The voice of the late Scott Walker is the sound of the sixties, everything that is free, soulful and beautifully constructed. When he sings the world stops turning and you are transported back to that decade. Visions of Mini Coopers, Mini Skirts, Piccadilly Circus and James Bond Films flood the senses.
Those of you unfamiliar with the sound of Scott Walker can try and imagine that it is the place in the road where Jim Morrison and Brian Wilson meet, think of the song 'God Only Knows' sung by The Doors instead of the Beach Boys, a perfect pop song sung with a dark intensity.
Indeed Walkers influence goes beyond that of a conventional artist, he has been cited as highly influential on songwriters such as-Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, Steve Wilson, Thom Yorke, Jarvis Cocker, Neil Hannon and Julian Cope to name just a few.
For a man who was expected to follow the same path as Andy Williams or Frank Sinatra, falling into the superficial mainstream pop of other such crooners, he diverged his creepy sense of orchestral arrangements and focused his career on creating new paths instead of following ones already laid out.
When it comes to deconstructing Walker you find he is one of those rarities in music whose main instrument is his voice, the focus of every track, capturing the intense mood perfectly. With lush strings, drums, horn sections and guitars are always present but harder to reach as the voice is the vehicle the song rides on, everything else is there to promote it.
His split from The Walker Brothers, a bold step as they were at the top of their game, may have been down to him feeling like he was not doing want he had envisioned. The simple pressures of coming up with songs for The Walker Brothers had stunted his own personal creativity ,at one time it is said they had a larger fan base than The Beatles. In September of 1967 ,a little under six months since the last Walker Brothers album,'Images', Scott released his first solo album simply titled 'Scott'.
A critical and commercial success,reaching as high as no number-three on the UK charts, still on the heels of the Walker Brothers success although it would be the following year before it would see a Stateside release under the title ‘The Loner'. The albums varied material has and can be split into three sections, broadway hits, Walkers own compositions and covers of the infamous Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel and here we have the real triumph for Walker.
Brel, who only recorded songs in his own native language, where as Walker was able to acquire the English translation songs before anyone else.
On Walkers following two albums he included another six songs collectively by Brel, always citing him as one of the greatest songwriters on the planet.
The closing Brel penned track on 'Scott' called 'Amsterdam' was recorded and released by David Bowie during his Ziggy period,it is at this point you understand the full influence and impact of this fearless singer,as he both stirred the fearless musical adventures in so many others and gave them a focal point on which to model themselves on,Walker may not have been the biggest selling male solo artist of that decade but perhaps he was the most important.
Kevin Burke March -25th
Today, exactly 29 years ago, Nine Inch Nails released their second single Head Like a Hole!
Today, exactly 29 years ago, Nine Inch Nails released their second single Head Like a Hole (22 March 1990) and bared the NIN catalogue number Halo 3. taken from their debut album Pretty Hate Machine (Halo 2) which was already released in October 1989.
Trent Reznor wrote 'Head like A Hole' already two years before its actual release, after touring with Skinny Puppy in 1988. The song was recorded in 1989 and was co-produced by Adrian Sherwood, Flood, and Keith LeBlanc. Since Flood was pretty occupied with producing Depeche Mode's Violator album at that time, 'Head Like a Hole' became one of the last songs the band finished for their Pretty Hate Machine album.
A music video was shot for the "Clay" remix of this song and was directed by Eric Zimmerman which was later also featured on the Closure VHS video tape (1997). The video got heavy rotation on MTV and helped to fuel NIN's early success. The video was shot at the Exit nightclub (Chicago) and features band members Trent Reznor, Richard Patrick, and Chris Vrenna, as well as guest drummer Martin Atkins performing in a cage
Head Like A Hole became an instant (underground) hit and remains upon today still one of NIN’s main artifacts.
The song was covered by many artists since then, amongst those DEVO and Nu-Metal band Korn
Head Like A Hole - Lyrics
God money I'll do anything for you.
God money just tell me what you want me to
God money nail me up against the wall.
God money don't want everything he wants it all.
No you can't take it
No you can't take it
No you can't take that away from me
No you can't take it
No you can't take it
No you can't take that away from me
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I'd rather die than give you control.
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I'd rather die than give you control.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.
God money's not looking for the cure.
God money's not concerned with the sick among the pure.
God money let's go dancing on the backs of the bruised.
God money's not one to choose
No you can't take it
No you can't take it
No you can't take that away from me
No you can't take it
No you can't take it
No you can't take that away from me
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I'd rather die than give you control.
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I'd rather die than give you control.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve
You're going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I'd rather die than give you control.
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I'd rather die than give you control.
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I'd rather die than give you control.
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I'd rather die than give you control.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.
Songwriters: Trent Reznor
This day thirty-one years ago, The Pixies released their debut long-player, the sublime Surfer Rosa. The very beginning of the postmodernist, alternative rock movement started with the kick drum of ‘Bone Machine’. A deep-drenched surrealistic track of singalong pre-grunge, with former member Kim Deal echoing the direct screamed vocal of Black Francis.
A brutal mix followed with themes from voyeurism to mutilation, all wrapped in sonic bursts of finely constructed melodies. The sound of Surfer Rosa is a cross of-surf-rock, punk, psychedelic-a mixed with torrential noise and the very twisted lyrics. It slapped in the face more taboos than the Velvet Underground. It is no wonder then that The Pixies were the band which would ignite the flames of Nirvana, Blur, Radiohead and The Strokes. They became the most influential band of the nineteen-eighties, in a very short space of time. And Surfer Rosa was where it started.
