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1. Anonymous says:

   June 24, 2010 at 6:42 pm

   Based on the accolades and superlatives about this album from all of the five-star reviewers, I very nearly purchased this album without listening (I’ve never heard Drake’s music on tv or elsewhere). However, I did download the full version of “Pink Moon” and listened to 30 second samples of all of the other songs on the disk, and I have to say that was time well spent. Therefore you should feel free to take this review with a significant grain of salt – I have only listened to one song all the way through [this has since changed - see below]. Possibly if I listened to the full disk I might like it, but I didn’t hear much hear that would really appeal. To be fair, I rated this cd one more star than I felt it deserved.

   Ok, so who am I to judge this album without listening to every bit of every song? I have a broad taste in music, but I prefer music with guitars in it. My current interest is blues, but I have cds ranging from numerous classical works to John McLaughlin to Sonia Dada to U2 to Hendrix to Third Eye Blind. I like every kind of music except rap, opera, country and bluegrass. I have purchased over 400 albums and cd’s and seen more than 350 live acts. Without question, musical preferences are quite subjective, but I feel I know enough about music that I can be a reasonably knowledgeable and fair judge of a particular band or album.

   So, who is Nick Drake? The answer: an English folk singer who died from an amitriptyline overdose (probably committed suicide) three years after recording this very terse (less than 29 minutes) album. Numerous other reviewers feel this fact deserves a lot of consideration in their opinion of the album. I’m not so sure that it does. I don’t think much of people who are too weak to face their problems in life. I recognize that there are many people with genuine psychological problems that require treatment, but I see no reason to make an average, depressed Joe into a martyr solely based on his suicide (e.g. Kurt Cobain).

   Many reviewers have commented that it was Drake’s depression that has given his singing a powerful melancholy tone. In retrospect, after reading some of those comments subsequent to listening to a few tracks, I can see that his emotional state may well have influenced his tone. However, even considering the circumstances surrounding the recording of this album, I still don’t think too much of Drake’s singing. I find it neither sweet and melodic nor particularly touching and poignant.

   In fact, I believe that the best characterization of the sound of Drake’s voice is that he seems tired and drunk. He slurs a bit on a number of his lyrics. If one did not know the name of the title track of the album and just had to guess based on Drake’s singing, many people would think this song was called “pink-ah-moon,” rather than P I N K M O O N. Some artistic liberties with singing are fine, but it quite annoyed me that Drake is unable to annunciate correctly a pair of monosyllabic, four-letter words that are the name of the song and the album; I found this to be especially difficult to tolerate when all there is to hear on this song, besides Drake’s guitar and a bit of overdubbed piano, is Drake’s voice. The lyrics are just as terse as the rest of the music on this album and I am inclined to think that the reviewer who found them, upon reflection, rather less clever than he originally did, was correct. For some reason, a lot of people think that a performer being tired is some sort of triumphant display of artistry – Bill Murray got such rave reviews for his exhausted character in Lost in Translation – when there are few other emotions that are as easy to display as tiredness.

   I expected beautiful sounding accoustic guitar playing and melodies that would be haunting and memorable. Again, though, I just didn’t hear any such qualities in Drake’s musicianship. Mostly, Drake’s playing is just strumming along and does not show much creativity or mastery of the guitar.

   As I stated before, musical tastes are very subjective – I think a lot of popular singers sound horrible, yet I still really like the voices of Neil Young and Keith Richards, who I admit have rather poor-sounding voices. I’m not writing this review to slam the album or the artist, but merely to advise music fans to make up their own minds, notwithstanding the number of stars others gave this recording. Overall, I found Pink Moon to have the same sort of accoustic guitar and singing that I’ve heard (and often ignored) several dozens of times in coffee shops, eclectic bars and on the street corner. Give Drake’s music a listen before you toss some change in the guitar case. You may be glad you did.

   [EDIT 11-21-08: OK, I decided to give this critically acclaimed album another chance, so when Amazon had it as one of their 99cent download specials, I downloaded it. I have since listened to it four time, which I think should be sufficient to give me some inkling of whether or not I will like it and should give sufficient familiarity to assess it accurately. My opinion of Pink Moon is ...... [insert drumroll] …….. exactly the same as it was before I bought the album. This is simply dull acoustic guitar and singing by a very tired-sounding person. The people raving about Pink Moon have simply been taken in by the emperor’s new clothes.

   As for those who are so sympathetic to Drake, here’s a paragraph quoted from the Wikipedia article on him that might cast him in a bit different and perhaps more accurate light:

   “Island Records founder Chris Blackwell felt Pink Moon had the potential to bring Drake to a mainstream audience; however his staff were disappointed by the artist’s unwillingness to undertake any promotional activity. A&R manager Muff Winwood recalls “tearing his hair out” in frustration, and admits that despite Blackwell’s enthusiastic support, “the rest of us would have given him the boot.”[62] However, following persistent nagging from Boyd, Drake agreed to an interview with Jerry Gilbert of Sounds Magazine.[63] In the only Drake interview ever published, the “shy and introverted folk singer” spoke of his dislike of live appearances, and very little else.[64] “There wasn’t any connection whatsoever”, Gilbert has said. “I don’t think he made eye contact with me once. If you wanted to be uncharitable, you could say he was just a spoiled boy with a silver spoon and went around feeling sorry for himself.”[64] Disheartened and convinced he would be unable to write again, Drake decided to retire from music. He toyed with the idea of a different career, even considering the Army.[65] ]

   Rating: 3 / 5
2. couchgrouch says:

   June 24, 2010 at 8:09 pm

   this record is all myth, no songs. after having heard about it being “haunting” for so many years, I finally picked it up. I played it over and over again looking for what others see in this album. here’s what I heard: the kind of “poetry” that high school juniors write after reading about Sylvia Plath in English. this is mumbled while strumming the simplest guitar possible. the fact that the guy offed himself figures in much of the music’s praise. to me, that’s irrelevant. there’s just no strong songs here. it’s been a week since I’ve heard it and I can’t remember a thing about it. this is after dozens of listens. it’s utterly forgettable.
   Rating: 1 / 5
3. Anonymous says:

   June 24, 2010 at 10:02 pm

   What a disgrace that such a passionate and powerful album would have one its songs bastardized by being used to sell a car. Whoever is responsible for this should be ashamed of themselves. STOP THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF ART! We are not free from the mind pollution of our commodity and consumption obsessed culture. Demand space free of advertisments before there is none left.
   Rating: 5 / 5
4. Trimac20 says:

   June 25, 2010 at 12:00 am

   This album had such a reputation that I could not miss it. What I must say, this is not for people who enjoy bubblegum hummable top 40 tunes; or most other people I’m sad to say. The songs are tuneless, melancholic droning without any distinct structure. Pink Moon is the only redeemable track. Nick Drake the ‘tortured’ genius the legend has become intertwine with his music so that its not his talent alone, but the sad story of his premature death which has carried this decidedly mediocre record.

   If you’re into depressing music then Elliott Smith offers much more listenable fare. At least his songs have beautiful melody, harmonies, instrumentals.etc.
   Rating: 2 / 5
5. Madrok says:

   June 25, 2010 at 2:19 am

   Granted, Nick Drake was an originator, but like the rest of his stuff, these songs are insipid, with that breathy voice of his, simplistic and boring. Pseudo-emotional. No verve or daring.
   Rating: 2 / 5