The Van Gogh of Music: The Story of Nick Drake
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- čas přidán 11. 06. 2024
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Nicholas Rodney Drake (19 June 1948 - 25 November 1974) was an English singer-songwriter known for his acoustic guitar-based songs. He did not find a wide audience during his lifetime, but his work gradually achieved wider notice and recognition. Drake signed to Island Records when he was 20 years old and a student at the University of Cambridge. He released his debut album, Five Leaves Left, in 1969. He recorded two more albums-Bryter Layter (1971) and Pink Moon (1972). Neither sold more than 5,000 copies on initial release. His reluctance to perform live, or be interviewed, contributed to his lack of commercial success. There is no known video footage of the adult Drake; he was only ever captured in still photographs and in home footage from his childhood.
Drake experienced depression, particularly during the latter part of his life, a fact often reflected in his lyrics. On completion of his third album, 1972's Pink Moon, he withdrew from both live performance and recording, retreating to his parents' home in rural Warwickshire. On 25 November 1974, Drake died from an overdose of a prescribed antidepressant; he was 26 years old. Whether his death was an accident or suicide has not been resolved.
Drake's music remained available through the mid-1970s, but the 1979 release of the retrospective album Fruit Tree allowed his back catalogue to be reassessed. By the mid-1980s, Drake was being credited as an influence by such artists as Robert Smith of The Cure and Peter Buck of R.E.M. In 1985, The Dream Academy reached the UK and US charts with "Life in a Northern Town", a song written for and dedicated to Drake. By the early 1990s, he had come to represent a certain type of "doomed romantic" musician in the UK music press and was frequently cited as an influence by artists including Kate Bush, Paul Weller, Aimee Mann, Beck, Robyn Hitchcock and The Black Crowes. Drake's first biography appeared in 1997, followed in 1998 by the documentary film A Stranger Among Us.
00:00 Intro
01:22 Nick's Early Life and Music
04:57 Nick's first album: Five Leaves Left
08:56 critics didn't like his album
10:21 Nick's 2nd album: Bryter Layter
13:39 Nicks 3rd album: Pink Moon
#nickdrake #volksgeist #videoessay - Zábava
This is literally what being "ahead of your time" means. Its not necessarily a complement to the artist...but a compliment to the art.
Yeah, well I love Drake, but you can say that about a whole slew of musicians (and other types of artists) from the same exact time period. Drake was a great stylist, love his music, A+ for execution and inspiration.....he didn't reinvent the wheel. There were lots of other people doing what he was doing at the same exact time, and doing it well. People had a LOT to choose from, and just in this style alone, they had Donovan (who predated him and was already huge), Fairport Convention, Incredible String band, Roy Harper....and that's just the England. Van Morrison was coming out at the same time with Astral Weeks, in the U.S. you had tons of folk songwriters to choose from, everyone from Fred neil and Tim buckley (or Hardin) to Joni Mitchell. And of course, Dylan. The beatles were ahead of their time, Zappa, beefheart.....the Velvets....The Who.....everyone at that time was "ahead of their time", mostly because the beatles (and Dylan) made it the vogue to experiment, to push the envelope.....to be ahead of your time. Drake's music doesn't seem particularly "ahead of its time" when you listen to it back to back with, say, King Crimson or Trout Mask (or even Magical Mystery Tour......it was ALL ahead of its time).
Yeah, just like with Bill Fay: Almost no one heard him in the 1970s, until he had a huge resurgence 30 years later
(his album 'Life is People' ) ❤ czcams.com/video/sBsF7RZITmw/video.html ❤
Fuggin' sensitively observed, my friend. You understood the assignment. I'm gonna use this casually when applicable, and I'll do my due diligence to credit ya🖖
Joe Boyd never lost faith in Nick Drake. When he sold Which Season Productions he insisted on a contract stipulation that Nick Drakes catalogue should never be deleted.
There is hope !
that's a fact he could have thrown into his goddamn 30 minute video
@@luciano8158 exactly. This idiot should've had something original to say instead of regurgitating everything that's ever been said about him since the year 2000
Pink Moon is pure magic to me. I found his music by accident yet I don’t really feel it was by accident, I was meant to hear this…he feels like my brother.
Me too
I found Nick's music during one of the lowest points of my life, in a depressive pit without a very good notion of why I should keep going. It brought me peace when little else would.
I'm only halfway through this video and I'm fully weeping because it hits on what makes his music so utterly timeless. There is something profoundly beautiful about a man so out of place and out of time, trying to give words to the chasm between himself and his world with song. No matter what generation or what walk of life, it will always find its people: out of place, without the words to fill the silence. People who will recognise the triumphant bravery in holding your candle against the encroaching dark, even with no one to see it.
