Nick Drake

[Mandobart]

I grew up in the 60's and 70's unaware of Nick Drake. In the last few years I've heard about him and checked out his tunes on Spotify. His style and delivery were way ahead of his time (late 60's/early 70's). I really want to like his stuff, BUT....by today's standards (or more accurately my standards after hearing so much great music over the years) his music all sounds the same. Its like he wrote 3 great songs and duplicated them on 3 albums. Am I missing something major? What are your top picks among his unfortunately limited discography?

[slooky]

Cello song and Riverman come to mind. The Riverman has fantastic orchestration that is so beautiful

[Paddy1951]

Nick Drake is one of those people whose untimely passing and minimal body of work, created a kind of mystique. Some have described him as genius. Was he? I am not saying he was or was not. Certainly, his style was different, unique for the times.
There are others whose circumstances are similar and they too, have this kind of mystique.
The late actor James Dean comes to mind. Some think he was a great acting genius. Was he? He was kind of the same character in the few movies he was in. Yet, he is revered.

Nick Drake, James Dean and others just did not live long enough to show us who they were, good, bad, or indifferent.

[[J.K.]]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

I grew up in the 60's and 70's unaware of Nick Drake. In the last few years I've heard about him and checked out his tunes on Spotify. His style and delivery were way ahead of his time (late 60's/early 70's). I really want to like his stuff, BUT....by today's standards (or more accurately my standards after hearing so much great music over the years) his music all sounds the same. Its like he wrote 3 great songs and duplicated them on 3 albums. Am I missing something major? What are your top picks among his unfortunately limited discography?

It's not really a surprise you hadn't heard of him during his brief time releasing albums. I've read the first couple albums didn't even sell more than 5000 copies, and I don't think Pink Moon did much better.

I think there's a European sensibility to his songwriting that some people like and others don't. Some find it to be bucolically trite, some like early viewers hear it as coffee shop background music, and others like me hear it as a much more resonating thing, where the subtle nature of it hides a different spectrum of introspection from other singer/songwriter folksy types. Personally, he's one of my favorite musicians, but I also prefer dense arpeggiations over riffs and licks.

I like his understated-yet-precise technique, the tone of his playing, and his song structures (from the sneaky 5/4 Riverman to the almost sketch-like tracks of Pink Moon). I'm also a fan of alternate tunings for fingerstyle, and things like his CGCFCE tuning have a sense of otherness to the sound. That said, whenever people tell me they don't "get it," I just kind of shrug and go "fine, then listen to what you do enjoy." I don't mean that dismissively, but I think Nick Drake's small and cult-like following is reasonably understandable in its smallness; while I readily worship at the altar of Drake, I do so with the understanding that his catalog isn't a prescriptive thing that all acoustic players should love or something.

I'd say give all three albums a shot (they're relatively short anyway)—or at least Bryter Layter and Pink Moon—in a setting where they're not background music. If you don't get much out of it other than perspective, then that's fair.

[tdq]

My wife loves him. I love "Place to Be" - but that's enough for me...

Now all I need to do now is find a way to use "bucolically trite" in a conversation.

[[J.K.]]

Originally Posted by tdq

Now all I need to do now is find a way to use "bucolically trite" in a conversation.

Ha ha. I'd be careful. It can make you sound like a pretentious jackass, as evidenced in the fourth post in this thread.

Originally Posted by Paddy1951

Nick Drake, James Dean and others just did not live long enough to show us who they were, good, bad, or indifferent.

Man, I hate to do this, but...

I don't believe your summary is accurate because to me all you're saying is you don't have an opinion of them. Authors like John Kennedy Toole, Harper Lee, Ralph Ellison, and many others have created legacies based on one work, with books that academia has rightfully turned into cornerstones of the modern literary tradition.

Even musicians have established themselves with less than a three album discography. Jeff Buckley created albums that dwarfed the careers of many of his contemporaries. Robert Johnson became a legend with a handful of 78s that were initially almost impossible to find. Hell, Darby Crash became an iconic figure and died at the age of 22, and even with only one full length and a couple singles, people surely have an opinion on him.

If someone dedicates themselves to even one work of art that resonates strongly and emotionally with people, then they've done something better than "shown us who they were." Good art lives on most often because through experience it, it shows us who we are.

[slooky]

Hazey Jane 1, Fly and Northern sky are others i enjoy.

Some tidbits

Five leaves left-5 years after that release He was no longer here.

Drake's song "Time Has Told Me" The lyric ("a troubled cure for a troubled mind")
Fruit Tree lyric

Fame is but a fruit tree
So very unsound
It can never flourish
‘til it’s stock is in the ground
So men of fame
Can never find a way
‘til time has flown
Far from their dying day

Fruit tree, fruit tree
No-one knows you but the rain and the air
Don’t you worry
They’ll stand and stare when you’re gone

Fruit tree, fruit tree
Open your eyes to another year
They’ll all know
That you were here when you’re gone

[Rudy4]

Most "post Nick Drake" listeners were probably alerted to him by way of the use of "Pink Moon" by Volkswagen as background music to one of their most popular car ads.

