Book Review: Mark Brend “Down River: In Search of David Ackles”

Brend’s detailed and passionate evaluation sheds light on one of the great maverick talents of popular music.

David Ackles’ recording career lasted barely six years, yielding just four albums. Of those four albums, his third, “American Gothic”, released in 1972, received plaudits from the musical press rarely witnessed before or since, declaring it to be “the Sgt Pepper of folk” and one of the greatest records ever made. Should this information come as news to you, don’t despair; it will to most, for despite the fanfare and accolades from everyone from Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Jim O’Rourke and Elvis Costello, the album, like its two predecessors, along with the one that followed, failed to sell, resigning Ackles to the footnotes of popular music, never to record another album.

Music historian, journalist, novelist, and musician, Mark Brend, first publicly declared his passion for the music of Ackles in 1998, whilst working as a journalist for ‘Mojo’ magazine’s ‘Buried Treasure’ feature that focused on Ackles’ eponymous debut album, which saw the light of day in 1968. Now, within the pages of “Down River – In Search Of David Ackles”, he has set about unravelling the myth and the mystique of Ackles’, and better understand the disconnect between his obvious talents and his commercial failure, through to his perceived vanishing act and beyond. Though the book is, in essence, a biography, Brend is at pains to emphasise that it is by no means comprehensive; many of the loose ends eventually became dead ends, as he has thankfully resisted the temptation to fill any gaps with too much conjecture or speculation. Instead, his narrative directs the attention to the process of searching for this missing cult figure, and trying to make sense of the musical journey of an artist revered by almost all who heard his songs, rather than simply telling a life story.

Throughout this excellent read, Brend’s writing betrays a keen eye for detail, particularly around Ackles’ six-year recording period, where he meticulously dissects song structures, analyses narrative storylines, and recording techniques, whilst acknowledging the numerous musical collaborations. Despite earlier claims, Brend has uncovered enough of Ackles’ early years to enable the reader to become familiar with the youthful experiences and passions that would help mould the fledgling artist. From his time as a child actor, and his Presbyterian upbringing that would prove a constant guide throughout his life, to his enthusiasm for Broadway Musicals and in particular musical theatre, mirrored against his total lack of interest for rock ‘n’ roll, all of which would eventually see him evolve into a songwriter unlike any that pop culture had seen before or after. Brend’s undoubted admiration for Ackle’s output does not cloud his judgment, reappraising his work objectively, using the advantage of hindsight to better understand the commercial shortcomings, which proves both refreshing and illuminating. Key to this is recognising that, despite his unique talent, Ackles was much more an actor and playwright than a singer-songwriter, creating songs like one-act plays or short stories in the manner of an author or dramatist. This trait became more pronounced with each passing album, which inevitably would leave him musically on the fringe of everything and belonging to nothing. Forever out of step with fashion and the music industry.

The latter chapters of “Down River” focus on Ackles’ life after his recording career, revealing how music never left him; it just took a different path, possibly the path he was always meant to travel, back to his first love, that of musical theatre. During the final pages, Brend considers the dubious possibility of Ackles achieving similar posthumous recognition as Nick Drake and Judee Sill, drawing comparisons, before reluctantly concluding that within the mythmaking of the popular music industry and the fickleness of fame and cult status, Ackles was never, and never will be, a name to drop. He was never a misunderstood rock star, nor a tortured soul waiting to be discovered; he was just a genuinely nice guy; his music was just a little too challenging for mass consumption.

In a perfect world, one would hope that “Down River” could be the catalyst for introducing a new audience to the talent of David Ackles. However, the likely reality is that Brend’s excellent book will probably suffer the same fate as those four albums, being loved by those of us who already worship at the shrine, whilst remaining aesthetically off-kilter with mainstream popular culture. Regardless of its commercial fate, Brend has produced a book more than worthy of the maverick genius that was David Ackles.

Mark Brend’s “Down River – In Search Of David Ackles” is available to purchase from the 1st August UK & 19th August USA.