I do not know how to thank a ghost, but I wish Nick knew in life at least one stranger whose lonely passage through life was made warmer for having met Nick Drake. He deserves so much more than he got.
I'm in that place right now, and this video is leading me to discovering him for the first time. Living in Cambridge too so it feels oddly relevant... Looking forward to listening to his albums in order, feel like it's going to be some weeks of true discovery.
Beautifully said. You’re a good writer.
To thank a ghost, you just concentrate on him, and you send him love and gratitude. Spirits are very psychic, so maybe he will hear you... Your message is very poetic and beautiful. You are not out of place, you can reach people with you writing. Maybe you could write prose or poetry to connect with other souls, or find some other art form to express yourself. I am pretty sure you have a talent that can make you and others happy.
Boo hoo
@@indigohammer5732 I hope you're not being a dick. This gentleman just poured out his soul to share with others and your comment has trampled that under foot. If you have made this comment to be hurtful, I hope that you get what you deserve in this life.
I only discovered Nick Drake a few years ago and was in shock when I learnt he'd been dead for 4 decades! His sound is beautiful, haunting, and timeless. xxx
I worked for a PBS station about 14 years ago and we produced a story on a local WWII vet who's job was to teach aerial photography to record the accuracy of bombing missions. As the producer was putting the story together, I mentioned Nick Drake's music. When she showed me the finished piece, it included instrumental passages from a number of his songs and it brought tears to my eyes. The music perfectly evoked the nostalgia and melancholy though it wasn't of that time period. Here's a link to it if you're interested. czcams.com/video/T8Et9rUMdl4/video.html. Donna received an EMMY for her work on this.
I believe I had heard Nick already died before I started listening to him, but I had a similar experience when I first started listening to Stevie Ray Vaughan as a teenager. I didn't know he was dead at the time and I was telling someone that I wanted to see him live. Then the guy goes, "yeah, too bad he's dead."
@@donyoung7874 This was a wonderful story. Using Nick Drake’s music made it that much better. Thank you for sharing this.
@@rhugh02 Thank you so much for that! Mr Zemper was an interesting person and Donna Ryan did a fantastic job telling his story. We met him while we were doing a story on an old, forgotten opera house in Howell, MI. They used to be prevalent venues throughout the state before cars allowed people to travel further for entertainment. He was a historian in Howell and he had a lot of information on the venue. Along the way, he shared some of his WWII story with us and not long after, there was a decision to do a local story on him to link to the new upcoming Ken Burns documentary on WWII. When we premiered the video in a Howell theater, it was sold out! Everything just came together for this project. Except we were supposed to go up in the B-17 with him, only the weather that day wouldn't allow it. I'm glad you liked it!
His mother wrote some nice songs as well.
Nick Drake deserved so much more success while alive
Sometimes you just have to keep living. Sixto Rodriguez and Anton Newcombe could have been in this category too but they lived long enough to eventually get their flowers in their lifetime.
What makes you think he wanted success. By the way, he never burped.
@@seltonk5136 he sure did, but he just couldn't see it happening thus why he's gone now, but it's alright. He's much more alive now more than ever.
Many other obscure artists living right now who will die penniless, but perhaps revered years later, there's still a lot influential underground legends from the 60s-present day that made modern music yet no one knows their name, that's just how life is.
@@kelechi_77 I think the thing that makes Nick Drakes case more tragic is he got his chance to be on a big label and be heard but was rejected at the time. He died thinking no one liked his music.
I discovered Nick Drake when I was in college in 1982 when all my friends were digging it. I think it came from the record collection of the older sister of a friend of mine and it spread though my peer group like wildfire. This was only about 7-8 years after he died. I didnt even know he was dead initially. We had the 3 albums but zero information. Then quite a long time after I was astonished to hear his music on some tv trailer, It felt like an assault on something my "tribe" I suppose felt belonged to us, and suddenly his music and story was everywhere and not a secret anymore. Nick was like a forester, his music had to dwell in the underground before the world was ready. It was never designed to be commercial just to be great music and poetry. Instead of being famous for being dead he has since become immortal
Discovered Nick Drake in the late 70s and had easy access to his music.
Kudos to Island Records for always keeping his music in stock until he finally hit in 2000.
I was shocked when he finally hit, but I probably shouldn't have been.
Music is too good to be kept secret forever.
I love that you got to find him when you did, even if it was past his life. Are there any other artists that you want more people to know about today that just don’t get love?
@@grinkobaba9226 Thanks, two British groups.
The Move - Sixties band that evolved into the Electric Light Orchestra.
The Inspiral Carpets - Nineties keyboard driven band.
Yes Chris Blackwell did a good job there.
