A Way to Blue: An Introduction to Nick Drake
by Jared Gardner

Among the great musicians of modern times, one would seldom, if ever, hear mention of the name of guitarist and songwriter Nick Drake. Even in his own day, Drake's work went largely unnoticed, much to his despair. Still, the small handful of fans who have enjoyed his music regard him as a lyrical and musical genius. Those willing to take a moment and listen can instantly find solace in his fluid guitar style and soft, enchanting voice. In contrast to the music of today's vapid and fleeting pop icons, his songs have a way of leaving the listener with something vivid - something meaningful.

A great deal about Drake's musical career can be explained by his upbringing. As a child, he was often described as quiet, slightly introverted, curious, but thoughtful and clever nonetheless. Raised in England in the town of Tanworth-in-Arden, a town described as "a rural idyll which the twentieth century seems to have passed by" by Patrick Humphries in his biography, Drake grew up and lived most of his life at Far Leys, the estate belonging to his family. There his mother taught him to be quite a proficient pianist at a very young age. He was well learned in many other instruments as well, especially clarinet and saxophone, but it wasn't until later while Drake was in college that he began studying guitar. Expanding upon his prior musical knowledge, he quickly achieved exceptional skill and technique and guitar is the instrument for which Drake would eventually be most renowned.

By his recording days, a considerable amount of change seems to have occurred in Nick Drake's personality. He began to suffer from bouts of severe and chronic depression subsequent to the release of his fist album, Five Leaves Left. While no one can pin down any specific event responsible for his depression, it is quite possibly the result of the culture shock he experienced from leaving Far Leys for Cambridge University combined with his already reclusive personality. His second album, Bryter Layter, was much like the first; it continued his innovative folk-rock style, integrating his jazz influences to produce melodic, flowing, and altogether beautiful music. After the release of Bryter Layter, Drake fell into a depression that sent him back home to Far Leys, where he would spend entire nights staring at the stars from his bedroom window. His mother, concerned for his health, searched for some kind of a specialist who could help and was able to finally find a doctor to prescribe medication for him.

Drake returned to the studio to record what is often considered to be his greatest work, Pink Moon. This album would be the last to be released during the course of his lifetime. Pink Moon exhibits a much darker version of his previous style. Stripped down to nothing but guitar and vocals throughout, Drake seems to be at his best musically while at his worst emotionally. The album's simplicity and completeness makes for an eerie yet fitting completion to his recording career. In the song "Parasite," the lyrics suggest Drake's self-perception as an outsider to society: "Take a look, you may see me on the ground/ For I am the parasite of this town". The song "Know," which in its entirety consists of "Know that I love you/ Know I don't care/ Know that I see you/ Know I'm not there" implies something real but quite ambiguous to the listener, only adding to the mystery and fascination with Drake's life experienced by his fans. A lyrical poet and brilliant songwriter, Nick Drake's ingenious melodies are complemented especially by his soothing and unmatched voice. His enchanting rhythmic patterns, his use of droning guitar strings, and his alternate tunings that leave even the best professional musicians utterly baffled all display a true and complete mastery of his instrument. Wherever his life was lacking, his music seemed to more than compensate.

Sadly enough, Nick Drake's sudden death at only 26 years old put an abrupt end to the music. One night at Far Leys during a fit of insomnia, Drake took an antidepressant pill, thinking it was a sleeping pill. The one extra pill was enough to overdose and the next morning, Nick Drake was found in his bedroom dead. It is assumed that the overdose was accidental, but no one knows for sure.

It is an unfortunate coincidence that Drake's songwriting, which was largely an escape from depression, turned out to be probably the largest contributing factor. His final days were spent sulking in what he considered to be his failure of poor record sales and pathetically small audiences at his live shows. Nick Drake knew that he had not and never would make the impact on the music scene that he'd hoped for. In fact, it was not until just recently that his music has become better known. Island Records recently re-released all three of his original albums and Drake's music has wooed many new fans, due in part to the title track of Pink Moon being featured in a 1999 Volkswagen commercial. Still, for those of us who have discovered his music, Nick Drake inspires us to dream - to reach for something greater than the emptiness of our dreary, pathetic lives and to find fulfillment in the small things, in our thoughts, and in the art which crawls within us for escape. Nick Drake is for the dreamers, for the mystics, for the poets, for the lovers. Perhaps Drake is best remembered through a song which brought closure to his life as a musician- the last song on the last of his albums to be released within his lifetime- "From the Morning":

A day once dawned
And it was beautiful
A day once dawned
From the ground
Then the night, she fell
And the air was beautiful
The night, she fell
All around
So look, see the days
The endless coloured ways
And go play the game that you learnt
From the morning

And now we rise
And we are everywhere
And now we rise
From the ground
And see, she flies
And she is everywhere
See, she flies
All around
So look, see the sights
The endless summer nights
And go play the game that you learnt
From the morning.



contact Jared by emailing him at sith@vagrantcafe.net.