Scott Walker. Maybe not a name people know much today but when he first started out in the 60’s as a member of the The Walker Brothers in the UK,they rivaled the mighty Beatles in terms of pure popularity.
Born Noel Scott Engel in Ohio in 1943,he first came to the attention of famed crooner Eddie Fisher in the late 1950s. Walker became one of the musicians to master the electric bass guitar and became in-demand session/studio player.
While the band The Walker Brothers was formed in 1964 in Los Angeles,it was only when they moved to the UK that the band really took off with a bang.
The band had many major hits in UK and the US and produced 3 very well recieved albums before breaking up in 1967.
Following that,Walker recorded many solo albums but never recaptured the original buzz the band had going.
Finally in 1975,the band reunited and released 3 more albums. But the magic was gone and with lukewarm sales,they broke up again 1978.
After that Walker continued to make music but quietly went from the public’s eye. But his music helped influenced many of our greatest singers including David Bowie,Marc Almond and Radiohead.
In 2006,filmaker Stephen Kijak released a documentary about Scott Walker and his 30 years of music. The film was very well reviewed and the soundtrack features a slew of very interesting singers covering some of Scott’s songs.
In listening to this ballad driven album,its easy to see why Walker is so well respected. His songs are warm,dramatic and full of the story.
Standout cuts include Bee and Flower covering “The Bridge” and the very cool Laurie Anderson singing “The Electrican” one of Scott’s most well known songs.
Releasing only 3 albums since 1980 caused Walker’s gift to fade with time with only baby boomer remembering The Walker Brothers’s heyday.
But now a new generation of artists have turned the spotlight back on a truly gifted songwriter. Take the time to re-discover Scott Walker,this soundtrack is a excellent jumping off point.
highly recommended.