Yes, Island Records is due a lot of credit for continuing to make Nick Drake's albums available--Joe Boyd as his ideal producer and Chris Blackwell as the label head who was so committed to Nick. David Geffen was reported to have strong interest in Nick Drake and said he was convinced he could make a big star out of Drake. Not sure how that would have gone, but it's worth thinking about. As you probably know, what really broke Nick Drake's music from minor cult following to large audience and influence was the VW commercial featuring "Pink Moon".
Discovered Nick's music in the mid 90s after finding the Elton John bootleg "Nick Drake Sessions " and after that a host of British folk rock music that I never knew existed. John Martyn, Fairport Convention, Richard and Linda Thompson, Sandy Denny, Strawbs, Pentangle and more but Nick's music is my favorite. 😊
To me Nick lived in the same realm as Donovan and Syd Barrett.... His music inspires me.
And Elliott Smith!
Except to meet, Nick is more brilliant than either Sid Barrett or Donovan, who I love dearly, but there’s no other artist on the planet I think now, or in the past who is ever replicated the brilliance of Nick Drake he’s a one-of-a-kind there will never be another one like him I’m not saying anything bad about Syd Barrett or Donovan. They’re both incredible artist, but they’re not Nick Drake.
I knew him personally from Fauntleroy and Dudley Moore's phalanx situations. I've already spoken at length about this and previous forums and with Melody maker . Nick never burped, he never wanted success. He had a great sense of humor and he loved Max headroom. Let him get into the house
@@seltonk5136 You say he never...burped?
For sure
Pink Moon is my favourite album. Is has a stark desperate beauty which reminds me of Syd Barrett's late solo work but he still had it together enough that every song is tightly constructed and well executed but there is also a heavy foreshadowing of things coming apart and the centre not being able to hold.
I have all three recordings and I love the song Pink Moon, but I rarely play that album. Five Leaves Left is probably my favorite and I like the jazzy, Bryter Layter too. I think I first found Nick's music through getting into Fairport Convention in the 80's. Maybe it's because Pink Moon is so dark and having read about how he was shutting down as it was being recorded. I wish he'd gotten the attention and acclaim that he deserved in his lifetime. His playing was exquisite. Kudos to Joe Boyd for keeping Nick's name and music out there for a new audience.
Yeah i think pinkmoon is my fav too, from the morning is so so good! Road, so mysteriously trippy.. and of course, parasite, whaat a song! ND was a confessing soul of an angel, trapped down here.
I had forgotten how great pinkmoon is! Still got that cd, since 99 or smthn..
Ping ping ping pingamoon
I agree that Pink Moon is deliciously melodic though for sure dark and melancholic too. I find Nick Drakes songs are uniformly excellent on his first three albums. The consistently high quality is staggering. I do not see that with Sid Barrett’s work, but can see the stylistic comparison.
Which Will and Things Behind the Sun are so beautiful. I love the sparse piano fill in the title track.
The recordings of his mother Molly Drake are so integral to Nick`s sound,they`re so beautiful and pure,but at the same time,growing up hearing her songs seeping through the floorboards would have made many people extremely melancholy and depressed too.Speaking from bitter experience,smoking hash and grass,amongst experiencing other things,can tip many people over the edge eventually too
This video summarises his career better than any documentary
By what definition is this not a documentary?
Why? Please explain.
Jans, my son, discovered Nick Drake's cd's, about 15 years ago. We felt in love with is songs and to this day play them often. i am 79 years old and his music help me in times of sorrow. i am from Chile, live in USA and have learn to enjoy music from the world. ND was here on this earth to make music that helps us to keep going no matter what. Thanks for ever to this genius that left us such incredible music :)!!!
much like most of the comments here, I found Nick Drake during a terribly dark and painful period of my life, and pink moon gave me solace and comfort during it, I fell asleep to it almost every night for maybe a year of that period, it allowed me to cry again and process things.
listening to pink moon for the first time is one of my most vivid memories the impact that album had on me was immense.
Yes
I had been unemployed for 2 years when I discovered Nick Drake. The darkness of your soul helped my depression 💔. Thank you
How are things now?
@@SilentAttackTV Much better. Moved to a different state,got a better job,got my first grandchild, took up painting and making instrumental beat. I'm kinda good at both. Thanks for asking Todd!!
I needed to see this. I've been unemployed since May, last year, and you just gave me a bit of hope. Thank you.
I’m so glad to read this. Hang in there! The world can be hard sometimes and our mind might not help at all, but if we carry on we might be around to witness the collors change and find a better tomorrow. ❤
@@ManuelaOliveiraMusic I don't know if you was replying to me, but I really appreciate your message either way :) Have a great day
This video randomly showed up when i was on CZcams. I've never heard of Nick Drake before but was captivated by this video. I listened to his music and was blown away. His music is so innocent and beautiful. I've been listening nonstop for the past week. I can feel his pain through his music. I have suffered from depression and his music resonates with me. I am so glad I found his music, I wish he was still with us.