That was my earliest knowledge of him. I went on to listen to a bunch of his stuff and some of it I find particularly appealing. Listen to "Black-Eyed Dog". Pure genius.

https://youtu.be/PabxhKTkE0U

How about "Road"?

https://youtu.be/oQJmaKBcMzo

These two cuts are relatively simple, but I would think that listeners who are guitar players would find them particularly appealing.

It's refreshing to see a Nick Drake topic that DOESN'T focus on which exact guitar he played!!!

[Rosewood99]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

I grew up in the 60's and 70's unaware of Nick Drake. In the last few years I've heard about him and checked out his tunes on Spotify. His style and delivery were way ahead of his time (late 60's/early 70's). I really want to like his stuff, BUT....by today's standards (or more accurately my standards after hearing so much great music over the years) his music all sounds the same. Its like he wrote 3 great songs and duplicated them on 3 albums. Am I missing something major? What are your top picks among his unfortunately limited discography?

Yes, you are missing a lot. Maybe you just can't pick up the nuances. He has dozens of great songs. Pink Moon is completely different than Riverman, which is different from Black Eyed Dog. He excelled in alternate tunings which I would think would be of interest to forum members.

If he's not your cup of tea that's fine. It's not up to anyone to convince you. We all have different tastes. I suggest you just find some artists that you do like. I'll keep listening to one of my favorite artists.

[Paddy1951]

Originally Posted by [J.K.]

Ha ha. I'd be careful. It can make you sound like a pretentious jackass, as evidenced in the fourth post in this thread.



Man, I hate to do this, but...

I don't believe your summary is accurate because to me all you're saying is you don't have an opinion of them. Authors like John Kennedy Toole, Harper Lee, Ralph Ellison, and many others have created legacies based on one work, with books that academia has rightfully turned into cornerstones of the modern literary tradition.

Even musicians have established themselves with less than a three album discography. Jeff Buckley created albums that dwarfed the careers of many of his contemporaries. Robert Johnson became a legend with a handful of 78s that were initially almost impossible to find. Hell, Darby Crash became an iconic figure and died at the age of 22, and even with only one full length and a couple singles, people surely have an opinion on him.

If someone dedicates themselves to even one work of art that resonates strongly and emotionally with people, then they've done something better than "shown us who they were." Good art lives on most often because through experience it, it shows us who we are.

Not offering an opinion is not the same as not having one. The post wasn't about what my opinion may be.

[jmat]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

Most "post Nick Drake" listeners were probably alerted to him by way of the use of "Pink Moon" by Volkswagen as background music to one of their most popular car ads

That was true for me! Great ad and tune.

[Everton FC]

Originally Posted by [J.K.]

It's not really a surprise you hadn't heard of him during his brief time releasing albums. I've read the first couple albums didn't even sell more than 5000 copies, and I don't think Pink Moon did much better.

I think there's a European sensibility to his songwriting that some people like and others don't. Some find it to be bucolically trite, some like early viewers hear it as coffee shop background music, and others like me hear it as a much more resonating thing, where the subtle nature of it hides a different spectrum of introspection from other singer/songwriter folksy types. Personally, he's one of my favorite musicians, but I also prefer dense arpeggiations over riffs and licks.

I like his understated-yet-precise technique, the tone of his playing, and his song structures (from the sneaky 5/4 Riverman to the almost sketch-like tracks of Pink Moon). I'm also a fan of alternate tunings for fingerstyle, and things like his CGCFCE tuning have a sense of otherness to the sound. That said, whenever people tell me they don't "get it," I just kind of shrug and go "fine, then listen to what you do enjoy." I don't mean that dismissively, but I think Nick Drake's small and cult-like following is reasonably understandable in its smallness; while I readily worship at the altar of Drake, I do so with the understanding that his catalog isn't a prescriptive thing that all acoustic players should love or something.

I'd say give all three albums a shot (they're relatively short anyway)—or at least Bryter Layter and Pink Moon—in a setting where they're not background music. If you don't get much out of it other than perspective, then that's fair.

This is a good post, and a fair synopsis of Drake.

I find songs like "Three Hours" to be fantastic stuff. Ditto "Fly", "Cello Song", "Voice From The Mountain"... There's a darkness to some of his songs, like "Three Hours", that works so well with he guitar playing, which is brilliant. At time, he reminds me of Larry Norman, when Norman would just go straight acoustic and vocal. But that's just me.

The instrumental bridge in "Three Hours" is some great stuff, to my ear. I can't understand why some don't like this - why anyone could not like this - but I also totally understand. Drake's for a certain ear. Check out the link on the forum entitled "Analyzing Nick Drake's Tone", as part of your adventure. Drake's music is well worth the time, and the research.

[Everton FC]

Originally Posted by jmat

That was true for me! Great ad and tune.

My introduction was a stab at a CD in a thrift store. Had heard of him, but not the advert. It was a while ago, but I jumped in that day, and keep finding there's something I missed, last time I listened. A lot to unpack, with Drake's music. All that said, my wife and kids won't give him a chance!

[packmule]

Huge Nick Drake fan here - I'm an aging punk rocker who came round to Nick Drake late in life, but "Man in a Shed", "Pink Moon", Northern Lights" are all classics for me.

[sumokids]

I'll cast a vote for "Which Will." Perhaps my favorite song about ex-lovers (followed closely by Josh Ritter's "New Lover"). Nick's original for the guitar work, Lucinda Williams' cover for the vocals.