Five Leaves Left – NICK DRAKE****

Time Has Told Me/River Man/Three Hours/Way To Blue/Day Is Done/Cello Song/The Thoughts Of Mary Jane/ Man In A Shed/Fruit Tree/Saturday Sun

Five Leaves Left was the debut album from British singer songwriter Nick Drake. The music is acoustic folk of an introspective and sometimes melancholic nature.

"Five Leaves Left is simply a masterpiece. There isn't a bad or even a mediocre track on this album. Every single note is imbued with a beauty that few artists ever attain. From the wonderful opener Time Has Told Me to the bluesy Saturday Sun the album maintains excellent quality. All Drake's guitar playing and singing is fantastic, but what really makes this is the collection of melancholic string-laden songs that make up the meat of the album.”

“Nick Drake's debut album is a brilliant collection of songs, each of which would be an essential entry to any 'Best of' compilation. In that respect, Nick's debut is depressive, introspective singer-songwriter folk mostly disconnected from the general trends in contemporary folk of the time.”

“Just about as perfect as an album can get, and by far his best work in the studio, Drake never sounded as lush or as focused on his subsequent albums. The arrangements are just so wonderfully done, and Drake's voice is also at its best.”

“He's getting there, but the later albums are much better. This isn't a bad record, it's easy to listen to and there are some gems here and there, but the it doesn't shine like his later releases.”

“Unlike most modern recordings this is not over-produced and has a lovely uncluttered feel to it. The string arrangements are tastefully done and the backing musicians are some of the era’s finest such as Richard Thompson on guitar.”

“Nick Drake's wonderfully warm voice and beautiful guitar make this one of the most pleasant albums to listen to that's ever been recorded.”

“He has fresh ideas and supplies an interesting repertoire of chords. He has a weak voice but the feelings he provokes with it are anything but. He proves himself an excellent arranger of music as well.”