Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Nick Drake: The Biography
Nick Drake: The Biography
Nick Drake: The Biography
Ebook406 pages8 hours

Nick Drake: The Biography

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Read preview

About this ebook


'An exquisite portrait' MOJO

'A riveting account of the golden-boy genius' EVENING STANDARD

Nick Drake was barely twenty-six years old when he died in 1974, but in his short lifetime he recorded three albums that are now recognised as classics: Five Leaves Left, Bryter Later and Pink Moon.

Several decades after his death, he has amassed a huge following; his haunting songs cast a pervasive influence over the contemporary music scene, and many of today's most successful songwriters cite him as a major inspiration.

In this unrivalled biography, Patrick Humphries offers real insight into the man behind the legend, through extensive interviews with family, friends and the musicians who knew and worked alongside him. This portrait of Nick Drake is an essential and uniquely personal account of his life and career.

'A rich, moving account of a troubled spirit, a mature biography of a briefly flickering talent unable to come to terms with the adult world … The writing is zestful and intelligent and the text illuminating … A literary memorial fit to stand alongside the songs' UNCUT
LanguageEnglish
Release dateDec 17, 2012
ISBN9781408841440
Nick Drake: The Biography
Author

Patrick Humphries

Patrick Humphries has been a professional writer and journalist for over 40 years, with over 20 books to his credit, including Rolling Stones 69 (Omnibus, 2019). He was film editor at Vox magazine, which is when he began writing about and researching Cleopatra.

Read more from Patrick Humphries

Related to Nick Drake

Related ebooks

Biography & Memoir For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for Nick Drake

Rating: 3.797872340425532 out of 5 stars
4/5

47 ratings2 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Patrick Humphries' aim in this biography seems to be to complicate some of the myths and legends that have sprung up around Nick Drake in the years following his death; to turn him from a mythical, doomed creature into a human being. In this he is quite successful. Although, once he's torn down the myths he doesn't put very much in their place. This is quite understandable with the lack of information available and it isn't for want of trying; Humphries interviews every Tom, Dick and Harry who ever bumped into Drake for a brief few minutes. Standout interviewees include Linda Thompson who was clearly very motherly and affectionate towards Drake during his career and Joe Boyd who perhaps knew Drake better than anyone else other than his family.When he departs from these interviews, the book becomes weighed down by Humphries' long descriptions of the culture around Drake, clichéd descriptions of the impact of The Beatles or The Sex Pistols, which often end up stating the obvious and revealing little. They are delivered in a poetic style with which Humphries seems to be trying to imitate the mood of Drake's music, which I found quite tiresome. But when he stays on topic, describes the events of Nick's life and talks to the people who knew him best, the book is quite wonderful and left me feeling closer to Nick Drake the man.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Obviously quite a sad story since the chronically depressed Drake died, either accidentally or deliberately by overdose, at age twenty-six. This biography is unlikely to interest readers who are not already Drake fans. He released only three albums in his short lifetime, and it's his last, Pink Moon, I've always been enamored of. I've never heard a collection of songs that so beautifully and perfectly capture the infinite sadness and utter desolation of profound melancholy.

