Nick Drake - Pink Moon

Thu 7th Sep, 2006 in Music Reviews

A few things happening in 1974 – America withdrew many troops from Vietnam, Richard Nixon was impeached, All The Presidents Men was published by Woodward and Bernstein explaining the role of “Deep Throat” and Nick Drake overdosed on antidepressants at the age of 26.

Nicholas Rodney Drake was born in Burma in 1948. When he was three the family moved back to Warwickshire, England. He had battled with depression, insomnia and shyness throughout his life, and as some would say this was either the recipe for destruction or the makings of a tragically talented genius. Between the years 1969 and 1972, he recorded three albums, which sadly failed to find a wide audience during his lifetime. Like with so many great artists, Nick Drake wouldn’t find success until long after he was gone.

After completion of Pink Moon, Drake’s third album, in 1972, he withdrew from both live performance and recording, returning to his parents home in Tanworth-in-Arden. And on November 25, 1974 he ended his life.

As the first song on Pink Moon starts, I get chills down my spine. I never thought a man and his guitar could be so beautiful. Nick Drake’s voice is raw in all the right places and melodic everywhere else. There’s enough guitar hooks to keep you interested even if you don’t want to listen to the lyrics of depression. I could listen to this album all day and never get sick of it. And that’s what makes it a classic!

“Things Behind The Sun” sums this album up perfectly for me. If you need to hear one song from Pink Moon, make it this one. As Nick Drake plucks at his acoustic guitar strings, his voice sings the words:

“Take your time and you’ll be fine /
and say a prayer for people there /
who live on the floor /
and if you see what’s meant to be /
don’t name the day or try to say /
it happened before.”

It’s sad that a talent such as this one went without the recognition he deserved ‘til long after he died. If there was a void left in your life when Jeff Buckley and Elliott Smith died, give the one who started it all a go. Nick Drake will stay with you forever.