Brief Background: Five Leaves Left was recorded over a year from July 1968 to July 1969 and was released in September 1969. Drake is backed by Fairport Convention and Pentangle. It is the debut album from Drake and he would only release two more before his death in 1974.
What I think: This is a very interesting album to me, as I really like a number of songs and really don’t care for a number of others.
The two that really stand out to we as enjoyable are “Time Has Told Me”, ” ‘Cello Song” and “Saturday Sun”. They are great acoustic numbers which feature Drake’s strong voice and have a faster beat than some of the others.
“River Man” is a good example of the other end. It is very ethereal, with a big string accompaniment that really doesn’t capture my interest.
Do I agree or disagree with the writers as to this being an album you must listen to? I do agree that this should be here, Drake has a great voice and his songs are well written. I think my opinion of this album would also improve if I were to give it multiple listens. I am latching onto the uptempo and immediate songs and am pretty sure I would come along on the others in time. In fact, as I’m letting the album play again while writing this I already enjoy it much more…
Rating (Out of 5): 3
Amazon Review (Out of 5): 4.5
Is this my first time hearing this album? Yes (119/158)
Percentage of Albums that are new to me: 75%
1001 Albums You Must Hear (and Blog about) Before You Die 
The songs are so beautiful and gentle as to make this quite a unique album. Nick Drake’s guitar playing is impressive, and the sparse accompaniments suit the somber nature of the songs. I didn’t mind the string arrangements, as they seem integral to the songs and not tacked on as an afterthought – except for “Way To Blue” which is just all strings. The lyrics are a bit of a puzzle at times, but interesting and touching.