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Beware of the Bull

The Enigmatic Genius of Jake Thackray

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Beware of the Bull

By: Paul Thompson, John Watterson
Narrated by: Paul Thompson
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About this listen

Beware of the Bull: The Enigmatic Genius of Jake Thackray is the critically-acclaimed first biography of the late, great singer-songwriter. It was included in the Daily Telegraph's pick of the best music books of 2022.

Admired by Neil Gaiman, Jarvis Cocker, Alex Turner, and Thea Gilmore, among others, Jake was one of the greatest and most original artists of the 20th century: a unique talent and master storyteller whose songs are full of wit, poetry, irreverence, and humanity.

The book reveals a life as extraordinary as his writing: difficult upbringing in the terraces of Leeds; strict Catholic education; transformative experiences in France and Algeria; time as an inspirational, unorthodox and highly creative teacher; meteoric development as a writer and performer; subsequent discovery by the BBC; Abbey Road recordings and influence on The Beatles; fame, fortune, and remarkable television career...and Jake's rejection of it all.

It is a story of a complex, charismatic, and self-effacing man whom many loved, but few understood. Beware of the Bull was written with the full support of the Thackray family, who granted exclusive access to Jake's personal archive.

This audiobook is abridged. It contains the full text of all the main chapters of the book, but omits the foreword, afterword, and appendices. It is narrated by Paul Thompson, one of the book's authors.

©2022 Paul Thompson, John Watterson (P)2023 Paul Thompson
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The Great Man's Story Superbly Told

A wonderful book covering both the genius and the flaws of Jake. I was lucky enough to see him perform three times and almost felt I knew him from the tales he told between songs. But this taught me so much more about his life and influences from George Brassens to The Catholic Church. Brilliantly researched from many sources.
Obviously written and told by fans but à very critical story of a life well lived if much too short and despite much adversity. To paraphrase one of Jake's tales, the listener will worship the ground Jake fell on.

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Great path to learning more about Jake

Having come late to Jake’s musical output, indeed he’d died before I became a fan, this was a great way to find out more about a discreet national treasure (who by all accounts would hate me for describing him as such).
Great research and very well read. I’d recommend it to anyone with an interest in Jake’s work.

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