Much in the way of Towns Van Zandt’s Be Here To Love Me and The Devil and Daniel Johnston, Scott Walker’s musical journey and life story are the perfect fodder for a documentary film. Scott Walker: 30 Century Man ([TMT Review->http://www.tinymixtapes.com/Scott-Walker-30th-Century-Man]) is that documentary, and critical acclaim suggests it to be on par with the aforementioned pictures. Although the film features some high-profile Walker fans such as David Bowie, Brian Eno, Jarvis Cocker, and Radiohead, this particular compilation represents a musical tribute by artists who, though equally influenced by and enthusiastic about Walker, aren’t necessarily as widely known and don’t appear in the film. "[This is] not a soundtrack," director (and producer of this collection) Stephen Kijak says in the liner notes, "but an extension of the work I started with the documentary." Handpicked by Kijak, each track on this record represents the efforts of longtime fans lovingly reinterpreting the material of a man who’s touched them all with his eccentric, underrated body of work.
The versions here are wide and varied, though Walker's late-’60s solo work seems to be the most popular to cover. Seeing as this period marked one of pure Scott Walker gold, this is no surprise. Overall, many of the contributors strip their chosen songs of the over-the-top orchestration to reveal more introspective and personal takes. Performed by Peter Broderick and Damon & Naomi respectively, the hushed, simple, indie-folk versions of “Duchess” and “The World’s Strongest Man,” two songs from Walker’s first solo album of all original material (1969's Scott 4), are fine examples of how at their core, Walker’s compositions from this period have a sense of beauty, fragility, and longing.
There are a few adventurous choices from his sporadic, avant-garde output, which would encompass the late-’70s to present. Laurie Anderson takes on 1978’s “The Electrician” from Nite Flights, his last album with The Walker Brothers after reuniting with them a few years earlier to little commercial success. This song foreshadows the direction that his songwriting would eventually head, and Anderson (unsurprisingly) doesn’t shy away from the eeriness factor. You have to hand it to Saint Etienne for choosing “Manhattan” from Walker’s 1995 masterpiece Tilt, his first album after 1984’s Climate of the Hunter. Interestingly, Saint Etienne’s Bob Stanley wrote some liner notes for its 2006 reissue, though nobody chooses to cover it for this collection. For a band better known for ’60s-influenced dance pop, Saint Etienne manage to make the song sound accessible without losing its dark undertones.
Whereas many tribute albums are wrought with missteps and throwaways, this whole collection is solid with very few exceptions. Nicole Atkins' take on “The Seventh Seal” comes across a bit heavy-handed, and Dot Allison’s “Montague Terrace (In Blue)” sounds as anemic as most of her other work. But these slight (and still quite listenable) disappointments are far outweighed by the surprises, such as Ulrich Schnauss’ breezy, electronically-enhanced “It’s Raining Today” and former Swans member Jarboe’s chillingly spot-on rendition of “A Lover Loves” from Walker’s most recent (and by far most challenging) album, 2006’s The Drift.
If the quality of an artist’s work can be ascertained by how their material is reinterpreted by fans and fellow artists, then this long-overdue collection does a fine job of hinting at Scott Walker’s underrated genius.
1. Peter Broderick – Duchess
2. Sally Norvell – Big Louise
3. Damon & Naomi – The World’s Strongest Man
4. Saint Etienne – Manhattan
5. Laurie Anderson – The Electrician
6. Nicole Atkins – The Seventh Seal
7. Dot Allison – Montague Terrace (In Blue)
8. Bee & Flower – The Bridge
9. Stephanie Dosen – Rhymes Of Goodbye
10. Ulrich Schnauss – It’s Raining Today
11. Jarobe – A Lover Loves
12. Little Annie & Paul Wallfisch – Such A Small Love
More about: Various Artists: Lakeshore
