It’s hard to imagine it’s taken this long for someone to write well about someone like Scott Walker. There’s been a handful of critical biographies here and there — fellow musician Anthony Reynolds published The Impossible Dream a few years ago and Scott’s brother John published a tell-all (that Scott didn’t participate in) — but it’s strange to think a Scott Walker solo LP has yet to be the subject of a 33 1/3 series entry. It’s infinitely stranger that Walker’s splendid, troubled solo oeuvre has yet to be raked over the critical coals by the likes of Griel Marcus, Richard Meltzer, or Nick Tosches. Stephen Kijack’s 2008 film Scott Walker: 30th Century Man was a stimulating distraction (and not a shitty flick by any means) but Orion Books and The Wire have finally decided to give Walker his long overdue spot on the critical shelf.
May 17 brings us No Regrets: Writings on Scott Walker (Amazon claims a US edition is due August 15), the first critical compendium of collected writings on Scott Walker, from young heartthrob to “serious” solo musician. The new book (also available as an ebook for those who’ve given up on “physical” books because they’re so last century) will include two older pieces from The Wire archives, an interview transcript from 2006, and a feature from 1995, and will be edited by The Wire regular Rob Young. The book will also feature essays from 30th Century Man director Kijak as well as Damon Krukowksi, Nina Power, David Stubbs, David Toop, Anthony Reynolds, Ian Penman, and Wire contributors Biba Kopf and Derek Walmsley. Walker is rumored to currently be working on a new LP for 4AD as well as an opera score, so stay tuned to this channel kiddies!
• Scott Walker: http://4ad.com/artists/scottwalker
• The Wire: http://www.thewire.co.uk
• Orion Books: http://www.orionbooks.co.uk