Nick Drake's final album, Pink Moon, was released in 1972; in contrast to his previous efforts, Five Leaves Left & Bryter Layter, this recording is the work of one man & one man alone. What makes Pink Moon such a compelling listen for me, even to this day, is the fact that he recorded this effort at a very dark time in his life - he was in the midst of extreme depression, depression which really took the love of music right out of him. (And that love for music wouldn't resurface until just before his untimely passing in 1974.) But that simple fact alone isn't what makes his last release one of my all-time favorites:
The second reason why is its brevity. Pink Moon clocks in at a mere 28 minutes & gets to the point; after one musical statement has been made, Nick moves on to the next one without hesitation. (The longest song, "Things Behind The Sun," is 3:55.) Being concise is also being immediate with the listener, & that feeling of immediacy graces Pink Moon in spades. I always thought that Simon & Garfunkel were the masters of making short but sweet music - still do. But Drake's last album is a concise masterpiece in its own right, a statement which has continued to endure well after its creator has passed on.
Third, it's all about simplicity. Sure, it sound simple but at the same time, it's also stark & foreboding. This album is the sound of one man all by his lonesome - his voice & acoustic guitar. The only additional instrumentation - & this too is an extreme minimum - is a splash of piano on the title track. What makes this recording so special in regards to simplicity is that it was done in just two nights, with all of its bare-bones, spooky vibe intact.
Fourth, check out its emotional impact. Pink Moon reveals an artist not only in a deeply intimate setting with just his voice & guitar; it also reveals Nick Drake in the throes of a devastating depression which I mentioned earlier on. We're hearing his pain, his anguish & despair laid bare on tape; we feel his desolation & hurt as well. For him to create such a masterpiece of haunting, heart-wrenching beauty under such circumstances took a lot of faith & courage & that's exactly what he did on Pink Moon, despite/in spite of the fact that his depression was pretty major.
If ever there was a ray of light at the end of the tunnel, Pink Moon is that light, a ray of hope which has continued to shine brightly & never fade away for over three decades. This album is a self-revealing portrait done at a dark time in Nick Drake's life, a masterpiece of melancholy from the late British folk icon, sparse, stark & yet so beautiful: the sound of a man alone.
The second reason why is its brevity. Pink Moon clocks in at a mere 28 minutes & gets to the point; after one musical statement has been made, Nick moves on to the next one without hesitation. (The longest song, "Things Behind The Sun," is 3:55.) Being concise is also being immediate with the listener, & that feeling of immediacy graces Pink Moon in spades. I always thought that Simon & Garfunkel were the masters of making short but sweet music - still do. But Drake's last album is a concise masterpiece in its own right, a statement which has continued to endure well after its creator has passed on.
Third, it's all about simplicity. Sure, it sound simple but at the same time, it's also stark & foreboding. This album is the sound of one man all by his lonesome - his voice & acoustic guitar. The only additional instrumentation - & this too is an extreme minimum - is a splash of piano on the title track. What makes this recording so special in regards to simplicity is that it was done in just two nights, with all of its bare-bones, spooky vibe intact.
Fourth, check out its emotional impact. Pink Moon reveals an artist not only in a deeply intimate setting with just his voice & guitar; it also reveals Nick Drake in the throes of a devastating depression which I mentioned earlier on. We're hearing his pain, his anguish & despair laid bare on tape; we feel his desolation & hurt as well. For him to create such a masterpiece of haunting, heart-wrenching beauty under such circumstances took a lot of faith & courage & that's exactly what he did on Pink Moon, despite/in spite of the fact that his depression was pretty major.
If ever there was a ray of light at the end of the tunnel, Pink Moon is that light, a ray of hope which has continued to shine brightly & never fade away for over three decades. This album is a self-revealing portrait done at a dark time in Nick Drake's life, a masterpiece of melancholy from the late British folk icon, sparse, stark & yet so beautiful: the sound of a man alone.
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