Nick Drake: Dreaming England

(Paperback)

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Since his untimely death in 1974 at the ageof 26, singer-songwriter Nick Drake has notonly gained a huge international audience,which eluded him during his lifetime, buthas come to represent the epitome of EnglishRomanticism. Drake's small but much-lovedbody of work has led to comparisons withBlake, Keats, Vaughan Williams and Delius,placing him within a long line of Englishmystical Romantics. Yet on closer inspectionDrake's work betrays a myriad of international,cosmopolitan influences and approaches thatseem to confound his status as the archetypalEnglish troubadour.

Reviews

"Wiseman-Trowse analyses what [Nick Drake's] Englishness consists of: the sense of wistfulness and melancholy, the strain of romanticism, and the pastoral landscapes evoked by his melodies and lyrics, as well as the solitary, contemplative images of Drake used for album covers and publicity shots. . . . It's an astute analysis, and an evocative reminder of the handful (fewer than 40) of beautiful, delicate songs Drake left us."-- "Independent on Sunday"

Author Bio

Nathan Wiseman-Trowse is Senior Lecturer in Popular Culture at the University of Northampton. He has published work on the performance of class in British popular music, the music and writing of Nick Cave and the graphic novels of Alan Moore.