Firstly….Nothing to do with the SFF this year 2007.
I happened to catch the doco “51 Birch Street”….on TV.
It did screen last year at the SFF 2006. So there is a link.
I admired this doco alot.
Kind of like…. CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS….in its vibe….”51 Birch St”… focused on uncovering the reality behind suburban pretenses.
And being from the suburbs myself…an experience from which…it is my life journey and mission to recover…I am endlessly fascinated by….unspoken truths behind suburban facades.
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Scott Walker was a teen idol in the 60’s American band THE WALKER BROTHERS. Since then he has become almost a recluse… in London…apart from releasing albums every five to ten years.
His aesthetic is, in my opinion, beat poet/Joycean lyrics… set to increasingly abstract music.
Over the years, Scott Walker has retreated to a very alone place in his consciousness. And from there, he sends us, from time to time, his missives in the form of songs.
This doco about him…is very reverent. With no personal information….at all. It’s more a purist muso’s doco. ( I’m assuming the Oz shortening of words is clear)…
As a man the quality that was evident… was his intensity.
I was interested…because…I’ll be honest… I’d hardly heard of him.
The film reminded me that an artist can only create best what he/she knows well. And what Scott Walker knows well…in his mind… is his aloneness.
A place… he accepts… and seems perfectly content… to create from.
1 response so far ↓
veronica // August 16, 2007 at 2:43 pm
Hi
I really loved the film. I came away wanting more though. We still do not really know anything abt Scott Walker. He is still an enigma with a beautiful voice and soul…not too sure abt drift and tilt albums. Although I have got them because I love scott walker. I really did prefere his songs before those 2 albums. I would still see him live if I got a chance…..