-L.P. set named "Bumpers", which I then mail orderred from a record "shop" in England. It contained a song by Nick Drake named "Hazey Jane". "Pink Moon" wasn't Nick's first U.S.A. release. Island Records(through a brief manufacturing/distribution deal with Capitol Records) released an L.P. named "Nick Drake", which I bought first as an 8-track cartridge, then as a vinyl L.P. . As I would discover after Nick's passing, "Nick Drake" was a compilation of tracks from the UK albums "Five Leaves Left" and "Bryter Layter".
Such a distinctive and charming channel.
Really good episode Abbi. I appreciate the research you do for Vinyl Mondays and the amazing amount of context you provide detailing the artists, producers, engineers and musicians creating these timeless albums. I know you get “but what about”isms in your comments for requests, but I’m about to do the same 😊. Judee Sill and Vashti Bunyan. I found their beautiful music through Nick as a gateway drug. Judee has a strong Laurel Canyon connection and Vashti was also part of Joe Boyd’s artist collective. And they both created timeless albums that are criminally overlooked. 🙏
He was so good in music, I hope you do another album review of his music, I recommend you five leaves left, this album is fabulous. My favorite track of this album is river man, such an iconic song.
I first discovered Nick in the 1990’s. A neighbor had his records and was really into him. At the time I wondered why I hadn’t heard of him before. Great stuff, should have been huge. R.I.P
Hey Abigail, im pretty new to the chanel and i love your content. Your style is impeccable as is your taste in music. Love the way you give us an in depth look at some of the greatest records ever. Great episode and much love from a great city for vinyl collectors Edinburgh Scotland.
Absolutely love this album … Nick Drake is such and under appreciated artist … Pink Moon is just genius! Thank you!
I love your channel ❣️
Keep up the great work!
And my favorite Nick Drake song is a tie between "Know" or "Fly."
Between Nick Drake & Arnold Layne-era Pink Floyd, Joe Boyd is responsible for midwifing some of the best music ever put on tape.
He's also the author of the best book I've ever read about the 1960s London music scene. It's called White Bicycles for anyone interested.
Niiick Draaaaake! So stoked to hear you cover this record. Tho I can't help but want to point to his other two even better imho albums as an answer to your astute criticism on Pink Moon's shortcomings. Keep in mind its only shortcomings are that it isn't either Five Leaves Left or Bryter Layter.
Bro it’s crazy every time I start listening to a new artist you make a video on it
Fantastic review! Love this album.
Abigail, for what it is worth, those current pressings of the Nick D back catalogue do seem to be absolutely excellent. They've done a lovely job of the old Island labels!
Great video I have to check out his work keep it up Abby ❤❤❤
One of my favourites...and due a listen!
You might want to check out Judee Sill. A great artist with a sad, strange story.
I remember seeing a re run of the old grey whistle test hosted by wispering bob harris where she performed the song the kiss. Im not ashamed to say i shed a tear. So Beautiful and moving.♉️🙋♂️
@@jamesnock5572 I think that's the best version of the song.
I second this. Heart Food is an all time favorite. Just the way she hits certain notes brings me to tears.
Thank you for reviewing Pink Moon on the Pink Moon this year Abby. As our BBC says 'The full Pink Moon follows on 24 April at 21:33 BST, the fourth full moon of 2024'. As timely as could be, and as delightful, insightful and enchanting as all your Vinyl Monday's seem to be...
i can't believe sid barret named an album pink moon in reference of his old band pink floyd 🤯
Most definately 'Riverman' from his 1st album. It's sublime. I'm surprised that song has never been used in a film soundtrack. His second album Bryter Layter was by far his best.
I can't tell you how many times I fell asleep to Pink Moon during my darkest days. To say it helped me get through bad times is a massive understatement.
Pink Moon is one of the greatest albums ever. Learning to play the songs on guitar was one of the best experiences of my musical journey.
