Pink Moon  by Nick Drake

Nick Drake entered London’s Sound Techniques studio on two nights in October 1971, bringing only his acoustic guitar and a small blue notebook. The result of these brief recordings, Pink Moon (1972), remains one of the most haunting and influential albums in the history of folk music.

The album was created under conditions of absolute austerity. After the disappointment of the meager sales of his previous album, Bryter Layter, Drake decided to abandon the rich orchestrations and guest musicians. In the studio were only Drake and sound engineer John Wood. Nick refused any additional production, requesting that the sound be limited exclusively to his voice and acoustic guitar. The only exception is a discreet addition of piano in the title track, played by himself. The result is 28 minutes of music that sounds like a whisper in the dark. The cover, designed by Michael Trevithick, is a surreal painting depicting objects (a teacup, a shoe, a leaf) floating in space around a pink moon. It reflects Drake's distance from reality at that time, a sense of alienation from the material world.

Upon its release, Pink Moon failed commercially, selling very few copies. Drake refused to give concerts or interviews for its promotion, driving Island Records to despair. Two years later, in 1974, the artist passed away at the age of 26. Vindication came decades later. In 1999, the use of the title song in a Volkswagen commercial skyrocketed sales and brought Drake's music to a global audience. Today, Pink Moon is considered a classic, having achieved platinum or gold status in many countries and remains a timeless symbol of solitary artistic genius.