Nick Drake "Pink Moon" (1972)

Pink Moon
release date: Feb. 25, 1972
format: cd
[album rate; 4,5 / 5]
producer: John Wood
label: Island Records - nationality: England, UK

3rd and final studio album by Nick Drake. The album is his most subtle and naked release featuring only Drake's voice and guitar in contrast to the appearance of a vast group of guest musicians on his two previous albums. Despite the scarce use of instrumentation the album comes out as an even more complex album than his previous two albums. This is perhaps the single album that brought him glorious fame long after his death, and today this is an album that so many contemporary singer / songwriters and folk rock artists owe everything, and although, I find it difficult to choose just one of his three great albums, this is my favourite. The album is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
[ allmusic.com Rolling Stone 5 / 5 stars ]

Nick Drake "Bryter Layter" (1970)

Bryter Layter
release date: Nov. 1, 1970
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: Joe Boyd
label: Island Records - nationality: England, UK

2nd studio album by Nick Drake. This is his most orchestrated album and also his most baroque pop styled album, although, it's still singer / songwriter and acoustic folk-based. This time strings have been arranged by Robert Kirby. Several notorious musicians accompany Drake on the album. Guitarist Richard Thompson, bassist Dave Pegg, and also drummer Dave Mattacks of Fairport Convention all contribute on several tracks, but also Beach Boys drummer Mike Kowalski play on a number of compositions, and John Cale feature on two compositions. Like the debut this wasn't paid much attention back at the time of release, but very much like Five Leaves Left (1969) it's enlisted on several lists paying tribute to the best albums of all time including "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". Apparently, the "title is in reference to Queen's English and BBC weather reporters who would describe the weather as "brighter later". (from wikipedia).
[ allmusic.com, The Music Box, Q Magazine 5 / 5 stars ]

Nick Drake "Five Leaves Left" (1969)

Five Leaves Left [debut]
release date: Sep. 1, 1969
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: Joe Boyd
label: Island Records - nationality: England, UK

Studio debut album by Nick Drake. On the album, Drake is accompanied by guitarist Richard Thompson (of Fairport Convention) and Danny Thompson (of Pentangle) and fine string arrangements arranged by Richard Hewson but aside from that it's just Drake's melancholic voice and acoustic guitar that are at the center of all compositions. The album is featured on a long list of renowned "all-time best albums" including Rolling Stone Magazine's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" and "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". Alas, Drake didn't experience much success in his lifetime but has become world famous long after his premature death from an overdose in 1974. Stylistically, the album is close to Leonard Cohen's debut album Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967) more than any other folk album of the time. This is so great that one only wonders how the release could pass so unnoticed. The title of the album apparently is a "reference to the old Rizla cigarette papers packet – which used to contain a printed note near the end saying "Only five leaves left" (from wikipedia).
[ allmusic.com, SputnikMusic 5 / 5 stars ]