Could Nick Drake Have Been Saved?

We always get attached to the tragic story, whether it be the star that never was, the hero that gave his life for others or a true love never realized. Left are question without answers and assumptions with out merit. What was, should have been and most importantly what could have been done to prevent such tragedy presently and in also in an alternate universe where second chances realized by all.

Particularity in the field of music, it seems that this feeling of tragedy has long been a prevalent theme in the realm of entertainment and arts as many lives have been claimed although their essence within music is left whole creating a mythical perception of a mere man whom can never again explain what was felt when the music left his/her internals and took on a mind of its own to be judged faithfully forever more.

Nick Drake, a handsome, well to do yet troubled young man from the U.K., who in the early 70's composed some of the finest pieces of music ever to not be recognized by a wide audience is once of these cases. A true aficionado with an acoustic guitar, Drake would effortlessly lay elegant backdrops with precision along with his bashfully shy yet sweet and careful voice singing thought provoking lyrics that would make your most distinguished Romantic Era writers proud.

Plagued by a late life anxiety disorder, Drake struggled with performing his material in front of crowds due to the relatively quite and non-repetitive nature of his music. He struggled to imagine finding an audience among the impatient pop hungry fans that were hungry for choruses and who had once given him a hard time for having so many tune ups during one of his few performances.

Frustrated by a lack of success, his anxiety grew ever more creating an interesting catch-22 as he continually dropped highly praised masterpieces without any recognition or press do to his inability to get out there and perform. The music also began to reflect that his health was obviously deteriorating as his newer songs sounded more and more effected by his mass depression and took shape as cries for help. 

Just two years after what would be his third and final album, Nick was found in bed at the house of his youth unconscious and surely dead from an apparent pill overdose. Arguably one of the greatest musicians to ever live yet he never sold more than 10,000 records in his life time.

Still today you'd be hard pressed to find a Nick Drake fan, and although he would certainly have be proud of the fame he attained in his aftermath, he is still largely overlooked by most publications when it comes time to talk about "Who Is Best" and what not, but I say all that to say this.

I firmly believe that if Nick Drake's people would have got him a backing band, maybe a rhythm guitarist, bass, cello, drums or whatever just to handle the live shows, he would have been able to get out there and not have to worry about handling big crowds all by his loan some. It's such a shame that we never got to know what made Nick tick, but as is the day...