Various Artists, Music Inspired By the Film Scott Walker: 30 Century Man

By Noreen Sobczyk

This compilation is culled from covers of the many high quality songs in the Scott Walker catalog. If one wants an emotive, theatrical, “over the top” vocal, inherent to Scott Walker’s delivery—they would do better with the genuine article. On the flip side, if Walker’s show-tune-meets-cabaret delivery is too dramatic for your liking, then this compilation is an excellent way to enjoy these beautiful songs.

Sally Norvell delivers a lovely version of “Big Louise” with stark piano notes which largely succeeds, but lines such as “her bathrobe is torn/and tears smudge her lipstick” lack the mournful quality which emanates so effortlessly from Walker’s version. Norwell’s smoky but smooth female voice is complemented by the sound of late night cabaret piano strains. But when she sings lines like “She’s a haunted house,” you don’t really believe her. Maybe “she” might be more of a grade-school-carnival-haunted-house marshmallow Kleenex ghost, with your neighbor’s mom dressed as Elvira serving Kool Aid blood punch. Norwell does, however, create a mood of isolation—so appropriate for the song’s character, Louise.

“Montague Terrace (In Blue),” performed by Dot Allison, has a great arrangement with lush instrumentation, including what sounds like a hammered dulcimer. However, her delivery lacks some of the subtle yet detectable bitterness of the song’s main character. “Rhymes of Goodbye” by Stephanie Dosen has an ethereal quality; think second stage at Lilith Fair. Or better yet, something from the Celtic vocal invasion compilation craze of the late ’90s. Truth be told, most of the performances here are extremely subdued. Nicole Atkins delivers her own twist to “The Seventh Seal” mustering a very sixties vibe, like something played by the house band in the background of an exploitation film. If nothing else it’s the most perky of the bunch.

The main exception to the compilation’s overall subtlety is the darkly dramatic Jarboe, who performs in her typical fashion. I hoped against hope that she would remove the “Psst” sounds from “A Lover Loves”, as they have always irritated me, but she has somehow managed to make them even more grating. It’s the musical equivalent of Gothic nails on a chalkboard. That’s too bad, because she otherwise does an excellent job, and creates a haunting mood. But the worst of the lot is “It’s Raining Today,” reworked by Ulrich Schnauss. The dispassionate, driving electronic beat travels aimlessly and arrives nowhere of particular interest. Only Laurie Anderson contributes the needed atmosphere to her wonderfully reworked version of “The Electrician.” It’s almost like a musical version of film noir—shadowy and mysterious, and gorgeous. It’s a gem and will hopefully find an audience via this release.

This album is available from Lakeshore Records via Amazon.com.