Nick Drake
Biography
A singular talent who passed almost unnoticed during his brief lifetime, Nick Drake produced several albums of chilling, somber beauty. With hindsight, these have come to be recognized as peak achievements of both the British folk-rock scene and the entire rock singer/songwriter genre. Sometimes compared to Van Morrison, Drake in fact resembled Donovan much more in his breathy vocals, strong melodies, and the acoustic-based orchestral sweep of his arrangements. His was a much darker vision than Donovan's, however, with disturbing themes of melancholy, failed romance, mortality, and depression lurking just beneath, or even well above, the surface. Ironically, Drake has achieved a far greater stature in the decades following his death, with an avid cult following that grows by the year.
Part of Drake's failure to attract a mass audience was attributable to his almost pathological reluctance to perform live. It was at a live show in Cambridge, however, that a member of Fairport Convention saw Drake perform, and recommended the singer to producer Joe Boyd. Boyd, already a linchpin of the British folk-rock scene as the producer for Fairport and the Incredible String Band, asked Drake for a tape, and was impressed enough to give the 20-year-old a contract in 1968.
Selected Discography
Love his voice - so ethereal...B e a u t i f u l arangements of his songs, beautiful acoustic and wonderful songwriting. Makes me think what he could have done if he had lasted longer...gla d we have what we have!!
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...found him through a Rolling Stone article around 2002 entitled "the saddest singer/songw r i t e r of all time"...wasn ' t that the truth. Cello song...
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...some of us are born sad. A never-ending empty soul that longs for something that we can't even name. I struggle with his same lonely empty saddness even when in a roomful of loved ones. I have held on for thirty years...enou g h to see many in my same state not make it. It is a disease and a great struggle which only ends...well. . at the end. RIP Nick.
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I first heard one of his songs on the 'Serendipity ' soundtrack. Then, another song popped on the 'Garden State' soundtrack - thanks to Zach Braff! I am enthralled with his voice and his instrumentat i o n / a r r a n g e m e n t s . Like others, I had no idea he was not a 'current' artist and I am so sorry about that. Thank goodness the world had him for a little while and I am thankful we can enjoy his music still. I am sad that he apparently had such a sad life; it would have been interesting to see what he mi
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the first time i heard Nick Drake was on an internet "melancholia " station. i had no idea he wasn't a current artist. not until i started listening on pandora did i learn he was gone before i was even born. i love his simplicity while at the same time, many of his pieces are complex from a muscially educated point of view. more so than most of his contemporari e s . perhaps his time wasn't ready for him. we are.
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if you don't like nick drake there must be something wrong with you
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Wow - Pandora says similar to The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, and Radiohead? Excellent.
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I was lucky to be brought up in a house that valued Donovan, Drake, Ochs, Croce, etc. Like others have said, I think what gets me is his nakedness. Even in his more orchestrated pieces, there's no change in his lyrical and vocal presence.
I also respect that Drake was able to channel that depression -- even for a short while -- into some of the most hauntingly beautiful music ever recorded. Has anyone else noticed how closely the successes and lives of Dylan/Ochs and Donovan/Drak e mirror each |
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It seems the most beautiful of musicians are the most troubled and then they are gone. Truly amazing.
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he really explores that pain, It makes me wonder where that pain that we all feel comes from, is it that we know we are all going to die, is it that total fear of that knowledge? Our own mortality is such a heavy thing that it can weigh us down. I don't really know, god I am making myself depressed. Anyway at least we have great music to carry us through till that day comes.
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I have had so many lonely nights listening to this achingly beautiful music. One of the most under rated songwriters of all time. He was so sad. He really had a very unique perspective, with his finger on the pulse of alot of the pain that exsists with living.
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believe it or not I have not previously heard this, and I think it is wonderful. Fits my mood these days exactly
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I loved Pink Moon when it first came out. Wished I still had that album. Gotta be a loner type to like him. He resonates deep, and thats different than most music out there.
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Usha dont get this foo. What he so damn sad about? why white folk always so damn sad?
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nick drake is my foundation and it's where everything begins.. Musical genius and left way before his time...
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Wow. I just died to the song "Place to be". Time to curl up and be reborn.
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When One Of These Things First made it onto the Garden State soundtrack a few years ago, I fell in love with Nick Drake. How odd that I didn't even consider that the music wasn't recent! His music is still contemporary and unmatched.
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I heard of Nick Drake back when VW had made a commercial for the Cabrio using Pink Moon. I loved the feeling of the commercial and half of it was due to the song. Immeadiately , I had to look up the song and bought the Way to Blue album.
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I ran across Nick's song "River Man" while browsing ITunes a few years back. I was blown away by the honesty, rawness & vulnerabilit y he offered up. I had never heard of Nick prior to that day, but after listening to the hauntingly personal "River Man" over and over and over again, I was compelled to seek out more of Nick's work. As sad and melancholy as his songs can make me feel, they also create a sense of peaceful serenity and understandin g in my soul.
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if not for heath ledger i would not have found nick drake. his music probably would have made a much deeper impression on me in my 20's when i had energy to burn and openly explored janis and jimi and bobby and simon etal and many more souls who had stared too long at the sun. bpd has taken way too many of us for a lack of comprehensio n that the brain is just not processing like the majority of others but it can be rewired.
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I thought I was listening to Donovan. I will have to look into Nick's songs I never heard of him before now. What a sad life he had but what a wonderful gift he has left us. Thank you Nick
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Nick, you will live forever through your beautiful lyrics and music...we will never forget you and for all of us that are deeply touched by your talent we will forever keep your spirit alive...Than k you Nick for your gift of song...
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