It’s safe to say that Nick Drake is the only artist to have
his entire catalog included in the 1,001 Albums list. Granted, he recorded only
three albums before killing himself in 1974. But that’s a remarkable feat
nonetheless. Basically, it’s generally agreed upon that you should listen to everything Drake recorded before you
die. Everything is essential.
You can’t say the same for Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin or
Kurt Cobain, other musicians with a small catalog of albums or songs.
Five Leaves Left
is a beautiful album just like his other two albums. Between this and Bryter Layter and Pink Moon, it’s a concise and consistent collection of really good
acoustic somberness and British folk maxims. The backing group for Five Leaves Left included Richard
Thompson from Fairport Convention, whose studio time Drake was piggybacking off
of.
Recording the album was a headache, with Drake often butting
heads with American producer Joe Boyd, who had launched the careers of Fairport
Convention and The Incredible String Band. The recordings were a secret as
supposedly even Drake’s sister was unaware of the proceedings and didn’t find
out until Drake tossed the LP onto her bed.
It is essential.
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