Where does one start with enigmatic crooner Scott Walker? His impressive career is incredibly difficult to summarize in a simple blogpost, but here’s a basic overview.
The handsome baritone balladeer started his career in a Righteous Brothers-esque trio called the Walker Brothers (none of them brothers, natch) that briefly threatened the Beatles in popularity and at the height of their British Invasion-era fame, he quit and started an esoteric solo career that made him a deeply-respected cult figure, but unknown to the populace at large. Walker melded Sinatra, Spaghetti-Westerns, grand Phil-Spector-esque orchestral production into something romantically dark and deeply rich and unique (Walker’s music became more challenging as time progressed; venturing into the abstract and sometimes bordering on the unlistenable).
Known as one of the most reclusive and mysterious figures in rock, Walker hibernated and disappeared for many extended periods of time (including hiding out in monasteries to study chanting) poking his head above sand only to infrequently produce records, release a rare album (between 1974 and 2006 he released a scant 4 proper full-lengths; 2004’s The Drift was his first in 11 years) and scoring the not-too-occasional soundtracks (the film “Pola X“). In 2003, U.K. magazine, Q, gave Walker a British achievement award only bestowed twice before (to Brian Eno and Phil Spector).
Having had its North American premiere at SXSW and playing at the upcoming Tribeca Film Festival, the documentary, “Scott Walker: 30 Century Man” looks to shed some light on his near legendary inscrutability (director Stephen Kijak seems to have scored some unprecedented access to the singer, now well into his ’60s).
Well-adored in the music snob community, the film is filled with A-list testimonials from admirers like David Bowie (an executive producer and longtime enthusiast), Brian Eno, Johnny Marr, Damon Albarn, Radiohead, Jarvis Cocker (Walker produced Pulp ‘s 2001 disc, “We Love Life”), Sting, the Cocteau Twins’ Simon Raymonde, Soft Cell’s Marc Almond, Richard Hawley, Ute Lemper (Walker wrote cabaret songs for her) and more.
As huge Walker fans we couldn’t be more excited. Here’s hoping the film gets a regular theatrical release soon.
“Scott Walker: 30 Century Man” Trailer:
Scott Walker “Mathilde” (written by Jacques Brel and introduced by Dusty Springfield)
Download: “Funeral Tango” (mp3)
Download: “Black Sheep Boy” (mp3)
