Artist: Scott Walker
A sad and fond farewell to one of my favorite voices, and to one of the most fascinating and enigmatic 'pop' stars ever to be set upon by a throng of screaming teens. Born in 1943 in Hamilton, Ohio (it really IS close to Cincinnati!), Scott found fame in England with his adopted Walker Brothers, then eventually set out on his own and had several more hits from his first three solo albums. This one, as you may have already guessed, is his third, released in 1969.
Most crooners tend to mellow as they get older, swept aside by the tide of change, struggling to keep an audience. Scott, on the other hand, became more tuned in, seemingly less concerned about the commercial popularity of his music with each passing decade. His output dwindled in the '80s and '90s as his creations became more experimental. In the mid-2000s he signed with the British 4AD label (my favorite, you know) and began producing stuff like this. It's brilliant, but about as far from the lights of Cincinnati as one could possibly get.
You can read all about Scott Walker's career on Wikipedia here, and go here to read his obituary in The Guardian. There's also a 2006 documentary called "Scott Walker: 30th Century Man" that I highly recommend if you'd like to learn more.
Most crooners tend to mellow as they get older, swept aside by the tide of change, struggling to keep an audience. Scott, on the other hand, became more tuned in, seemingly less concerned about the commercial popularity of his music with each passing decade. His output dwindled in the '80s and '90s as his creations became more experimental. In the mid-2000s he signed with the British 4AD label (my favorite, you know) and began producing stuff like this. It's brilliant, but about as far from the lights of Cincinnati as one could possibly get.
You can read all about Scott Walker's career on Wikipedia here, and go here to read his obituary in The Guardian. There's also a 2006 documentary called "Scott Walker: 30th Century Man" that I highly recommend if you'd like to learn more.
[ January 9, 1943 — March 22, 2019 ]
We will miss you, Scott.
No comments:
Post a Comment