Nick Drake – The Making Of Five Leaves Left (4xLP)

The Making of Five Leaves Left is a deluxe box set released in July 2025 that explores the creation of Nick Drake’s 1969 debut album Five Leaves Left. Spanning four discs, it includes newly discovered home reels, studio outtakes, alternate takes, and remastered versions of the original recordings. The set is accompanied by a 60-page book containing photos, lyrics, and detailed session notes, offering fans both historical depth and intimate insight into Drake’s artistry.

What makes this release special is how it captures the evolution of Drake’s music from simple voice-and-guitar demos to the fully realized, orchestrated songs that would define his debut. Early recordings highlight his instinctive sense for melody and mood, while the alternate takes and stripped-back versions reveal the precision and quiet confidence in his arrangements. More than a collector’s item, it provides a clearer picture of how one of folk’s most enigmatic voices built a landmark record.

Reviews

“A rare deluxe box set that offers little in the way of revelatory unearthed songs but instead holds a trove of uncluttered renditions of its classics, before Rocky Dzidzornu cut in with his congas or Kirby with his classical mannerism.” — Pitchfork

“The matter-of-fact title of this reissue is not the result of a lack of effort from Universal’s marketing department, though; The Making of Five Leaves Left is structured to show the process of making the album from demo to finished product. It does so through the discovery of two sets of newly discovered demo tapes, which alone should make the collection a must-have for any Drake completists.” — Spectrum Culture

“Anybody who has spent decades suspecting that the orchestration of Five Leaves Left was thrust upon a naïve Drake will be surprised – the tape shows he’s no shrinking violet, and has clearly worked out many of the parts in advance.” — SuperDeluxeEdition