Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left [Universal Japan 200g LP] "DM series" vinyl rip in 24-bit/96kHz & CD-format

“

The result was a fantastic debut appearance, and if the cult of Drake consistently reads more into his work than is perhaps deserved, Five Leaves Left is still a most successful effort. - Ned Raggett/AMG (5/5 Stars)

”

Five Leaves Left, recorded in 1969, was the first of three albums by British folk musician Nick Drake. Like Bryter Layter but unlike Pink Moon, this album contains no unaccompanied songs. Drake was accompanied by members of the British folk-rock groups Fairport Convention and Pentangle.

Reception and influence

Five Leaves Left was ranked 85th in a 2005 survey held by British television's Channel 4 to determine the 100 greatest albums of all time.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 283 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

NME (2 October 1993, p. 29) - Ranked #74 in NME's list of the 'Greatest Albums Of All Time.'

Q (November 1999, p. 162) - Included in Q's Best Folk Albums of All Time - "The pinnacle of a melancholy canon of work so distinctive that admirers can only speculate miserably on what might have been."

Entertainment Weekly (12 May 2000, p.24) - "On his ageless debut, everything - Drake's lispy voice and delicate guitar fingerpicking, arranger Robert Kirby's stately strings - feels shrouded in mist....Drake's most glorious miniatures." - Rating: A

Alternative Press (March 2001, p.88) - "With a voice paradoxically feather-light and grave, [one] of the most beautiful and melancholy albums ever recorded."

Mojo (July 2000, p.99) - "Represents the first flourish of promise....God, how damn confident it all sounds. He knew how good he was."

Rate Your Music, a metadatabase which aggregates the votes and reviews of its users, ranks the album fifth in the folk genre, seventh for albums released in 1969, and 56th overall. It has scored an average rating of 4.20 out of 5, which was calculated from 5957 ratings.

"Five leaves left" is a reference to the old Rizla cigarette papers packet - which used to contain a printed note near the end saying "Only five leaves left".

Professional reviews

Allmusic 5/5 stars
BBC Music (favourable)
Entertainment Weekly (A)
Sputnikmusic 5/5 stars

Track listing

All songs written by Nick Drake.

Side one

"Time Has Told Me" – 4:27
"River Man" – 4:21
"Three Hours" – 6:16
"Way to Blue" – 3:11
"Day is Done" – 2:29

Side two

"Cello Song" – 4:49
"The Thoughts of Mary Jane" – 3:22
"Man in a Shed" – 3:55
"Fruit Tree" – 4:50
"Saturday Sun" – 4:03

Personnel

Performers

Nick Drake performs vocals and acoustic guitar on all songs, except "Way To Blue" and "Saturday Sun".

"Time Has Told Me"

Paul Harris – piano
Richard Thompson – electric guitar
Danny Thompson – double bass

"River Man"

Harry Robinson – string arrangement

"Three Hours"

Danny Thompson – bass
Rocky Dzidzornu – congas

"Way to Blue"

Robert Kirby – string arrangement

"Day is Done"

Robert Kirby – string arrangement

"'Cello Song"

Clare Lowther – cello
Danny Thompson – bass
Rocky Dzidzornu – congas

"The Thoughts of Mary Jane"

Robert Kirby – arrangement

"Man in a Shed"

Paul Harris – piano
Danny Thompson – bass

"Fruit Tree"

Robert Kirby – arrangement

"Saturday Sun"

Nick Drake – piano
Danny Thompson – bass
Tristan Fry – drums & vibraphone

Production

Simon Heyworth – mastering
Joe Boyd – production
John Wood – engineering