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Music : Pink Moon
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Rating: 
- Potentially a good record
I'll keep this review relatively short, and hopefully it'll be of use to anyone considering buying Pink Moon, Nick Drake's 3rd album.
What this album has to offer is something between Nick Drake's other 2 albums. Pink Moon isn't as upbeat and jazzy as his 2nd album Bryter Layter, but then again it isn't as depressing and gloomy as Five Leaves Left. Even if it does comprise just Nick and his guitar on all but the opening (title) track, Pink Moon doesn't necessarily leave you feeling depressed. And that's because a lot of the tracks on the album basically aren't gloomy.
For example, "Pink Moon" (Track 1) might take a while to get into, but it's not a sad song at all. Neither are songs like Road, Which Will or Free Ride. The only song on the album that I can't stand to listen to is "Know", which comprises seven repeated notes and lyrics that are not only sparse, they're bordering on chilling. But "Know" does have two good songs either side of it on the album; Parasite might well have been another attempt at self-mockery by Drake, but it's a good song with a well worked-out rhyming scheme. And Things Behind The Sun is and always has been the best song on the album, not to mention one of the only songs that have any decent length. It was the first Drake song I ever heard (thanks to my guitar teacher), and I was immediately intrigued at how a musician armed with nothing more than an acoustic guitar and quiet lyrics could grab my attention just as easily a a loud rock act can.
The album does start to trail off towards the end - I've never looked at either of the two closing tracks as particularly strong songs. But there are several good things about the record. It doesn't necessarily leave you feeling depressed. Nick might have been psychologically screwed-up at the time of recording, but as a guitarist/singer-songwriter he shows no signs of having lost any of his admirable talent on this record (with the exception of "Know", perhaps). This album showcases his clear guitar playing more than either of his other two records, since it's just him and his guitar apart from on the opening track. Plus, here's a message to anyone going through a hard time, thinking that all effort is useless: Nick might have been going through internal hell as well when he made this record, but it didn't come out sounding too bad, did it? Listening to it isn't always such a bad way to spend half an hour's free time, and its short length is convenient if you don't have a lot of spare time on your hands. I would've given the record 3 stars since not all of its tracks are as strong as "Road" and "Things Behind The Sun" (for example), but considering how much internal torment and pessimism Nick must have been going through as a young adult, we should be grateful for what he did manage to write and record. Write and record very well, I might add.
RIP Nick.
Rating:
- Intimate finale
I'm not going to speculate on Nick Drake's state of mind when he made this album. If you go looking for signs of trouble and disturbance, you'll probably find them whether they exist or not. On the other hand, you can savour another superb album, just the artist and his guitar with the exception of a little piano on the title track. He strums his way through the first two tracks, giving priority to the songs. On the mesmerising 'Road', however, his deft playing takes centre stage. As the album progresses, its mood seems to intensify. The brief instrumental, 'Horn', is simple, yet cunningly disturbing, and is the signal for a cloud to hover over the rest of the album. 'Things Behind The Sun' possesses an exotic but bitter flavour and wouldn't sound out of place on 'Five Leaves Left.' It's one of the outstanding tracks. 'Know', in contrast, could only belong to this album. Its insistent riff backs a somewhat ambiguous vocal, and it's debatable whether this is more menacing or the following 'Parasite'. The album lightens a little after this, but Drake's sense of irony is never far away. 'From The Morning' ends proceedings with Drake sounding as buoyant as ever, which highlights what a shame it is that 'Pink Moon' is his last release. It may be a measly half hour, but it's packed with ideas and if you've got the other two albums you'll have to have this one anyway.
Rating: - Stark but beautiful
Yes its is stark. Yes it is beautiful. With this album you really feel that you are witnessing something almost too private to bear. Nick's fragile state of mind is all too clear. The emptiness and lack of production on this third and last album before Nick's untimely death, is a glimpse into the mind of a pained man, unnervingly talented, underated at the time and isolated. If you are expecting the rich lushness in Five leaves left and Bryter Layter you will be disappointed. If you want to see the songs stripped bare and performed with just Nick and his guitar then you will love this. The desolation Nick felt is conveyed lyrically and musically but that makes this album no less of a treasure for it. In fact the opposite. It is real. Painful yet real.