    2 people found this helpful

Book preview

Nick Drake - Patrick Humphries

dbook_preview_excerpt.html}َGӠ"JTPIj!K8"~p/ =?V1 ~L88vz@&AMSfތo x]}1؅a7Wի#6M]zR3` ͐}jc}ٞB&-v3=&<ٯ4,;B^c#jPCu«>owSchS&B|d56CC-S瞷Cރ8Ɍ:*E6#67>Ww]{qJN[C9N}g7͊k>X(uԷvuS& 937S}u&7ܿLq.aƏlS;&<{yqU|PПWZ[߷}h71%llG;;M껩rX {umC+,DO~A5V7}=A8r4xJ/z`K>fGi #m_0ٮA~ڻpȒ%TmSsc4_F| `A6v`|,!6SU>"br& qMNM_iqH9q BxC" FJg=x6w |5?:~/PۧV'*jMz~~9-6Dht7X g  N9s|Nק}OIn[xKf ΰm;:#_Y| L|MvXF|zH?|+Q'v)W LW8 ƃ[ \wSwġڊBd9% }U{6bjhrF.? `h Pt 8g3Q͌[f:6 opq uq؏wc-G)%ݩ]τ}$j`vӀ&[yo?`~j\է7eCOC,(ctxZu u y~ yH3TNiI gji$c6K#kMɃhv7Lo ˇkiR2OjN1l5ؖ;o hV.:*e =>a v+Gl$r y1׍?DG 4 jFIIybk*?#.-1L-]*ftC,i9f/cU&⒧( _&n[vY++W@D"Ѐ7pBG,]Ȕ&0vNWb-NT )++g IZ 5`K-w< zWB=Pgin|dIG2 }P>'/k'  ]fdcYМtv!ܓm,GtUͰHu<"$Gn/5cz7fQr r+<7_΀"94$v i!owi[O :>2PE{*n|<ح}t0J⻫+wuIPNp>8%(580sbrSWl" cV!9Ĵ ׀=mR7gOѼ%zm\U6SΠ7ߞDsўCX6[ aLI3(T6Ŝl 㖙3E' +4m\aL"eɐњ Bl>YBg܁Kz-P\QF!]|0:yȃ&_N:݇Ϟ=?C66Տ w {I.,1PW2^xskc)θu}#`c3̓`71 hӡM=}X46̏1n䉳NrL h2b]f[Dv zhsÑH, 3- X:2;5콦f{q``w6"uYp$kh8_G -7RL2;v3/.ĘA/' 5l)rvf 20CQL)%0M>ǿjm6 $I%tX'H6ذ k,;x{% 9 (HTW ]?c{\+Ja"E6z)=` I4 ]Bfq`| "8n?yJd߇6S1,&4_&3aHX2"I. W"N2[C-^6߀5iBaGCu3HGҿ` nނg);/Hr/L?ݧE-~tg腲h<;;: Fljt-ѢvZ򑵥y}Sj;/Y'vNGJYZñmσgilS/XS'ڧthD৖,N=cdx\(>W[Ex)VMk [{NQd:aP(!+WҕDx1nVEHQ`Q C [*\20LTw7dʇƤLQiF Ȼ[FOrf'^Mu+UVdJU[=0%ɴN̦;ƞ&WYP吇9EA{cк!<ױ !w@+ '$ϗ-N>vZe:kZ6~ )H˂X{ pc;e9KbGbhbuX ʅ"Kpe2%K$p-_bY:NS6*˳[Ome:h^%,u$`x==F"2Jc_ 4 &9bjL4i2HJt#׀1]R̥@k ̐b+Ѭ.t2M 0ڨyr8H KR 5 Q [u>3<\W}ٚ$;d9L.