I was listening to Climate of the Hunter last night and was thinking how wicked the drums sound on Track Three and found that the album was produced by Peter Walsh, who, also produced New Gold Dream- which also has incredible drum production…then…I see that he started out by being the assistant producer on the unequalled Penthouse and Pavement. Anyways, I never heard of the guy before but found this nice SOS piece on his work with Scott Walker, as he produced all of those indescribable later albums of his Tilt, Soused, etc…
I am a huge Scott Walker fan, he’s always had brilliant engineering on his albums and his output with Walsh is a landmark for sound design and overall production. I wish I liked the songs themselves as much as I love their production value, though. I’m all up for experimentation but he took things too far in the end - for my taste, of course.
I’ve watched his documentary more times than I’m allowed to confess without being taken to a mental institution, to be honest. Such an interesting thing to watch! I don’t know if it’s available anywhere for streaming at the moment, but I believe it should be easy to find and there’s a lot of studio footage where you can see how some of those things happened. It doesn’t seem like the musicians liked working with Scott as much as he believes, though
I would like to see that- didn’t know it existed. Although, often after I watch a documentary on a musician I respect I sort of wish I didn’t. But… Scott Walker is such an interesting weirdo…
I pretty much feel the same way about those albums aside from a track or two on each which I find to be amazing songs, like Tilt, Track Three, The Electrician… etc.
Just checked and see that it’s available to rent on Amazon.
Most of New Gold Dream apparently used 2 drummers facing each other, its a great album. Brian had left & they were using 2 session drummers I think, one of them being Mel Gaynor who became the permanent replacement drummer. That’s how I remember it now anyway.
Walsh also did China Crisis’s debut album, which isn’t their best album but African & White is excellent.
That’s interesting. The drums somehow manage to sound both “synthy” and tribal at the same time. Never heard China Crisis before. What would you say is their best album?
Flaunt the imperfection their 3rd, produced by Walter Becker. It’s very happy music.
I loved it when it was released & still do, it’s an album that just makes me happy most music I love tends to be melancholy or moody, so this is not my usual, here we go magic are in the category too.
That is feel good music. Not the headspace I am in at the moment but will hit it up when the mood strikes or when I need a Scott Walker palette cleaning.
Lol, yeah totally understand, it’s not where I’m at either atm. I’m pretty obsessed with a Argentinian band called Fin Del Mundo, it’s been going on for a while now
China Crisis are known for being easy listening but intelligent pop.
Oh, I like this. Sounds like something Matador would of considered signing in 1999 and not in the very the vanilla way of something like Men I Trust. The guitars are a bit Sonic Youthy at time.
Nice! Yeah, I think the Sonic Youth similarities is down to the excellent guitar interplays, sometimes a group of musicians are meant to be together & I reckon that’s the case. The journey from the 1st EP to the 2nd sows some great progress considering it’s all been self produced/released so far. The other band they remind me of is iliketrains, especially the earlier/mid stuff.
FDM have really drawn me in, there’s a lot of emotion in their stuff. I think they need an indie label to pick them up, I thought maybe Bella Union would be a good fit. Matador would have been perfect!
Gonna have to revisit all of that once I break free from the wormhole that is Scott Walker. I ordered a copy of Tilt today as it seemed to of disappeared from streaming services.
Sometimes I wonder if Mark Hollis and Scott Walker were ever in contact with each other. They seemed like spiritual soulmates and died the same year, a few years ago. I like to imagine that there is this large collection of letters between the two of them like that of Oscar Wilde and Alfred Douglas, or something…
I’m a huge. Fan. of late Scott albums. Tilt and Drift especially. It’s such ‘studio’ production for such odd songs. Every sound entity is clearly defined against a kind of slick black vinyl, an impenetrable silence. Dunno how it’s done. Assume great technical skills, equipment and rooms?
That is a good descriptive. Scott Walker’s impenetrable silence is some of the most menacing silence ever recorded. Scott Walker drags you through hell and peppers in silence like shards of some black mirror to the soul. That Bish Bosh record though, I dunno but I find suuuun or however you spell that band rather annoying.
I don’t think Bisch Bosch is as good, has its moments. I quite like the Sunnnmmnn o))))) album though. It doesn’t have the same sonic variety as Scott albums but a few bangers on there. It’s a bit ironic that the doom band makes for a lighter listen than a regular Scott joint.
Bolivia ‘95 though, I was interested to see that get a mention in the Walsh interview. It’s been a favourite of mine for a while. Sounds live (that fretless bass!), apparently was live, still has the obsidian backdrop.
Those albums have a lot of great bass moments. I also like the guitar solo on Track Three but can’t help to wonder what it would sound like if it were Fripped.
By all means, watch it. I don’t think it’s that kind of documentary anyway because the guy was so secretive and the director manages to maintain that aura even when they reveal quite a few things that felt like well-guarded secrets at the time…you won’t regret it, I think. As a creative person, I watch it occasionally and it recharges my batteries in an odd way.
The Electrician is peak Scott Walker to me. How do you write something like that - I have no idea. And getting those performances right and making everything sound that way? Peter Walsh doesn’t get the credit he deserves.
Yeah, the documentary doesn’t really dispel any mystique for me. A lot of it’s about earlier stuff. It’s a good backgrounder doco but doesn’t dive deep into the creative drivers of Scott’s work IMHO.
@ballener0 I watched 30th Century Man last night. I see what you mean about recharging your batteries, it was very inspiring. The review below does a good job of describing the feeling I got from the interviews with Walker, he had a real sweetness about him and it’s one of the few documentaries on an artist that I can recall that made me appreciate the artist more afterwards without dispelling any mystique, as you mentioned @brisket. Anyways, really happy I watched it and am going to try and get my girlfriend to watch it again with me tonight.
I expected him to be cryptic and stand-offish, or angry and brooding. As it turned out, he was sincere, forthcoming and deeply self-critical, but without a trace of anger. He comes off as a perfectionist and a profoundly pensive person, and that shapes our understanding of his music.
edit: I looked up this interview I read a while ago but must of missed his mention Burial.
Some of the dark atmospherics on the album made me think of the more ambient end of dubstep. To what extent do you k.eep up with new music, say for example, on the Hyperdub label?
SW: I know Burial. I know all that stuff. I try and keep up with so much stuff, whether it’s Burial or a hit record off the radio.
most music I love tends to be melancholy or moody, so this is not my usual, here we go magic are in the category too.