Scott Walker and the Song of the One-All-Alone

Description

Scott Walker and the Song of the One-All-Alone offers, in detailed interpretative commentaries of his best songs, a sustained assessment of the work and career of Scott Walker, one of the most significant and perplexing artists of the late 20th and 21st century. For Brian Eno, Walker was not only a great composer and a superlative lyricist but also a significant contemporary poet. Marc Almond goes further, 'an absolute musical genius, existential and intellectual and a star right from the days of The Walker Brothers'. As Almond suggests, Walker's work is marked by a continual engagement with existentialist philosophy informing his approach to art, politics and life. In particular, the device of the solitary figure or 'one-all-alone' evoked in his songs provides the basis for his lyrical exploration of the singularity of existence – in all its darkness as well as light. Through following his own path, Walker arrived at a unique sound according to his own method that produced a genuinely new form of song. Looking closely at these songs, this book also considers the wider political implications of his approach in its rejection of external authorities and common or consensual ideals. Title Page Copyright Page Contents Introduction The existentialist pop star Method and meditation: Tilting Camus Clara (Benito’s Dream) (2006) The song of the one-all-alone Structure Zero ‘SDSS14+13B (Zercon, A Flagpole Sitter)’ (2012) ‘The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore’ (1966) The x-humanism of existentialism ‘Archangel’ (1966) Sartre’s body-event ‘The Cockfighter’ (1995) One-missing ‘Narcissus in Metamorphosis’ ‘Orpheus’ (1967) Kierkegaard, Jacques Brel and the sensual erotic ‘Jackie’ (1967) ‘If You Go Away’ (1969) Simone de Beauvoir and the woman who doesn’t exist Big Louise (1969) ‘The Electrician’ (1978) ‘Sleepwalkers Woman’ (1984) One Cinema and politics: The death of Pasolini ‘Farmer in the City’ (1995) Arendt and the totalitarianism of the isolated being The torment of the listener ‘Bolivia 95’ (1995) ‘Patriot (a Single)’ (1995) ‘Face on Breast’ (1995) ‘Tilt’ (1995) ‘Jesse (September song)’ (2006) ‘Jesse’ and the last man Soundtracks The Childhood of the Leader (2016) Foucault and the bureaucratic personality ‘The Day the “Conducator” Died (An Xmas Song)’ (2012) Swarm Kafka and the halo of locust ‘Bouncer See Bouncer … ’ (1995) Science and metaphysics ‘Pilgrim’ (2012) Heidegger and the ‘holy’ ‘Cue (Flugleman)’ (2006) From divine inexistence to ex-sistence ‘Psoriatic’ (2006) The great woman artist ‘Hand Me Ups’ (2006) Anamnestic soundscapes ‘Corps de Blah’ (2012) ‘Dimple’ (2012) Clarise Lispector and the joyful souls of insects ‘Epizootics!’ (2012) One-all-alone Fatal audition ‘Lullaby (By-By-By)’ (1999) The a-tone-all-alone Is Scott Walker a poet in a destitute time? ‘A Lover Loves’ (2006) One Swarm Notes References Select discography The Walker Brothers – albums: Scott Walker – singles: Scott Walker – EPs: Scott Walker – albums: Scott Walker – soundtracks: Scott Walker – selected compilations: Index