Nick has been an huge influence on my own music. I am sure many say the same.
Nick may have lost himself but he did not lose his way musically. A total gem.
Rating: - Less is more
This is Nick's last stand under the spotlight before his tragic death...the last of the triumvirate of his canon. Of all the albums, it is the most pared down and simple...but also the most exposed emotionally, and because of that, perhaps the most beautiful and compelling of all.
This may not be the most immediate of Drake's albums...newcomers would be advised to try Five Leaves Left, which is superlative. Once you 'get' where he is coming from, Pink Moon would be my next recommendation. Many commentators have lauded Bryter Layter as his best work, but I find it a bit overblown, the orchestration is almost florid in parts...still better than 99.9 percent of what's out there, but not my favourite.
Drake brings a strange calm to the songs here, as if sung from another plane, but there are hints at his turmoil...the lyrics on Road say it all 'you can take the road that takes you to the stars, I can take the road that will see me through'.
The acoustic guitar work is impeccable and delicate, as it should be, because there is virtually no accompaniment, no lush orchestration, no percussion, just Drake's soft crooning, his guitar and the listener...admirably restrained. These are quiet, intimate, confessional songs that just grow and grow. When someone this talented gives this much of themselves in their art, you can't help but feel close to them, he feels like a lost friend. Who knows what he might have produced had he lived...but I'm just glad he lives on in these wonderful albums.
Rating: - I Saw It Wriiten & I Saw It Say...
The sound of a man preparing to jump into an empty swimming pool.
My favourite of Nick Drake's 3 studio albums is the one preceding this "Bryter Layter" but this final release is a harrowingly visceral vision of the seemingly endless dark night of the soul.
- Potentially a good recordI'll keep this review relatively short, and hopefully it'll be of use to anyone considering buying Pink Moon, Nick Drake's 3rd album.
What this album has to offer is something between Nick Drake's other 2 albums. Pink Moon isn't as upbeat and jazzy as his 2nd album Bryter Layter, but then again it isn't as depressing and gloomy as Five Leaves Left. Even if it does comprise just Nick and his guitar on all but the opening (title) track, Pink Moon doesn't necessarily leave you feeling depressed. And that's because a lot of the tracks on the album basically aren't gloomy.
For example, "Pink Moon" (Track 1) might take a while to get into, but it's not a sad song at all. Neither are songs like Road, Which Will or Free Ride. The only song on the album that I can't stand to listen to is "Know", which comprises seven repeated notes and lyrics that are not only sparse, they're bordering on chilling. But "Know" does have two good songs either side of it on the album; Parasite might well have been another attempt at self-mockery by Drake, but it's a good song with a well worked-out rhyming scheme. And Things Behind The Sun is and always has been the best song on the album, not to mention one of the only songs that have any decent length. It was the first Drake song I ever heard (thanks to my guitar teacher), and I was immediately intrigued at how a musician armed with nothing more than an acoustic guitar and quiet lyrics could grab my attention just as easily a a loud rock act can.
The album does start to trail off towards the end - I've never looked at either of the two closing tracks as particularly strong songs. But there are several good things about the record. It doesn't necessarily leave you feeling depressed. Nick might have been psychologically screwed-up at the time of recording, but as a guitarist/singer-songwriter he shows no signs of having lost any of his admirable talent on this record (with the exception of "Know", perhaps). This album showcases his clear guitar playing more than either of his other two records, since it's just him and his guitar apart from on the opening track. Plus, here's a message to anyone going through a hard time, thinking that all effort is useless: Nick might have been going through internal hell as well when he made this record, but it didn't come out sounding too bad, did it? Listening to it isn't always such a bad way to spend half an hour's free time, and its short length is convenient if you don't have a lot of spare time on your hands. I would've given the record 3 stars since not all of its tracks are as strong as "Road" and "Things Behind The Sun" (for example), but considering how much internal torment and pessimism Nick must have been going through as a young adult, we should be grateful for what he did manage to write and record. Write and record very well, I might add.
