Scott Walker RIP

[never/ever]

...passed away today.


4AD reports



It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Scott Walker. Scott was 76 years old and is survived by his daughter, Lee, his granddaughter, Emmi-Lee, and his partner Beverly.

For half a century, the genius of the man born Noel Scott Engel has enriched the lives of thousands, first as one third of The Walker Brothers, and later as a solo artist, producer and composer of uncompromising originality.

Scott Walker has been a unique and challenging titan at the forefront of British music: audacious and questioning, he has produced works that dare to explore human vulnerability and the godless darkness encircling it: https://4ad.com/news/959

[Penk!]

Sad news.

Not a major personal hero for me the way he was for some, but I enjoyed a lot of music from both phases of his career and have a lot of respect and admiration for his singular approach and commitment to exploring his art.

[Geezee]

BBC

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-47691705

[never/ever]

Several news reports including this

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/ ... SApp_Other

[Loki]

Oh dear.


RIP

[The Modernist]

https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2014/mar/05/10-of-the-best-scott-walker

The Guardian have done a good job with this, which picks some of the essential songs and makes a good job of representing all his career. I won't pretend to like the last few albums, but they were an important part of what he did.

[Charlie O.]

I won't pretend to like the last few albums, but they were an important part of what he did.

Yeah, one couldn't help but admire him for that work even if one didn't care to listen to it all that much.

I was just thinking about him and his music about four hours ago, before I hit the hay. I won't attach any great cosmic significance to that fact, as it happens not-infrequently. The man was a hero, no question.

R.I.P.

[Deebank]

"Experimental pop hero"
There are worse things to have been.
Sad news RIP Scott.
I can't claim to be a big fan but I like Soused a lot and the world is a far less interesting place without him.

[algroth]

This makes me extremely sad. R.I.P., experimental pop hero indeed.

[Geezee]

He's the definition of divisive, among music fans, isn't he? Rarely come across anyone who generates such extreme reactions, including on here. Put a song of his on your BCB list at your peril.

Real shame, him and Mark Hollis in such a short period of time - some really great crooners up there in space right now.

[`]

Never a massive fan of him after the four Scott albums from the late 60s and the Walker Bros reunion in the mid-70s, but you had to respect the single- (bloody-?) mindedness of his vision and how he pursued it.

RIP Mr Walker

[George P. Smackers]

His continuing to experiment made him seem young, which makes this a bit more jarring than some other 76-year-old's death.

I love his stuff from every period. And putting the whole career together makes a pretty astounding picture. There are the wildly different phases, from teen heartthrob to meat-whacking avant-gardist. But it's all oddly consistent. The haunted quality of the late weirdo material is already there in "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Any More."

He meant much more to me than, say, David Bowie. Actually the list of people he meant more to me than is extremely long.

[ChrisB]

Never a massive fan of him after the four Scott albums from the late 60s and the Walker Bros reunion in the mid-70s, but you had to respect the single- (bloody-?) mindedness of his vision and how he pursued it.

RIP Mr Walker

My sentiments as well. However, the voice was still magnificent .....rich, controlled and like liquid honey.

[Your Friendly Neighbourhood Postman]

His continuing to experiment made him seem young, which makes this a bit more jarring than some other 76-year-old's death.

I love his stuff from every period. And putting the whole career together makes a pretty astounding picture. There are the wildly different phases, from teen heartthrob to meat-whacking avant-gardist. But it's all oddly consistent. The haunted quality of the late weirdo material is already there in "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Any More."

He meant much more to me than, say, David Bowie. Actually the list of people he meant more to me than is extremely long.

A fine, heartfelt tribute to Scott Walker -

since I can't put it any better, I'd simply like to say: I fully agree with mr. George P. Smackers.

[Jimbly]

I loved it all.

Thanks For Chicago Mr. Engel

[GoogaMooga]

Huge loss, very sad news. We lose so many, but Scott Walker is just one who hits you very hard. He meant a lot to me, and even more to Zilth Pilchards, who can't get it weird enough. Walker Brothers had a tremendous run, and the cycle of albums, Scott 1-4, just as good. Towards the end he was just too out there for me, something like Tilt, but you gotta admire the man for his uncompromising stance. And he wrote a short, delicate song for Scott 3 called Copenhagen. For that alone, we Danes owe him a lot: ‘Copenhagen, you’re the end, gone and made me a child again’. RIP Scott Walker

[borofan]

His continuing to experiment made him seem young, which makes this a bit more jarring than some other 76-year-old's death.

I love his stuff from every period. And putting the whole career together makes a pretty astounding picture. There are the wildly different phases, from teen heartthrob to meat-whacking avant-gardist. But it's all oddly consistent. The haunted quality of the late weirdo material is already there in "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Any More."

He meant much more to me than, say, David Bowie. Actually the list of people he meant more to me than is extremely long.

A fine, heartfelt tribute to Scott Walker -

since I can't put it any better, I'd simply like to say: I fully agree with mr. George P. Smackers.

As do I.

[The Fish]

He meant a LOT more to me than David Bowie

Sad news indeed. Agree the later stuff is heavy going but I'll certainly happily listen to Climate of Hunter and Tilt

[The Fish]

I'll be in L.A first week in May so I'll have a chance to discuss the genius of Scott Walker with Matt Wilson.

This may involve the use of blunt instruments.

[Ranking Ted]

He's the definition of divisive, among music fans, isn't he? Rarely come across anyone who generates such extreme reactions, including on here. Put a song of his on your BCB list at your peril.

Real shame, him and Mark Hollis in such a short period of time - some really great crooners up there in space right now.

I’ve enthused about his genius on here many times - his peak, for me, 1-4 and the contemporaneous likes of Archangel through Time Operator to as late as The Electrician - reaches depths of resonance few ‘pop’ artists have ever matched. Sadly, Mark Hollis is probably one you could make a case for.