Name: Five Leaves Left
Brand: Nick Drake

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

B001849001

{"blocks": [{"data": {"text": "B001849001"}, "type": "paragraph"}]}

Colour

Black

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music US

Limited edition

Release date

2013-10-29

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier US

Unive­rsal

Tax rate US

Sales:8.875

UPC / Barcode

602537347568

{"blocks": [{"data": {"text": "602537347568"}, "type": "paragraph"}]}

Total Cap

1 / Extended format: No / LP / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No / black

Artist

Nick Drake

Genre US

60s & 70s

Label US

Island

Our curated collection of essential albums on vinyl, CD, and tape at Rough Trade.

Rough Trade Essential

British folk singer-songwriter and guitarist, Nick Drake, was born on 19 June 1948 in Rangoon, Burma. He released three albums before his untimely death in 1974 from an overdose of anti-depressant medication. With a unique blend of haunting melodies and introspective lyrics, Drake's music continues to captivate audiences today.

Drake's musical talent ran in the family, with his father Rodney Drake being a musician himself. His mother Molly Drake was also musically inclined and his sister Gabrielle Drake is known for her acting career. Despite his short life, Nick Drake left behind a lasting legacy through his heartfelt songs that explore themes of love, loss, and introspection.

Although he achieved little commercial success during his lifetime, Nick Drake's music has gained a cult following over the years. His melancholic yet beautiful compositions have influenced countless artists across various genres. Today, fans can discover and appreciate the timeless artistry of this talented British musician through his acclaimed albums such as "Five Leaves Left," "Bryter Layter," and "Pink Moon."

The result was a fantastic debut appearance, and if the cult of Drake consistently reads more into his work than is perhaps deserved, Five Leaves Left is still a most successful effort. Having grown out of the amiable but derivative styles captured on the long-circulating series of bootleg home recordings, Drake imbues his tunes with just enough drama -- world-weariness in the vocals, carefully paced playing, and more -- to make it all work. His lyrics capture a subtle poetry of emotion, as on the pastoral semi-fantasia of "The Thoughts of Mary Jane," which his soft, articulate singing brings even more to the full. Sometimes he projects a little more clearly, as on the astonishing voice-and-strings combination "Way to Blue," while elsewhere he's not so clear, suggesting rather than outlining the mood. Understatement is the key to his songs and performances' general success, which makes the combination of his vocals and Rocky Dzidzornu's congas on "Three Hours" and the lovely "'Cello Song," to name two instances, so effective. Danny Thompson is the most regular side performer on the album, his bass work providing subtle heft while never standing in the way of the song -- kudos well deserved for Boyd's production as well.

It's little wonder why Drake felt frustrated at the lack of commercial success his music initially gathered, considering the help he had on his debut record. Besides fine production from Joe Boyd and assistance from folks like Fairport Convention's Richard Thompson and his unrelated bass counterpart from Pentangle, Danny Thompson, Drake also recruited school friend Robert Kirby to create most of the just-right string and wind arrangements. His own performance itself steered a careful balance between too-easy accessibility and maudlin self-reflection, combining the best of both worlds while avoiding the pitfalls on either side.

<a href="https://roughtrade.com/us/music/five-leaves-left">CD available here.</a>

Five Leaves Left

Music US

Buy Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left (Vinyl, CD) now from Rough Trade - independent purveyors of great music, since 1976.