Һ< ҭD8tm˓^pW^ }Z&fy3½ >E%u{5|2gK" tLECFb*kh9p磬z :B Att :umx{8LXŹ.7K\3J~[P'%/7K)Zbp>fnK -6/BKXUݴnJç\3[_HuTP +o&K}r\3WH9-꥓f}l$=v3,*607&˃1q|qK2BfTX[:RN}n}}TF^!7@Cb&'goXeGXf;B{@BcѢ0+a8dz[#MƜލ`!FzϱԌuEAd=&=8lKX?ihWLxNH1SMTY7L 0Mdz3YK=LL(4, .6_%,ՍY+ؐޖ>PϤ>ƴ]Sɺ"TidҖ3~N[aEgețʈ`tX̧$p}IvL}v2z,K4s84C{3Ki S5 ."*U5f(0Q|vזͭլ@]wb'G(0\C3#϶NJ4YŽUݻn{ YTD6KK( *Q4O)\,Ҿan/Z[euMGU"<_:I 70`wWcfKQMJ͙=d% {j4< ^fHHy+"pZbpey3yHQa_8TPr=zT -܂Y#B]LrڂZ#60u3z12v sT.ӭJ6xhO~Wu{ߺsǕaIey @SLAg/n: *R?r}z jH+ !GYj)'7{[A0Mm). WV 7 8vgaKՉwak_9ti4{~==KWz2l|q1EhGh8! <"MuWg=zϮ]dCYU$4]Ӑ$hRgU?=|z qʛD>5Cw:~ӕ(?y3(]yoQ$US.PBO.?a <zMw$JzEl+95z.)PYI&] 7ʧ`j$̘{\S+)pMoLuBokTN84#-p.<> 8,?KOg;lA0K+AcJ졠ܚy~~ Rt vj{uW4L8Kg&t hS`k)ζfcOl*a?83G`#y*B+QB<5 |CGՕmfR,!;.ˁa=ӁmenLn2פl)b͔sC1`3`:d׌uj:vf9$/$^@scIѐufpVbH?]TG)N`\3<ޘxE]bTcxnNGj=mIٜdQWʘQUis@@ٙf>FK%tᲓ'™A4F+4KSC#'ZKvo pk~9%\\Oy]mbD{Bve*'e凎ZYҲ?0x0EU= (B/!&f:nu#Ei?+WX_&,$TX%ҨpK*QRqT$!)@-?%0X0Jzgp_n`6J#yYZLQ{4&bB8s%f^>Z}uy܌aޤ^ՆҎD/VD'NGo!,Q^KR4Ұ4V:{DM=T^QJpn]eF>@ r&U֎l×7K 0zOGv vJ% \(wtmȺ&oUeS2,sYޤ2,LP圹5X}`\1癬ϰ4š# 8S̢-:&bzU|IiGo!9İѶL3gEfS&, ݎP^>:-LHD' /pz}8b MXW"\$@6Odya/\hx9'!I4 sЌ 0M~7_<(s npin=ϵ\^r. 5uJC[HEck 92+d\RݹckK>n^U CoE3jƱ("0Яgx*n"L4:_)J" ^ޛiXn0#{n5S+sT%Nm@ΠR);AԫhΩSVDN(gΛ*`ő9X(̣DPpLǣ@u0I)H8IC+Ik84xgD§oSm? vkYDrD茖)x3U!R.Νf ^E˰`Z [%GUKV|_z s撻I(M:>*U39 !KXw'/?['"fAizimj,^Jn.uJϦ͜\c߅6蝟-\e1y5ظ-U$+v(Ʊth6a9 c؉ZX0MHӾnڛRʞ ~cM6<]!OT݆שRc~,ENJkʝGW?1ubAtl{8՗t:1s]}:rB=p{-vݙ)EG(\*Z wsf  d-j'\{%pQ}Ƙ']㯝˺Pcvӻ断b$ d 6[ _c#ϕJȗxtk^eMklyPYB2r"$u?1pzR&ƙzK[lhqnXvl]NCƃ7! ]U,%j}0Ox5Q *`,7ٸ_EG'Z)Nuс* 55Ya]L_45q*8ȋwPtO77_*ce-}ܩaYrU@UѱrRӾ,]xfwќU3ֳҖ*[C9V^?՝\\d,zZm"0 fpVz7?YFwi}5TAu"gIIL Sג7>A}sd5'U3|Ҏj<9T1jNفY тהPܣ5X[eܯ{o4vib 6m:(=_jC!e8VlCk7cgA&?1{3N^R69zֽ9_M4+O씍`y쵧 ?a>&9y+9jljɦȁ|(km^U=W}sW1 >{PN`@wgVW5ibXlf{2m5l2lmьTnݰ/\hj+ gl搐֍gZam 4vf~dCإThVjסh.