His music doesn't suck. A lot of people just don't understand his work. It's sophisticated. It's unlike anything I've ever listened to. It's simple. It touches the heart.
Simply, but very brilliantly said
I dunno. It's like dreamy folk which blows my mind cause this was the 60s, Bob Dylan's 60s. Why is his music being compared to pop trash of the era and not the folk revival that was blowing up at the time, the same kind of music that can be filled with a melancholic yearning for some other ethereal time and place.
Nick Drake music that you can feel pulling on your soul. A beautiful sadness really.
@@rhugh02 it's dreary feeling, like the Spanish moss on a tree in Savannah.
@@nickv1212even if it was, Nick drake’s sound was wildly different. The only folk contemporary that even seems relatively in his ball park is Joni Mitchell (they both have a timeless sound, used alternative tunings, had eclectic sound influences, were widely talented guitarists etc.) I love 60s folk but something about Nick drake’s sound truly stands out among his folk peers of the time
Nick was so absolutely honest in his expression. No pretension at all. Just so completely unheard of. Just so beautiful.
...and there's more! Not long before he died he walked into the studio at 1am and recorded the last of his songs: Hanging on a Star, Black Eyed Dog, Voice of the Mountain, Riding on a Wheel. All beautiful and brilliant.
Found his music by accident a year ago on a streaming site .... but until now never really looked further into his life, struggles and passing ..but I am truly glad I found his intimate perspective and legacy .....a truly great songwriter/poet and musician.
I came across Nick Drake's mind blowing and timeless masterpieces about 5 years ago, not by Spotify or anything like that, I don't even use these platforms or any social media . I was reading about folk music witch always fascinated me , and somehow the connection instantly happened.
I've always been an outsider regarding music, art in general and way of thinking...and struggled with depression since I was a little kid. When I first listened to the lyrics, I could immediately relate to those words and landscapes he describes so beautifully.
Believe it or not....I'm from Brazil . Honestly I have no idea how many people here know about Nick Drake's existence. Maybe a 100, maybe more maybe less, at a 200 million people country.
I've came across his masterpieces at a very very dark and desperate time in my life . And to this day I listen to it and just wish Nick was here to thank him.
Definitely one of the Greatest of All Time.
It’s kinda crazy to think how his music has found a spotlight later and he never got to experience it. He never got to see how impactful his music really was.
I discovered Nick around the same time as Elliott Smith. Both amazing artist and both died tragically far too young. All 3 albums are beautiful but Pink Moon is his masterpiece in my personal opinion.
Dude!! Was just thinking the same thing! Not only because of their tragic circumstances, but because of their RAW honesty & vulnerability when they sing - as well as the subject matter, and their fragile, beautiful souls ..
I’ve known of Elliot since since my kid was in his “Coming up Roses” video (drums). Just heard of Nick Drake for the very first time two days ago! I love the islands records artists but never heard of him!😮
Elliott is the GOAT but Nick Drake was awesome too.
Hate that people bring up Elliott smith with nick drake all the time 🙄 Elliott smith is far superior
Nick passed away the same year I was born. I really wish I could have met him. My heart breaks for his story, because I can relate to it in a way. I was listening very closely to Northern Sky earlier today and it broke me. Tears flooded my eyes as I imagined this fleeting moment of love and happiness in his life. I truly wish he could have experienced so much more of that joy while he was on this earth.
He truly was a pure soul, I love him so much
I heard Nick Drake for the first time around 86, someone was playing River Man at a festival in a café. I was starstruck I asked the guy what the song was ..and then I heard Pink Moon for the first time. Unbelievably beautiful and haunting.
I’m pretty sure the record company just did not know how to market him (it wasn’t the first time a record company had completely ruined an artist’s career and it won’t be the last time ) Music also didn’t have the reach that it has now, and of course being so introverted and reclusive would not help, - even these days it would be difficult. The fact that he was a tortured soul’ and committed suicide, also amplifies the appeal, which is sad, but that’s the way it is.
He wrote the most beautiful songs, River Man is a masterpiece, ..and the whole pink Moon album is amazing, ..and really all of his songs are great ❤️
thank you so much for your great video. 🙏
For anyone who wants more of his music like Pink Moon, you should check out his demos he recorded for his 4th album. Some of the most haunting work he ever made, and ironically during this time he stated that he felt as though his creativity had run out. Each song is indescribable in it's own way. I've never heard a song as triumphant and comforting yet hopeless and terrifyingly bleak as Black Eyed Dog, or as longing as Voices. Rider On the Wheel is simultaneously so apathetic and numb while also having such a bittersweet feeling of pushing on.
Where can I find this?