This record helped me so much a year and a half ago when i was dealing with really bad depression. listening to parasite for the first time on my way home from college looking out the bus window at the rain will always be a core memory for me :]]
For me you have Nick and you have everyone else. He was timeless. If you want to know the complete story of his life ( and the only biography approved by Gabrielle, his sister, check out the new book Nick Drake - A Life by Morton Jacks. I started reading it and can't put it down.
Thank you, Abby, for covering Nick Drake on your channel.
Nick is one of my favourite artists. I have always found his beautiful, melancholic songs very soothing and relaxing. I love all three of his albums, with "Five Leaves Left" probably being my favourite.
If you are interested in going deeper into the tragically short life of Nick Drake, then I would highly recommend Richard Morton Jack's excellent new biography, "Nick Drake- The Life".
that biography will definitely be on my reading list for the next nick video!
@@abigaildevoe I'm thrilled to hear there will be a next Nick video! YAY!
Fantastic album
Love this album. It was the VW commercial that reeled me in. And thanks for recommending Palindrome Hunches, just bought it😊
Great choice, Abigail.
RIP Nick Drake 🍻🍻
My favourite folk album of all time and Nick at his strongest, in my opinion. His discography still glows and remains as beautiful and strong. I also played Pink Moon on guitar and vocals next to Nick's headstone on his birthday and placed the three albums on it in his honour.
Cabbage night?! Cool, never heard that term before. In my east Pittsburgh suburb where I grew up, they called it 'devil's eve'. You learn something new every day!
I’m a hard rock and metal fan mostly but wow, This is Such a good album!
I absolutely love it! Love the album cover too.
About a decade ago, when cd's were still a thing, I bought the Nick Drake single "River Man"!
It came in a recreation of the '7" Single' sleeve!
Loving the channel Abigail!
👏🏻👌🏻👍🏻
?? when cds were still a thing" ??
I still buy CDs along with vinyl LPs. In fact, I've got one on order from Germany (I'm in the UK) right now. It's an early surfer girls singles compilation entitled "Surf Bunnies and Hot Rod Honeys". Okay, it might not be quite as introverted and earnest and soul-searching as Nick Drake but hey, I like it!
Best Wishes
I have that single too!
And for 'about a decade ago', try 20 years ago! 🙂 I know, I know...
I had owned "Five Leaves Left" for decades, but never had become a fan, except for the "River Man", and therefore never had the urge to have more of Nick. then I got myself a CD of Pink Moom from a bargain offer, at the time I was deep into fingerpicking guitar style, as a listener and as a player. And I must say that it is such a gift to have one last album of Nick in its purity, at least. It cannot be better, except there are no more of these musical blessings. It is one of the truly perfect albums from the classic folk/rock period.
Adding to all the stories about mental condition, it's worth mentioning, that he was a heavy pothead. It's the most reliable way to make an unstable person even more unstable. (I'm not sure from where I have the information, possibly Joe Boyd's "White Bicycles".) I think of that "just five leaves left" alert sheet marking a very uncomfortable situation.
Aside from the extreme shyness of Nick Drake in particular, it is worth mentioning that a lot of the great folk guitar fingerpickers had extreme fluctuations in quality on stage, ranging from brilliant to total failure. This includes John Fahey, Davey Graham, Bert Jantsch, and I even saw Kaki King struggling hard. Performing solo without the safety net of a band in the 60ies/70ies, just consider: These compositions are based on individual guitar tunings.
Not being classically trained, not having the perfect pitch hearing ability, and having no digital guitar tuner devices available, but having to perform a repertoire that depends on repeated re-tuning of the guitar, a performance night starting at mediocre bodily or mental condition can easily turn out as a disaster.
The story I was told is Nike taped all the songs for Pink Moon on his reel to reel at home. Then he just showed up at the studio where he dropped off the tapes at the front desk, telling the receptionist this was his new album and then just left.
Great, evocative album, and you're right - it's more reflective than depressed. Crazy thing - the moon was exactly the same color as the album cover tonight!