The magic of Steve Albini (Nirvana, PJ Harvey ) captures perfectly the raw-assault of The Pixies, whilst the song may be simple in construction, the abstract way in their creation makes them further complex.
This is the album which will remain a classic of the twentieth century, The Velvet Underground And Nico movement of modern times.
Original 1988 Track List;
1. “Bone Machine”
2. "Break My Body"
3. "Something Against You"
4. "Broken Face"
5. "Gigantic"
6. "River Euphrates"
7. "Where Is My Mind?"
8. "Cactus"
9. "Tony's Theme"
10. "Oh My Golly!"
11. "Vamos"
12. "I'm Amazed"
13. "Brick Is Red"
Gigantic;
And this I know his teeth as white as snow
What a gas it was to see him
Walk her everyday into a shady place
With her lips she said
She said, "Hey Paul, hey Paul, hey Paul
Let's have a ball
Hey Paul, hey Paul, hey Paul
Let's have a ball
Hey Paul, hey Paul, hey Paul
Let's have a ball"
Gigantic, gigantic, gigantic
A big, big love
Gigantic, gigantic, gigantic
A big, big love
Lovely legs there are
What a big black mass, what a hunk of love
He'll walk her every day into a shady place
Like the dark, but I'd want him
"Hey Paul, hey Paul, hey Paul
Let's have a ball
Hey Paul, hey Paul, hey Paul
Let's have a ball
Hey Paul, hey Paul, hey Paul
Let's have a ball"
Gigantic, gigantic, gigantic
A big, big love
Kevin Burke March 2019
Today it’s been 29 years since Nitzer Ebb released their third studio album Showtime!
Today it’s been exactly 29 years since Nitzer Ebb released their third studio album Showtime on Mute Records (STUMM 72 / 20 March 1990).
Soundwise Showtime balances their trademark aggressively sparse EBM rhythms with a less industrial and slightly more subtle synth-pop approach. The album as a whole has a very cohesive, uniform sound, despite each song being very unique, ranging from the more EBM-like Rope to the almost Industrial-Rock-ish Getting Closer.
Three singles were taken from this album and released separately, 'Lightning Man', 'Fun To Be Had' and 'Getting Closer'.
The album opens strongly with probably one of Nitzer Ebb most played underground dancefloor fillers, 'Getting closer', a very powerful song indeed. 'My Heart' is a very gloomy song with Douglas McCarthy singing full with rage and paranoia with an almost apocalyptic song ending. The excessive different musical influences emerge throughout the whole album, resulting in a blues-ish crawling 'Nobody Knows' and the with subtle rhythm shifts and orchestrations filled 'One Man's Burden'. More experiments in all 'All Over', while maintaining a slightly uptempo, but dancable beat. Also the use of a 7/8 beat rhythmn of 'My Heart' is an interesting experiment.
'Lightning Man', the first and previously released single from this album, is probably one the most melodic, jazzy and mesmerizing songs ever to be released by Nitzer Ebb. While next track 'Rope' is clearly one of the darkest songs in this ShowTime album. 'Hold On' has an intriguing, layer-by-layer buildup and maybe the most interesting beat on this album. The album closes with the straightforward EBM sounding track 'Fun To Be Had'.
Showtime - Tracklist
Getting Closer
Nobody Knows
One Mans Burden
All Over
My Heart
Lightning Man
Rope
Hold On
Fun To Be Had
Seventeen-Years ago today, Ministry released their live album Sphinctour, a collection of tracks recorded on their 1996 world tour in support of the album Filth Pig. This was Ministry’s third solo album, while not their most popular, it does provide a time-capsule moment into the live performance of a band at the height of their powers.
This live performances is absolutely precise and perfectly represents the Ministry full, vast sound of chaos and noise. It is thoroughly un-dubbed, no studio tinkering in the process aftermath.
Recorded direct to the two-track system, this is the sound of Ministers naked and raw, spitting fire under the glare of a spotlight.
The collision of industrial intensity and thrashed- out guitar cranks is enough to unsettle the nerves as the listener is pulled into the world of Al Jourgensen. The real magic to this release is how much better the Filth Pig tracks sound in a live setting, at times transcending the studio release. It may not be for everyone but Sphinctour has become an essential Ministry release.
Track List;
(Complete)
1. "Psalm 69" (Elysée Montmartre, Paris) 5:04
2. "Crumbs" (Congress Center, Stuttgart) 3:54
3. "Reload" (Convention Center, Albuquerque) 2:33
4. "Filth Pig" (Varsity Arena, Toronto) 6:30
5. "So What" (The Warfield, San Francisco) 9:45
6. "Just One Fix" (Aragon Ballroom, Chicago) 4:38
7. "N.W.O." (Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles) 6:04
8. "Hero" (Gaswerk, Hamburg) 2:38
9. "Thieves" (Mercer Arena, Seattle) 5:14
10. "Scarecrow" (Jesolo Beach Festival, Venice) 7:56
11. "Lava" (Dour Festival, Brussels) 8:43
12. "The Fall" (Brixton Academy, London) 8:02
13. "Stigmata" (Roseland Ballroom, New York) 9:14
Track 5 and 13 not included on CD release
Al Jourgensen - vocals, mandolin ("Reload"), harmonica ("Filth Pig"), guitar ("Just One Fix", "N.W.O."), production
Paul Barker - bass guitar, keyboard bass ("The Fall"), production
Rey Washam - drums
Louis Svitek - guitar
Duane Buford - keyboards
Zlatko Hukic - guitar
Kevin Burke March 2019
