Monday, March 30, 2009

If This Song Is Prophetic We Are In Trouble

This group, were according to no less a man than Thom Yorke, one of the main influences and reference points for a developing Radiohead (when the moved from being destined to be the greatest rock band of the nineties to becoming the voice of a generation). Scott Walker (originally Engel) is an enigma of popular music (popular music not meant with its usual derogatory connotations) and disappeared for a number from the recording arena for a number of years. This song probably didn't influence the epic Kid A as some of his later work did, but it still is a stone-wall classic from the sixties.

Amazing voice, superb lyrics and a base-line that can only be described as quality. It seems to cause a flow of sixties images in my mind at least. As a result I think I'm going to relax and chill out to the Walker Brothers and the optimistically entitled The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore..


6 comments:

En2me said...

Ive never heard of the Walker Brothers! Somebodys been watching a Radiohead interview i havnt seen. Must have been with Dave Fanning, only he is capable of asking a decent question. As for the Music Phone thing, i hate anybody younger than me, its a fair policy. "My Poker Face, MMMMYYYY PPPPPOOOKKKEERERR fffffaaaceece" Bollox to that

Neil said...

Damn right, bollox to that!!!!! As for Dave Fanning only asking decent questions you are correct. But I think it was a BBC 4 Scott Walker documentary that I saw that on, then again I could be making it up. I once believed Ryan Seachrest was actually Cody from Baywatch....

Some Chilean Woman said...

I've heard this song in Spanish! I'm going to have to do some searching, it's going to bug me if I don't find it!

Neil said...

Hmmm, I hope that searching is of the legal variety. Very ethical on this site... very ethical, its like Fair Trade music around here

Stan said...

The Walker Brothers were almost as big as the Beatles for a while, then they fell by the wayside. Scott wasn't cut out for fame and idolatry. His temperament was more like Jacques Brel's than Paul McCartney's, and indeed he recorded a lot of Brel covers before finding more confidence in his own songs.

His first four solo albums (Scott 1, 2, 3, 4) were minor classics, perennial favourites in many a student bedsit and a pretty big influence on the likes of Jarvis Cocker, Neil Hannon, maybe even Bowie. Later albums were much more experimental, so much so that they didn't sound like anything anyone else was doing. I love them, but unlike the late-1960s albums they're definitely not easy listening. If you're gonna get into him, start with the early stuff.

Neil said...

Yeah he went a bit off the rails alright after the heydays of the sixties. His earlier stuff is supposedly far more accessible alright, the same could be said for the Radiohead. The recommendations are appreciated and if I can find em shall be purchased post-haste from my local record store!