Album of the day (#7131): Five Leaves Left by Nick Drake
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BestEverAlbums
Automated account
- #1
- Posted: 05/09/2026 20:00
- Post subject: Album of the day (#7131): Five Leaves Left by Nick Drake
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Today's album of the day
Five Leaves Left by Nick Drake (View album | Buy this album)
Year: 1969.
Country: 
Nick Drake discography rank: 2 (out of 13 listed on BEA)
1969 rank: 7
1960s rank: 30
Overall rank: 169
Average rating: 84/100 (from 1087 votes).
Tracks:
1. Time Has Told Me 
2. River Man
3. Three Hours
4. Way To Blue
5. Day Is Done
6. 'Cello Song
7. The Thoughts Of Mary Jane
8. Man In A Shed
9. Fruit Tree
10. Saturday Sun
indicates a top-rated track.
Top voted comments:
"The story goes that Nick Drake's understated, intimate lyricism was a product of his being "too sensitive for this world," a remark that diminishes his skill and commitment to revision by reducing them to an emotional quirk. Nick had "a skin too few" maybe, as Gabrielle Drake would say, but hardly a superpower or malignant brand of genius.
Five Leaves Left is his best album by a hair, and that hair grows on a little patch of versatility. While Pink Moon and Bryter Layter are masterpieces in their own right (and both would find spots on my chart if it weren't for my 1 album per artist rule), Five Leaves Left is more emotionally flexible. "Time Has Told Me" could be either your mother whispering the opening notes of a lullaby or your lover murmuring a gentle good morning. It's the balm you reach for to soothe or the champagne you sip to celebrate.
Five Leaves Left is both a respite from the harshness of the world and an exploration of the thousands of beauties you might find in it, and that duality only happens through Nick Drake's willingness to speak as carefully as he listens."
- Rug (Rating: 95/100)
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""Five Leaves Left" released in 1969 is the first of only three albums Nick Drake managed to get released in his short lifetime.
Several of the album's lyrics suggests a delicate and fragile mind, which might ultimately have led to his untimely death in 1974.
Musically Drake's music may at time appear a little reminiscent of Donovan's from the later 1960s. In Drake's case, though, there are strong inspiration from classical music, which is hardly the case with Donovan.
The album contains several of Drake's best and most beloved songs. Among them "Cello Song," "Time Has Told Me," "Way to Blue" and "Thoughts of Mary Jane"
The Instrumentation is in most cases, sparse, with Drake's beautiful acoustic guitar as the turning point.
On the opening track "Time Has Told Me," one may recognize Richard Thompson's characteristic electric guitar and the sound of this number is slightly reminiscent of early Fairport Convention. Otherwise, it's Danny Thompson (Pentangle) who appears most frequently on the record. Also Strings-arranger Robert Kirby has put a strong stamp on several of the album's key tracks, "Way to Blue" Day is Done ", The Thoughts of Mary Jane" and "Fruit Tree".
Summed up this is very fine album that wins for each new listen. If you are not familiar with Drake's music in advance, however, I recommend that you start with the sequel "Bryter Layter", which is, without being lightweight at all, probably easier to fall for."
- Rovers (Rating: 80/100)
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About album of the day: The BestEverAlbums.com album of the day is the album appearing most prominently in member charts in the previous 24 hours. If an album, or artist, has previously been selected within a x day period, the next highest album is picked instead (and so on) to ensure a bit of variety. A full history of album of the day can be viewed here.
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Bluesky · Facebook · Spotify · X
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HoldenM
To Pedantically Split Infinitives
Gender: Male
Age: 31
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DommeDamian
Imperfect, sensitive Aspie with a melody addiction
Gender: Male
Age: 25
Location: where the flowers grow. 
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mianfei
Gender: Male
Age: 48
Location: Carlton North 
- #4
- Posted: 05/10/2026 00:40
- Post subject:
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Undoubtedly his best album. Not nearly as challenging a listen as Astral Weeks, but has moments of genuine beauty especially in the first half.
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