Scott Walker is a Badass

I always find it tremendously satisfying when "teen idols" - the people the entertainment industry puts forth as pinnacles of normalcy and mass appeal - become slightly warped. I don't take as much pleasure from those who end up as truly screwed-up individuals - it's a little disturbing, for example, to think of how many belt-beatings it took to turn Michael Jackson into the thing he is now - rather, I derive most of my satisfaction from those whose artistic intentions become more subversive in time. I suppose the best modern example would be Justin Timberlake. To call his work with *NSYNC tripe would be a gross understatement. Yet, all of his boy-band sins were forgiven the moment he appeared with his dick in a box on SNL.

The ultimate example of such a figure, however, is Scott Walker. In the mid-60s, Walker was a member of the Walker Brothers, a pop group whose zenith of popularity in Britain rivaled that of the Beatles. With Scott as their lead singer, the Walker Brothers charted their biggest hit with "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore":





Subsequently, Walker grew tired of the teen pop scene and began recording his own solo records. These records (particularly the first four - Scott 1, 2, 3, and 4) are extraordinarily unique, combining bombastic arrangements, Scott's crooning voice, and often bizarre subjects. The example I am providing is "The Seventh Seal," the first track off of Scott 4 (considered by many - me included - to be his finest record). The song is a reference to the classic Ingmar Bergman film of the same name, and the lyrics are essentially a plot summary.

The Seventh Seal