@@skatewithnomercy Go to a blog called 'Albums That Should Exist'' for those Nick songs which are not on his albums .. there is a collection called 'Nick Drake - Last Session - Non-Album Tracks (1974)'.
Pink Moon is one of my favorite albums of all time.
I remember some of my friends talking about Nick Drake back in the 80's when I was in college. Sure, he wasn't a household name, but among music cognoscenti he was certainly known and appreciated as a great artist. So, I think his star has been steadily rising, rather than suddenly being discovered in the 00's.
This is terrific. I never knew anything about Nick Drake's biography. In 1988, when I was 25 and working in Boston, there was this busker at the Porter Square T-stop that I'd see each morning. He played the most gorgeous, English-sounding folk songs, so I bought one of his tapes and took it into work to play. One of my co-workers, who was about my age said, "Hey, those are Nick Drake covers!" Thanks to her, I went searching and easily found Pink Moon and Five Leaves Left at Newbury Comix. So yeah, there was an awareness before the Volkswagon commercial. But, I definitely remember the impact of that ad. I'm so glad Nick finally got his due.
Dudes there’s no way you were 25 in 1988 and your on CZcams that’d make you nearly 60 bro stop the cap😂 why do you have to troll kid😂
There was a period where I listened to Nick Drake obsessively, and still listen to him frequently. It has always pained me that he wasn't recognized in his lifetime--such beautiful work and absolutely timeless. The world is not kind to introverts.
I teared up a little while watching this video, since it reminds me so much of what my grandfather and recently diciest grandmother taught me to love! I have never heard anything by this artist until now, and not only do I feel compelled to hear more from him, but I feel incredibly inspired to pick up my bass guitar and actually start writing music again. Thank you so much for capturing my imagination as well as many other people's hearts in this comment section by documenting Nick Drake's musical masterpieces!! You just earned a new subscriber, and please never give up on making meaningful video essays like this one here
Wow!!! You really outdid yourself on this video. I’ve been a fan of your work for a few years, but this video is an absolute masterpiece. The animations were breathtaking and added so much depth to Nick’s story. It’s also impressive you made this piece of content knowing Nick didn’t have many interviews or articles about him. Just a a couple of pictures and his music. I’m so happy you did this video.
I think Nick represents a lot of artists/creatives who have a gift, but struggle to be heard and are ostracized by society because we don’t conform to their standards. We refuse to water down our art to please the corporations/mainstream. We often have to go on our journey alone with constant feelings of doubt, disappointment, and failure.
Thank you for making this video and to all the creatives out there, KEEP MAKING ART!! NO MATTER WHAT!!!!!
THANK YOU!!
@@Volksgeist I’m literally about to invest in your class bc I’ve been wanting to make video essays for a long time, but don’t know where to start and how to structure them. I also want to figure how to incorporate animations at some point. Thank you for replying to my comment I’m a huge fan!
I got into Nick's music via the Island Bumpers sampler. I then bought the albums when they were released. On the same album was a John and Beverly Martin song which led me into John's music over the next decades. John and Nick were friends and John had Nick stay at his house in Hastings in the early 70's. John's song 'Solid Air' was written about his friend. Both were great singer/songwriters and although apparently more emotionally stronger, John also had his vulnerabilities. Both left a fantastic musical legacy, notwithstanding that Nick's was too brief.
I didn't know Bryter Layter was the closest Nick got to 'selling out' by creating a more commercial sound, because I still consider it to be a work of genius and has some of his best songs on there.
Agreed!
Absolutely !
Layter voice does sound the same.
I've been listening to these 3 Nick Drake records for 20 years. During that time my favourite songs of his has changed from one album to another. Today I can only say that each album has something truly unique in it and all are masterpieces in their own right.
What a interesting young man. Quite tragic but heartwarming that his music did make it in the end.
his island label boss Chris Blackwell wrote a heartfelt chapter about him in his autobiography can understand why when you heard his story told by others
He’s simply on of those artist who have music that transmits emotions that are so specific that become something completely different of everything you’ve heard. Until this day I feel like his guitar sounds melancholic, a little bit sad but magical. And every time I remember him I wonder what went thru his head the day he committed suicide, I mean, who take a plate of cornflakes as his last meal. He was one of a kind.
It wasn't conclusive that he committed suicide. It could have easily been an accidental overdose.
He should have just finished uni first. It was a bad choice. A bit of maturity, can make all the difference. (Not abusing a young brain with chems, May have helped also?).
@@duellingscarguevaraeven then, his personality would've still brought him down.
Nick Drakes story is just so sad.
Whenever I listen to Place To Be it brings me so many emotions that I can't even describe.
So haunting.
