Reception and legacy Pink Moon

full page advertisement of release of pink moon.

island records launched unusual promotional campaign initial release of pink moon. spent entire promotional budget on full-page advertisements in major music magazines month of record s release.

initially, pink moon garnered small amount of critical attention. jerry gilbert, had conducted known interview drake previous year, wrote first review of pink moon; not impressed. writing in sounds in march 1972, gilbert stated that, album consists entirely of nick s guitar, voice , piano , features usual characteristics without ever matching bryter layter. 1 has accept nick s songs require further augmentation, whilst own accompaniments songs not sufficiently strong stand without embroidery @ all. things behind sun makes it, parasite – maybe s time mr. drake stopped acting mysteriously , started getting organised himself. review written critic mark plummer , appeared in melody maker in may 1972. plummer appreciated music, distracted drake s growing ascetic mythology: music personal , shyly presented both lyrically , in confined guitar , piano playing neither nor doesn t come over ... more listen drake though, more compelling music becomes – time hides you. on things behind sun , sings me, embarrassed , shy. perhaps 1 should play albums sound off , @ cover , make music in head reciting words inside cover own rhythmic heart rhymes ... nick drake not exist @ all. stephen holden, in more enthusiastic review rolling stone magazine, said beauty of drake s voice own justification. may become familiar all.

by time of album s reissues on compact disc in 1990s , 2000s, drake s fame , critical standing had improved considerably, , legacy reviews of album overwhelmingly favourable. q s review of 1990 reissue noted mood more remote [than drake s first 2 albums] with—finally—a defeated strain in both throat , words, several of elegant melodies . review of 2000 reissue in same magazine more positive still, claiming many hold pink moon nick drake s best album , saying, motivation of success had evaporated , drake made record singular , uncompromising that, superficially, beggars belief ... truth pink moon s excellence shines through, irrespective of endless speculation [regarding drake s frame of mind during making of record , subsequent death]. few records have ever sounded intimate, or embodied eternal human ailment known melancholy such grace , assurance. mojo claimed pink moon masterpiece , robert johnson comparisons deserved . reviewing 2003 north american reissue, rolling stone said, album unleashes dramatic starkness , breathtakingly pretty music .

accolades

in 2000s, pink moon critically lauded, making melody maker time top 100 albums number 48. in 2003, album ranked number 320 on rolling stone magazine s list of 500 greatest albums of time. in 2012, ranking revised number 321.

american singer meshell ndegeocello recorded cover of title track pink moon album time of no reply misja fitzgerald. american indie band, sebadoh, has covered pink moon , appears on album smash head on punk rock. lucinda williams covered on 1992 album sweet old world.

1999 volkswagen cabriolet advertisement

promotional cd given buyers of vw in 2001.

on 11 november 1999 volkswagen announced debuting, first time, television advertisement on internet. campaign, named milky way , featured volkswagen cabriolet title track of pink moon soundtrack. ron lawner, chief creative officer of arnold communications stated in press release, song special. s old song guy named nick drake. s called pink moon , introduction nick drake if re not familiar him. s transporting. , seemed fitting beautiful drive in country on special night. volkswagen cabriolet commercial, directed jonathan dayton , valerie faris , filmed lance acord, led large increase in record sales, , number-five placing pink moon in amazon.com s sales chart. vw , pink moon pairing marked new step in advertising. bethany klein, professor in department of media , communication @ university of central england states, role of pink moon in success of milky way interesting, in both added artistry of commercial , protected visual artistry of spot: because ad worked (it aesthetic success) usual negative discourse surrounding use of popular music in advertising was, if not stopped, @ least reduced , accompanied positive appraisals ... linking of ad being watershed , being nicely done no coincidence; because ad executed , aesthetically successful industry , public reassessed use of music in advertising around example. in 2001, volkswagen honored music , advertising pairings had made on years giving new volkswagen cabrio buyers compilation cd featured pink moon first track.

u.s. sales of nick drake s pink moon album rose 6,000 copies, prior song s use in cabrio commercial, 74,000 copies in 2000, according palm, distributes drake s music through hannibal records. of 2004 has sold 329,000 copies in united states.