30th Century Man

Blogging has recently become less feasible at work. Work has been rough since our staff became so scarce. Nevertheless, I will try to be a little more conscientious about blogging.

This weekend I finally got to watch the documentary Scott Walker: 30th Century Man which I had been anticipating since some time in 2007. For those not familiar with Scott Walker, he is a singer/songwriter/producer/musician extraordinaire. His career blossomed in the 60s when he was part of the popular boy band The Walker Brothers whose hits "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" and "Make It Easy On Yourself" made him an international star. Later he went solo, releasing 4 consecutive albums on which he began to write his own music which explored increasingly darker subject matter and existential themes. He then sort of disappeared from the music scene, appearing sporadically in the 70s and 80s. He has since produced abstract, intense solo albums that are considered at once avant-garde, difficult and transcendent. Significant pop musicians such as David Bowie (who executive produced this documentary), Brian Eno, Radiohead and most every other British musician with chops cites Walker as an influence.

I heard about Scott Walker about 8 or 9 years ago. Since then I've collected a number of his albums. I'm not so fond of the newer stuff (it's tough to take, very strong), but I adore the dark romanticism of the 60s solo albums. I also love the Walker Brothers and their fusion of 60s pop with a big orchestral sound. Heck, I even enjoyed Walker's soundtrack for the French film Pola X, a film so strange and unique that it deserves a blog post of its own here sometime.

The thing that captivates so many about Scott Walker is that he spent such a long time out of the spotlight and away from any semblance of "celebrity" that he's become a figure that's shrouded in mystery. He does very few interviews and very little is known about his private life. However, the music makes the man and this documentary focuses solely on Walker's music career, from the beginning to the present and it does a remarkable job of delving into Walker's process and product. I fully expected 30th Century Man to be simply a series of interviews with co-workers, peers and disciples. For some reason, I didn't expect Walker himself to be involved in the film at all, given his undeserved reputation as a J.D. Salinger-esque type recluse. However, much to my delight, the filmmakers interviewed Walker rather extensively and even captured footage of him working in the studio. Walker was about 63 years old when they shot the film, and he looks and sounds incredible. He's much more relaxed and casual than I had imagined, and he speaks candidly of his music both past and present. Yes, his recent music is crazy and pushes the envelope of music as art, but the guy doesn't cut a freakish figure at all. In fact, he seems like a really lovely fellow!

I'm so pleased that 30th Century Man finally has gotten its DVD release. Now Scott Walker fans like myself will gain a new perspective on the music and perhaps he'll gain some new fans as well. Though the film avoids delving into Walker's personal life, it's an insightful and often inspiring look into Walker's musical genius.