Great video! While I was watching the part about "Place to Be", I remembered that while reading John Lennon's biography and seeing the lyrics to "Help", I had noticed the striking resemblance:
"Place to Be":
When I was young, younger than before
I never saw the truth hanging from the door
And now I'm older, see it face to face
And now I'm older, gotta get up, clean the place
"Help":
When I was younger so much younger than today
I never needed anybody's help in any way
But now these days are gone, I'm not so self assured
Now I find I've changed my mind and opened up the doors
Both first lines start with "When I was young/ younger". The second line starts with "I never". And both verses mention a door. A great adaptation!
❤
Nick's "Time Of No Reply" evokes two Beatle songs: "No Reply" and "Hello Goodbye."
He should have been the next Leonard Cohen, It's really clear that the industry screwed him over with his manager leaving him and nobody assisting him with tuning in his live shows.
Joe did not abandon him. He even insisted that the full catalog be available in perpetuity he believed in Nick so much. Nick was uncooperative in marketing his own work, refusing radio interviews and concerts. That he would do that even with his masterpiece PINK MOON is quite mysterious, as was Nick.
I Think Bryter Later and 5 leaves left are better but they're all Masterpieces
He did manage to record some songs (about four have come to light) in '74 for what was to be his fourth album. Some of these can be found on various compilation albums.
The engineer at thst session said Drake was too far gone to be able to play his guitar and sing at the same time, so he recorded his guitar and vocals seperately.
In "Hanging on a Star" he seems to describe the disconnect between himself as a person and the star a lot of people - even he himself - told him he should be or have been. And "Black Eyed Dog" is, to my ears, just him describing his depression stalking his every move, much in the same vein as Robert Johnson did in "Hellhound on my Trail".
If you haven't heard these songs, please seek them out, as they give a poignant epilogue to his musical output. Not the perfect ending of "Pink Moon", but with the frayed and hopeless ends his life itself seems to have had intact.
Nick’s music is the type of music you want to listen to if you feel like drowning in an ocean of intricate melodies and beautiful harmonies. Putting in headphones and taking the time to listen to the saddening and timeless gondola ride of Pink Moon is a whole other world, so hauntingly beautiful…
One of the most underrated artists of all time, deserves way more recognition!
His mother's compositions sound strongly influenced by English folk music and in turn ND's music has a similar vibe.
Haunting, melancholic songs with pronounced acoustic accompaniment.
I discovered his music during the early naughties.
His songs were being used in a number of films.
I thought he was a "new discovery", I was stunned to learn he had been dead for over two decades!
His music has a timeless beauty, that makes his songs sound constantly relevant.
So sad he didn't achieve the recognition he deserved during his lifetime.💖
He was the best, and that doesnt even matter, his music just connects with me like nothing else has ever done.
I wish we both were happier people, but here we are, connecting through dispair anyway.
Love him, thanks for sharing his story.
He died with his integrity intact and that is worth more than gold.
I love Drake. And I was one of the ones who discovered him through that Volkswagon commercial. Thanks for a great video.
Amazing video! This is long overdue. Thank you for putting this together. Been a huge fan of his for at least 25 years now. I’ve always wanted to know what you just put together. Thank you so much again.
Dude this video is beautifully edited. The music + visuals is inspiring me to work on my music. Thank you Volks and Nick.
So it's written, or so i say....I, as many others, was introduced to Nick through the VW Cabrio commercial. i absolutely loved that commercial for Pink Moon. I spent many of my HS years completely engulfed in depression, and spent many many hours listening to The Cure, Smiths and most of the other bands an early 90's goth teen would listen to at the time. My english teacher would often leave me mixtapes in class full of music I often never heard of and surprisingly Nick Drake was never on them. I wonder if she knew his music may have been too much for me to fathom at the time as I feel there is no way she didn't know of him. Ms. Carroll was my hero in HS, and Nick Drake is now a soul that drives my soul today and I will always speak the gospel of the Pink Pink Pink....Pink Moon.
No album has ever hit me as hard as Pink Moon, it just sends you some place else.
I just recently discovered ND's music. As a guitar player I was looking for information on a guild guitar, and the guy was talking about Nick Drake. Who was that? I looked him up and listened to 3 hours... OMG! I was blown away. What a great player, song writer. Then I tried to learn everything about him and discovered the sad Nick Drake story. I listed often to his music. So sad he thought no one liked it. The most beautiful sadness really. What a wonderful video about Nick Drake. Great job.
Never saw the commercial that used his music. I learned about ND from my son. I was a senior in high school when ND died…no one I knew…knew about him then. I didn’t hear his music until the late 1990’s. His music is hauntingly beautiful. He is among my “very favorite, most listened to” musical artists…
Depression is so tough. Mines chronic in that I don’t go through depression episodes, I’m just always really depressed and it’s exhausting. Living just so I won’t break my moms heart by ending it myself.
