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Nick Drake cover art

Nick Drake

By: Richard Morton Jack, Gabrielle Drake - foreword
Narrated by: Richard Morton Jack, Gabrielle Drake
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Summary

The full life of one of the greatest singer-songwriters of the twentieth century, with a Foreword by his sister Gabrielle Drake.

In 1968 Nick Drake had everything to live for. The product of a loving, creative family and a privileged background, he was not only a handsome and popular Cambridge undergraduate, but also a new signing to the UK's hippest record label, Island.

Three years later, however - having made three well-reviewed but low-selling albums - Nick had been overwhelmed by a mysterious mental illness. He returned to live in his family home in rural Warwickshire in 1971, and died in obscurity in 1974, aged just 26.

In the decades since, Nick has become the subject of ever-growing fascination and speculation. Combined sales of his records now stand in the millions, his songs are frequently heard on TV and in films, and he has become one of the most widely known and admired singer-songwriters of his generation.

Nick Drake: The Life is the only biography of Nick to be written with the blessing and involvement of his sister and Estate. Drawing on copious original research and new interviews with his family, friends and musical collaborators, as well as deeply personal archive material unavailable to previous writers - including his father's diaries, his essays and private correspondence - this is the most comprehensive and authoritative account possible of Nick's short and enigmatic life.

Includes a foreword by Gabrielle Drake.

©2023 Richard Morton Jack (P)2023 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Critic reviews

"This is the book we've been waiting for - the one Nick's legacy deserves and so badly needs. Richard Morton Jack has reconstructed Nick's life with great sensitivity and care, and in remarkable detail. It is a biography to be treasured." (Joe Boyd)

What listeners say about Nick Drake

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Exhausting

I jacked this in at around the 13 hour mark. In the credit column the author has created a minutely detailed portrait of upper middle class life in England during the 60s and early 70s. He also does an excellent job of immersing us in the world of early British folk rock, offering a real sense of what it was like to schlep round clubs and works functions trying to find an audience.

In the debit column are a couple of problems which eventually defeated me. He doesn't know when to stop with the exhaustive detail. In a typical anecdote we read that Nick bunked off uni to meet some friends in Chelsea (he does that a lot); they went to see a band; no one can remember the band. The end. The other major problem is Nick himself. I was genuinely interested in the stuff about his guitar technique and use of tuning. My admiration for him as a musician has grown enormously having already loved his music. Sadly though there's no getting round the fact that as a person he was very dull company and his early childhood experience of having actual servants seems to have carried over into adult life. His delightful sounding parents tied themselves in knots getting him into Cambridge despite little evidence of academic talent and having gained a record contract he seems to have seen the business of touring and promoting his records as beneath him.

By the time I switched off I'd become increasingly irked by the sense of what his his mother - the creative, musical and engaging Molly - would have been able to do if she'd been born twenty years later and given Nick's many advantages.

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3 people found this helpful

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It does justice to his work

Expertly researched, lovingly written - this is the book that does justice to Nick Drake's work, observing the real and complex person who made that music. Exceptional.

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Devastating good. Totally compelling!

This audio book dominated my life for several days! I could not turn it off. A must for any Nick Drake fan. Such a tender portrayal of this legendary musician. I also found his astonishing family and the other musicians in his life fascinating.
A really very well written book and well delivered in audio format. I don’t think it will leave my mind for a long long time…

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Great read and fascinating

Nicely read and well researched. Filled in all the gaps in Nick's short life. The last few chapters are very harrowing at times, yet there are some humorous anecdotes throughout the book. Essential reading for any Nick Drake fan.

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Astonishingly detailed and heartbreaking

I loved every moment of this work, and it vividly portrays Nick Drake’s short life with feeling and humour.

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Exceptional.

The book was brilliantly researched, full of interesting detail and always interesting. It was heartbreaking at times but never in a way that didnt also celebrate the wonderful music that Nick Drake made. Highly recommended.

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Exhaustive and a bit scant all at once

The author has done an excellent job accessing and piecing together extensive source material, but his summation of what it all might mean is a bit lacking in the end. Too often this is left with contemporary efforts which are sometimes shockingly deficient. Overall though, a challenging, resonant and valuable listen.

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An Excellent Piece Of Work.

I have enjoyed other books on Nick Drake and this is no exception. However, this is a work of stunning research and integrity. It towers over other books on this subject and is one of the finest, if not the finest biographies I’ve ever read.

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Poised, detailed and compassionate

A perfect tribute to and insight into one of England’s greatest singer songwriters. Exhaustively detailed but never dull.

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A fascinating and profound biography

I’ve been a fan of Nick Drake’s music for many years now, and this is a fascinating and profound biography of his short life.
I’ve learned so much about Nick through this book, it makes me love his 3 fantastic albums even more.
It’s also a harrowingly honest look at his fragile mental health and how that impacted his creativity.

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