Such a great channel. What gift. Thank you!
I first heard of Nick Drake when I was studying in 1988. I never wanted to listen to him because I was suffering from depression, and didn't know how to deal with it, or even that it was depression, which can be treated.
You have such a gentle way of dealing with such sensitive material which is often the source of music, along with all the wild great stuff.
Beautiful.
Oh wow, Buddy is so great. Please, a scratch behind the ears and a treat for him!
P J Harvey please
I remember buying this cd on the bargain wall of my local record store in 2007 it was well loved so I bought it on those strengths and when I put this album on I was moved and it was a fantastic 30 minutes of wonderful music after this I bought everything that Nick Drake ever did
I love that album cover; it is great. I'll check his music out. Thx for going into depth about his songs content. If you hadn't done that; I might have missed out on this artist. It's so great that Abby makes this show. So much of this music is timeless. "The times they are a chang'n. So shake your windows---and a rattle ur walls". By preserving the past; you bring beauty, and hope to the future. Thx. Abby is one of the world's librarians of the future. She is multi-faceted like a fine jewel.
It’s hard to pick a favorite song, lyric, or line. But it might be that my one favorite *word* in any song is the “need” in Place To Be: “oh so weak in this need for you”. He’s almost out of breath when finishing the line, such a palpable sense of longing ❤️
I first discovered Nick Drake when I was a teenager and I came across an old copy of "Five Leaves Left" at a used bookstore. As someone who wasn't into the music that was popular at the time (N'Sync, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears. etc), I fell in love with his voice and this led me into the world of English Folk Rock.
You are getting epic AD. Im calling this
You are gonna write liner notes
The rhythm of his acoustic guitar strumming on the title track just might be the Most Relaxing Sound Ever (TM). It feels like an oar continuously being dipped into a placid autumn lake.
One of my favourite artists. The recent book released about him is highly recommended.
Thank you for your incisive comments on the deep art of Nick Drake!
This might be up there with your best work to date, honestly! I just WISH I could be as eloquent and well-spoken as you
Also YEAHHHHHH FUN HOUSE IS NEXT WEEK I AM SO PUMPED!!! (tone shift from this episode notwithstanding)
thank you so much!
i have to say being well-spoken is a myth: anyone can present thoughts like this. writing 12 pages a week for 2 1/2 years will do that to anyone!
PS: if you think this week to next is one hell of a tone shift......just wait until the week after that.
Northern sky and/or River Man. Way to blue , compiled and sequenced by Joe Boyd is a great listen.
This is going in my "Watch Later" list, and I shall enjoy it tomorrow morning with my first Coffee of the day.
In answer to your question, The thoughts of Mary-Jane, is Nick Drake's most beautiful song and my favourite...
Nick Drake was *the* artist that open me up to folk music, for a person that loves instrumental and complex music a guy with a guitar just didn´t appeal to me...how will I like it? Oh but I did, I love his voice so down to earth so non showy and to himself(also thank you for that Slowdive connection! one of my favorite bands), his lyrics so introspective and something that you mention and that I like a lot in my folk music-simple and to the point lyrics, and the guitar playing is also so good, I´ve heard the album today and before it "Horn" was there, I really liked it but wasn´t something especial but after this lisen I´ve grown to really like it´s sparceness and it was cool that you liked the song so much it really has grown on me, I connect a lot with Nick Drake I don´t see him as a sad person I see him as he is on those photos of him on the outdoors in the forest, quietlly thinking by himself, the only one he needs
Thank you for the video and I really have to see that A Skin Too Few doc you mentioned
a skin too few is available for free here on youtube! (if you don't mind the crunchy 2000 video quality haha)
"I saw Nick Drake
At the corner of time and motion
I caught his eye and he caught mine
I said, "You're tall, "
He said, "No taller than tomorrow's oceans"
I saw Nick Drake
And he was fine"
The love letter from Robyn Hitchcock :)