I discovered Nick only about 5 years ago as people at the open mics I played at kept telling me I reminded them of him, so I finally looked him up. With your fine documentary I discovered new things about Nick and appreciate your effective narration. You are a good writer! Also I like your animation that I might try with some of my own music videos. One new thing was in your research you discovered that Nick had not accidentally taken too much anti-depressants. Other videos I've seen debate the cause of his death. I also like your title that carries a lot of meaning. Thanks for sharing such pertinent info and your talent, your artistry as a filmmaker! It was so nice finding a new video about Nick!
Thank you sir!
Wow, I was just starting looking into this creative fellow about the time you released this video today, what a coincidence! I see there is a tribute album to his music coming out later today. Thanks for posting!
I found out about him by chance on YT a few years ago and was immediately intrigued. Tragic life. His song "Riverman" is one of my faves.
Five Leaves Left my goto autumn album 🖤
Edit: Great video as always. Your work is so appreciated! Id love an essay on Elliott Smith
I discovered this guy from the old AT&T commercial years ago. I'm glad I did!
Thank you for this....we've been listening to all his albums over the past few weeks. Majestic!!
I discovered him about 2 weeks ago, around the time this came out (I didn't know this video existed until now). I was deeply touched by his music and it is now one of my favorites. Such a synchronicity.
This is such a great introduction to Nick, his life and his music. I love how each of his three albums have a different feel and a different voice, and I love them all. As you say, they're timeless: could have been made 50 years ago or today. Thanks for the light you shine on them.
Love him so much .His music was the only thing that soothed my soul after the passing of my loved one
I found him randomly in 02' my junior year in highschool. "Which Will" from Pink Moon (along with all the others) is still one of my favorite songs of all time.
Although his music won’t remind you of any other artist, it would remind you of a particular region. I come from the county next to the one Drake was from and it has a similar amount of natural beauty. I think you’d have to be experienced with the countryside in the England-Wales border area to be reminded of anything by his music, but once you are familiar with it, you’ll be instantly hit with the imagery
I relate to this so much, Riverman reminds me of walking through rural ireland
I've been recommended Nick's music a handful of times but this video has finally made me interested enough via his story and sound to go check it out. The visuals are amazing!
Bryter Layter honestly is just as good as his other two albums. It just is more challenging. Listening to the album driving in the freezing cold makes you feel warm. It’s a journey of giving everything you can to grab happiness, and you can feel that desperation of truly feeling that happiness. Pretending like you have it, so that you can obtain it. Sometimes it’s my favorite of his albums, but Road and Cello Song will always be his best songs to me.
This is absolutely true. It is his best album.
Wonderful to see Nick Drake get the recognition he deserves. Whenever I introduce his music to anyone, the reaction is almost always “I’ve never heard this before, but this is BEAUTIFUL!” Very occasionally I’ve had an “I can’t stand it” response, but never have I had anyone go “meh” and shrug their shoulders. Thank you for your upload! 🙂👍
At the 24:44 minute mark, he says if Nick Drake had been American like Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen... Leonard Cohen is not American. He is Canadian.
splitting hairs
I'd never heard of him until the other day, the music app I was using played one of his songs. I didn't Google him until after the song was over because I realized I had come across something special and i didn't want to be swayed by any opinions, good or bad. I'm glad I did because it turns out he's a legend and it totally makes sense why. Reminds me a bit of Sparklehorse, who is one of my favorites
I never ache for a musician until Nick, he showed up in my life when I was 15, he gave me comfort in my darkest times and will always have him close to my heart.
In the UK, we first heard the indelibly haunting Time Has Told Me on a popular 1969 Island sampler that everyone seemed to have. That led to many of us buying Five Leaves Left and the subsequent records, and waiting and hoping he’d play a gig somewhere.
I found his albums over 10 years ago and they still stick with me to this day. One of my favorite artists of all time. :)
The saddest thing is, similiar cases to this still happen and there is nothing we can change.
My favorite concept-band, The Mysterious Town of Oak Hill, with such good music, didn't get a worth recognition and as result, seems to be dead with only 2 releases made (if not counting the 3rd one, including demos and partially unused songs only). To this day, I have a feeling that they did not have time to tell everything they wanted. The story they put in the albums feels unfinished in a way it didn't suppose to.
Thank you for this, this is the most information I have been able to find out about his life, I've always loved his music. Thanks for putting this together.
I have heard Nick few times on Siriusxm Deep Tracks. Host Greg.
The sound and animation in this video is just so outstanding.. congratulations..