RIP Nick.
Rating:
- Intimate finaleI'm not going to speculate on Nick Drake's state of mind when he made this album. If you go looking for signs of trouble and disturbance, you'll probably find them whether they exist or not. On the other hand, you can savour another superb album, just the artist and his guitar with the exception of a little piano on the title track. He strums his way through the first two tracks, giving priority to the songs. On the mesmerising 'Road', however, his deft playing takes centre stage. As the album progresses, its mood seems to intensify. The brief instrumental, 'Horn', is simple, yet cunningly disturbing, and is the signal for a cloud to hover over the rest of the album. 'Things Behind The Sun' possesses an exotic but bitter flavour and wouldn't sound out of place on 'Five Leaves Left.' It's one of the outstanding tracks. 'Know', in contrast, could only belong to this album. Its insistent riff backs a somewhat ambiguous vocal, and it's debatable whether this is more menacing or the following 'Parasite'. The album lightens a little after this, but Drake's sense of irony is never far away. 'From The Morning' ends proceedings with Drake sounding as buoyant as ever, which highlights what a shame it is that 'Pink Moon' is his last release. It may be a measly half hour, but it's packed with ideas and if you've got the other two albums you'll have to have this one anyway.
Rating:
- Stark but beautifulYes its is stark. Yes it is beautiful. With this album you really feel that you are witnessing something almost too private to bear. Nick's fragile state of mind is all too clear. The emptiness and lack of production on this third and last album before Nick's untimely death, is a glimpse into the mind of a pained man, unnervingly talented, underated at the time and isolated. If you are expecting the rich lushness in Five leaves left and Bryter Layter you will be disappointed. If you want to see the songs stripped bare and performed with just Nick and his guitar then you will love this. The desolation Nick felt is conveyed lyrically and musically but that makes this album no less of a treasure for it. In fact the opposite. It is real. Painful yet real.
Nick has been an huge influence on my own music. I am sure many say the same.
Nick may have lost himself but he did not lose his way musically. A total gem.
Rating:
- Less is moreThis is Nick's last stand under the spotlight before his tragic death...the last of the triumvirate of his canon. Of all the albums, it is the most pared down and simple...but also the most exposed emotionally, and because of that, perhaps the most beautiful and compelling of all.
This may not be the most immediate of Drake's albums...newcomers would be advised to try Five Leaves Left, which is superlative. Once you 'get' where he is coming from, Pink Moon would be my next recommendation. Many commentators have lauded Bryter Layter as his best work, but I find it a bit overblown, the orchestration is almost florid in parts...still better than 99.9 percent of what's out there, but not my favourite.
Drake brings a strange calm to the songs here, as if sung from another plane, but there are hints at his turmoil...the lyrics on Road say it all 'you can take the road that takes you to the stars, I can take the road that will see me through'.
The acoustic guitar work is impeccable and delicate, as it should be, because there is virtually no accompaniment, no lush orchestration, no percussion, just Drake's soft crooning, his guitar and the listener...admirably restrained. These are quiet, intimate, confessional songs that just grow and grow. When someone this talented gives this much of themselves in their art, you can't help but feel close to them, he feels like a lost friend. Who knows what he might have produced had he lived...but I'm just glad he lives on in these wonderful albums.
Rating:
- I Saw It Wriiten & I Saw It Say...The sound of a man preparing to jump into an empty swimming pool.
My favourite of Nick Drake's 3 studio albums is the one preceding this "Bryter Layter" but this final release is a harrowingly visceral vision of the seemingly endless dark night of the soul.