Darker Than the Deepest Sea

August 28, 2006
A British acoustic-psychedelic entry into the ever-swelling hall of artists who died young, Nick Drake received little recognition during his short life. Yet more than 30 years after his death, his celebrity has never been greater and has been accompanied by reissues, documentary films and biographies—one Drake tune even rated a Volkswagen commercial. Born to a wealthy family, Drake showed early interest in music; by his university years he had developed a unique guitar style and brooding songs that had little to do with the hippie noodlings of the era. Heavy drug use and commercial failure pushed the already introverted Drake deeper into isolation and despair; he died of an overdose at the age of 26. To this day, questions swirl around every aspect of Drake's life, from his musical influences and sexuality to whether or not he intentionally killed himself. Unfortunately, Dann, producer of Live Aid
, brings little insight to the Drake mysteries. While he covers Drake's Cambridge years thoroughly, other aspects of the musician's life are barely mentioned; even interviews with Drake's closer friends reveal little—it just might be that no one really ever got close enough to him. By contrast, the book's discography is comprehensive and informative.

October 1, 2006
Since singer/songwriter Nick Drake's (194874) death by an overdose of tranquilizers, a cult has grown around him and his music, which filled a slim three albums in his lifetime. He was not a major star, but his melancholy and the directness of his lyrics still connect with a great number of fans. This biography by Dann (coauthor, " Led Zeppelin: Concert File") is the second of the musician (the other was Patrick Humphries's "Nick Drake: The Biography"). Both books are somewhat superficial, since there is so little real documentation of Drake's life from which to draw. Thus, either would be good for newcomers seeking an overview of the rise and fall and early demise of this talented young Englishman. Neither can claim, however, to get to the heart of the mystery of Nick Drake. For more than 30 years, fans have been trying to figure out the artist, with little success. For libraries where there is great interest, both books should be purchased, as they cover somewhat different details. Perhaps the best feature of this slim volume is the closing discography, in which Dann analyzes and comments on each of Drake's songs."Bill Walker, StocktonSan Joaquin Cty. P.L., CA"

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2006
Nick Drake, the English songwriter who has come to personify the young, sensitive, gloomy, and doomed composer of navel--gazing songs, released only three albums and 31 tracks of music before his fatal overdose in 1974 (he was 26). Ignored in his own time, his music gradually obtained a wider audience and a measure of popular acceptance. Dann sets out to reveal the person behind the virtuoso guitar playing and soft English lilt in this new biography. The problem is, his subject was elusive to those who knew him and remains so to his biographer. Nobody really knew Drake well, not even his friends. Too often Dann compensates by focusing on trivia (for instance, directions to Drake's Cambridge dormitory). By the end, we know things about Drake, but we don't know the man. Funny, then, how affected readers are by the loss when they arrive at the point of his death. Somehow, Dann captures enough of the shadow that was Drake that we care when the light is extinguished and the shadow lost. Given Drake's fierce reserve, this is no small accomplishment.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)