Nick Drake
The Life
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Nick Drake
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Narrated by:
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Richard Morton Jack
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Gabrielle Drake
About this listen
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 LimitedListeners also enjoyed...
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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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sam hammond
- 17-06-23
Fantastic
A sad privilege to see behind the curtain of Nick’s life.
Wonderfully written, researched and read.
Thank you for the music Nick, wherever you are.
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- Phil Reilly
- 19-08-24
breathtaking
Although a sad ending, this story was delightfully told. I found the highlight being the love of Nick's family and how they fought hard to protect their much loved son. Weirdly (I only say weird, as it is unconnected to the act of listening to the audio book, but more of a convenient chance), whilst listening to the audio book, I took the opportunity to visit Nick's grave and home and this book gave me a real sense of the man, the music and his loving family.
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- Anonymous User
- 15-06-23
Superbook
Oh Nick, if you only knew how much people loved you and your music, a beautiful book well read the sad, but done, lovingly together, made me cry
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- Anonymous User
- 02-07-23
An infectious and wonderful insight
I cried at the end, although knowing the outcome, I was wishing it would all be ok…A brilliant book, well written, researched and read by the author. It was also wonderful to hear his sister Gabrielle. Thank you. Being a long life fan of Nick Drake who has been an enormous inspiration, it was wonderful to listen to it.
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- sol c.
- 16-07-23
Nick's story
I was skeptical at first as I thought I knew the beats of Nick's life already. I was wrong. So well researched, this is a in depth and unflinching biography of Nick's whole life which explores the relationship he had with those around him while also zooming out to assess his position in music at the time. It even became hard to listen to towards the end due to his long suffering family trying to deal with his vivid deterioration. This book made me revisit his music and enjoy it even more than I have before.
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- franco
- 09-09-23
An astonishing book…
…beautifully written. I can’t fault it… it was long, but needed to be, and at no point did it get lost or boring. Nick Drake is a fascinating human being, and at last, there is a book that does him some justice.
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- Betty Valentine
- 01-08-24
Fruit Tree
Enjoyed is not the right word, how can you enjoy a reading of something so tragically sad. It was informative and very well written and read. For me it inspired a poem, although I could not and never would compare myself to the beauty of Nick's work.
Fruit Tree
Fruit Tree
did you never think of love,
perhaps you thought too much,
you stripped yourself of leaves to live
and gave of all you had to give,
naked and alone you tried,
so hard to stem that bitter tide
but still the darkness of you grew, inside
until you knew for certain that the war was lost
yet maybe in the doing it was somehow won
a pretty pity that you never found the sun
mellow warmth to melt the frost and make you free
to be the person you were always meant to be
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- Anonymous User
- 04-06-24
Very well written
I love Nick Drake and I love this book. Very detailed and very well written.
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- Icarus Williams
- 07-04-24
An incredible achievement by the author
Nick's life has often been shrouded in mystery, with snippets and myths being a source of huge intrigue to fans. This book puts an end to this. It is beyond comprehensive without ever drifting into boring or irrelevant detail. Beautifully researched and constructed, there are no attempts to pose outlandish or conspirational theories, but the difficult and dark topic of Nick's mental health is never avoided. The later chapters are heartbreaking, but handled incredibly well. With this book, Nick's life moves from the status of a mystery to being one of the most thoroughly and carefully explored musical careers on record.
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- Anonymous User
- 10-07-23
Fascinating Story!
A fascinating listen of this tragic story about a musical genuis
I've been listening to Nick Drake's music for about 15 years now, and this book has enabled me to get inside the mind of Nick and his family friends and associates
A very revealing and informative listen, and soon to be read, as I've now purchased the printed version to read and grace my book shelf
Steve
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