\`,WH*PgkX%  ngs ةg _k &n/ E-HI}4 ,\˺] ̦5'x1(4F>6ҫբ,h:tpw7Z~+-E/R^g\eL*K&6z:ڧ~TqwUʹBVnT>{`o p5,:bBwbcc3(ް%_r=N[mC٥njBqfU4SֶPPΫS;_)BVeCtV26r6p?F]Š 5KͰek<Ą \P܅?(}vC62SrS͡q C"T74tYD.W+brtv~MPfǹC=:ϰ( فbsX]i𘧺ZC(kNV?h`Htp"e&K*KPAz 8o]C !=mC6GF–>ut %rٵd>Kfg$lZoJsRd-}1Yh8i3thaxLOm=H(pVͪ&jQ{^C'=gFw3 Pj3KN<a#nX'HImE:_h p:܅^N#(Jc$+`MZİʊNjo~Zy%)1 ZٹY&Q&J~ zBEFXDj!,$_ד4Aճ 1*,; n]yb-ZBĂ=^}.s p9ltJ>ؓ~b |Ya)To/^gĪzhyO'# AНN P-ށ,A`e^)pَ>%âѓN,VōBeIU}[9M.ţNy`V&ᷬJGlrHޣ<s{ELSNi B)ٚ7 5ƪr89}o#+,9V1 w}۩(mhrWJ:uٔ}:y)-dHר{7 խԼ:v8jrGFl4sne86x&MJ;{UN bRj!7O~wWjt&ʺ%TU"}K`ŭC񬤅']Sg-;{/r-"Azoz yq|@~_z@Mo}0wlu9S#ϵ% Bl2!>kkP53_V)gMrJF m7Vep uٲDE˓dV m6"כ/J>oPEۻ@?5|sdWxoFbd cxyU}8^EQrDܜ -vSz]H%M1mM.oֶWmgޑ<筎G.YH&ߘ+q ':&䛃W/8TuEþJnKdy-Y!v5[Ġ^뜀5 Y}D}ēUv(fGe vn]K+CA5΢X]G!8ߘܜ==aDtiF|ߑ|ۣرf=qB:u\mfvո]pXZ i؋@>(Qz䔙} dk{E#bLY{9qN)Z`K1}n>z5Y*/U\h\z9b)y]brO^ԇϪ@bK\ϳӪ_\LcNtis6yK#ΎP;M|)D0[¡ g77ý>w/kkp7 n=KHVvٙk_z ;`XIg 9f_S= A˱3S*=G:啫UOlf5#J-3 BKt= z!sl e4U_Ɏ hOhyBY_nJпlސ6o[=WGf`KU~&[" ;@ {B=y )Pe[J4㛩Ϟ<9%W/{e$eX*fR4?d7^m!S7n/6bP5U0ei˶ekٓ/.x*5YoycvjƩi=VIĆn^?!6#[eL ARH wh2|ylTLkk,s{v: 2xM,gˮ]*>u4(170vQc˙ce~MFկ`Ka:8,cgcU/̆ B+FF^vH|0^jAyzZ6!ĨۢxUw՗w^bV ZZTn&@ .Om[o "̩" {#ȤtʲOPdFʀKP͕)=.hPx,Gw>גTc TiDW7CTyyWo˚ز7Y[ cAfz~:.,T;RuWAaP )yÏ8爡KuG(#Sy޽xNAMOW&()i]ycpD= 0NKoà/q^4o۱fw6HcӪI.K~H'̾"^T%M[ >%~<^7a֩';Z6 պ@.oy8^ai/|F&6 x=kܰ 9ˉ缩{l ]JAMovGꜶua d{rk?\iN~ o_ [BE?VeF 6]_wjMFL+SA]f 9KtY"并7ΨLʢi;: ~: b'>oGkrsgRsrBGr '2sCnF8K) | y̖UNYNp P,y5hn(cO݉7爺s\7JX~_P
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1