I’m only recently getting into Nick Drake. It’s nice to have some background info on the man behind the music. I had no idea he’d passed so tragically young! Side note: the sound editing on this video is so seamless. I usually have to adjust the volume on videos with sound clips! Bravo Philip 👏🏽
The sound editing on this needs a little more finessing, I think. The fades into and out of the song clips are a bit too abrupt and should be just a little more gradual, especially fading out as his narrative comes back in. I've found the music almost dictates the feel and timing of audio fades, on the video projects I used to work on. In a couple of places his voice seems to be under the music as the narrative resumes. I'm also not a fan of visual jump cuts that seem to be acceptable on CZcams videos and happen when editing the storyline together. But that would require images to cover them and there just aren't a ton of photos of Nick to do that. This is a really good video but addressing those two things would make it flawless. From a narrative standpoint, I don't know how he determined for a fact that Nick committed suicide though. A person would have to know Nick's intention when he took those anti-depressant's. Even if he was depressed, it could have very well been an accidental overdose. That's something I don't believe we'll ever truly know. But that's just my opinion.
Gd man, these animations are incredible. Given we never saw the man perform in video footage, these are appreciated. This is a beautiful love letter to Nick Drake.
Poor Nick.... I love his music from the high school time; I recognized the sensibility and today when I am much older, I get his mind, his poetry..
Thank u for covering this in such great, honest detail. As always!
Listening to his music now. I love his voice and words. Pink.
A true poetic soul.
Pink Moon is one of the best albums of all time. Tragic lifestory
Discovered Nick Drake in the 90s. I think he was an amazing and original singer-songwriter. Buy like many artists, he couldn't build on his early success - and made things worse by turning to drugs. Had he developed even a tiny bit of interest in the business side of his music creation, he could have had a much longer run. But then, the purity of his art might have suffered had he done that. So we're left with the pure artist - along with his music - as his legacy.
An amazing character study. He’s fucking amazing, thank you for introducing me to this guy
Wow, one of the greatest videos on Nick Drake, beautiful animations, great sound and perfect analysis. It's a masterpiece on its own.
This is just outstanding and so beautifully put together, thanks so much!! 🫡❤️❤️
Great video brother.... What a beautiful soul and unique artist.. so sad but what a true story of an honest person who put it all in his music.
Nick used to come to my dad's house to buy hash....described as a 'well known dealer from South london',I remember him playing a version of guenevere by dave crosby,he had a weird selection of freinds from the upper classes to the down and out,my dad hated Joe boyd,said that he let sid down too, 'poxy yanks'....he would say,Nick rolled a mean spliff,loved the open tunings,the USA think they get him but don't.
Well done young man. I cannot think of any of us old dads and moms that were listening to him pre Volkswagen commercial that have made a better case for his genius and deserved attention. Thank you for your time making this labor of love
Nick Drake and his experience with the music industry is a tragic one. If Nick Drake existed in today's music climate, he would thrive
Thank you for the documentary!
....Nick Drake is a prime example of how much truly great music was made in the late 1960s and early 1970s that such a talent should slip under the radar so completely....A golden age...What have we got now?......There`s just nothing out there new of lasting beauty like Drake.
Great video man. Glad people are still talking about him
omg that last words of this video are the best, amazing video bro
Excellent video! Nick Drake is my favorite artist ever and my biggest inspiration and influence musically.
My favorite album ever is “Bryter Layter” actually. I feel like it’s his most expansive scope wise and his most diverse offering. It has all the mystery, introspection and melancholy of his songwriting along with these beautiful bright moments. It’s such a colorful record and evokes so many moods.
The three instrumentals are like nothing else in his catalogue, he was apparently influenced by the instrumentals on “Pet Sounds” when he was writing these. “Poor Boy” is so different from anything else he ever did and whenever I hear it, I always feel like he had a blast recording it. There’s so much enthusiasm and the backup singers and arrangements are incredible. “At The Chime Of A City Clock” and “Fly” I feel are some of his most overlooked songs as well, they seem to hardly ever get mentioned. They are some of my absolute favorites.
Lyrically it’s also his most whimsical and eccentric LP to me, there’s humor within a lot of these songs. “Hazey Jane II” and “One Of These Things First” are perfect examples of this. And to me there are no songs more beautiful than “Hazey Jane I” and “Northern Sky.” Simply breathtaking.
People always make him out to be this sad and troubled man but this album shows that there was so much more to him than that. He had a real love and passion for what he was doing and was such an incredible artist, simply the greatest as far as I’m concerned. This was such an awesome video, great job!! I really enjoyed watching it.
ive watched your videos for god knows how long and this is your best video. thank you for this
Fun fact: Bryter Later's cover was used as the inspiration for the album cover of Japanese Experimental Rock/Metal band Boris' Akuma no Uta.
That cover is the sole reason I tapped on this video. And how I found out about this legend.
So special thanks to Wata, Atsuo and Takashi of Boris.
And RIP Nick Drake.😢
The world wasn't sufficiently depressed yet to appreciate his melancholy drone.