As Ted’s mind was blown by Captain Beefheart (see previous post), I had a similar mind-melt one day in 1990 in SF when someone played me a song called “The Old Man’s Back Again” by a fellow named Scott Walker. ( I discovered Ted is also a Scott fan – so thanks for sharing this space with me.)
The Walker Brothers: “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore”:
Inspiration is the thing, isn’t it? The older we get it seems it is harder to be truly blown apart and transformed by music. Those sorts of transformative spells seem easier to fall under in our youth. But no. Time and time again, I have found that Scott Walker will really mess with someone’s head, with their whole life, as it did with mine. So much so that I went and made a film about him. “Scott Walker – 30 Century Man” is my cinematic mix-tape designed to convert you, to shake you up, and to put the fear of Punched Meat in you (you’ll have to see the film…).
The core thesis was “inspiration”. That first song, recorded (I soon discovered) in 1969, seemed to contain in it the seeds of everything that I loved in music; all that dark, cinematic bliss and mystery – where did he get it and how did Bowie, Ferry, Eno, Marc Almond, Tindersticks, The Smiths, Pulp, Divine Comedy, Radiohead, Goldfrapp and countless others get their hands on it and how has it moved through their lives, their music? But as Scott moved from 60’s orch-crooner to contemporary avant-gardist (this is where the meat punching comes in) the inspirational power he transmits is not just about what singer is copping his croon, but about a very intense and focused dedication to craft, pure and simple.
Scott today: “Jesse” a video created by Graham Wood for the film:
Here is a man who moved through fame and into his ART and has never, ever looked back. That this man found fame and than infamy in the UK while his home-country has all but ignored him (he was born in Hamilton, OH and cut his teeth on the Sunset Strip in the early 60’s) has inspired me to do my damnedest to bring him home, to get America to wake up and take note of one of our great, great musicians, composers, and poets.
Trailer for the film:
(Film starts a limited theatrical on Dec 17th at IFC Center in NYC before moving on to SF and LA and beyond.)
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