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The Walker Brothers
Not actually brothers, John (Maus), Gary (Leeds) and Scott (Engel) succeeded against the odds, becoming one of world's biggest bands of 1966/67. With that came hit records - including two British chart-toppers, "Make It Easy on Yourself" and "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" - and all that success screaming girls, package tours, and intense interest in their private lives. The pressure of success eventually caused them to split, and the Walkers went their separate ways. Drawing on decades of archive interviews with the band (some previously unpublished), and many new interviews with backing musicians, record label staff and producers, The Impossible Dream is the definitive telling of The Walker Brothers' story.
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First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 23, 2012
What I learnt from this book:
1. Hair is important when you're The Walker Brothers.
2. The “drummer” Gary is a profoundly ridiculous person. I can see why he made Scott laugh. Because Scott is silly too. Funniest part: “Mick Jagger uses my cigarettes to throw at Scott. I can’t smoke ‘em afterwards cos they’re full of Scott’s hair.”
3. John was a tool. His pettiness irked me.
4. They actually met Marc Bolan (in a gay restaurant)! And they all got along (who wouldn’t get along with Marc?).
But seriously, this is a very informative biography and regardless of the writer’s rather odd opinions on certain songs (“Summertime” the highlight of The Walker Brothers' output?), his description is juicy and spot-on when it comes to most of the material or Scott’s vocals (the way he sings the word “enjoy” in Best Of Both Worlds is one of my most favourite things in the world).
I love how Scott discovered the genius in himself almost by accident – the “I’m just a bass player” became a singer, an interpreter, then a producer, a songwriter and composer. And of course, as philosophical, neurotic and private as his reputation suggests. The intense feel of his personality while he is caught in the conflict between his role as a reluctant pop star and his innovative dark muse comes across really well. He is someone who kept questioning everything and the more he questioned, the lonelier he became. This book is about this most unusual man with the most unusual talent that even he did not understand for a long time. As for others in his wake (David Bowie, etc.) – perhaps it is indeed not very difficult to portray Scott Walker’s image or “edginess”, but not at all an easy task to channel his innocence, which remains angelically elusive.
Scott (being cute at the height of his solo fame in 1968):
“Hello, readers. Happy New Year. This is Scott. I’m speaking from my flat… somewhere in London. As you know, I was ill for quite a long time and had to be in bed. But now, thanks to everything, I’m fully recovered and feeling fine. At first, I’d like to say to all my fans, I couldn’t be in Japan last July, so I earnestly hope to be there. I wish to see you soon, as soon as we can set something up with some promoters in your country.
It’s about 8 o’clock in the evening here roughly… I don’t know for sure because I don’t keep watches or clocks in the house. They have a tendency to make me very nervous. I’m dressed in corduroy pants, brown corduroy pants and a brown sweater: my usual casual sort of gear.
I’ve been producing some jazz LPs in England for Philips recently, for some talented musicians, some new young jazz artists, hoping they’ll be a big success in this country although I really don’t think so. The English aren’t very fond of progressive jazz. But I’m hoping to get them released in America and Japan where there’s a lot of market for this kind of thing.
I’ve been composing quite a bit lately. Most of the stuff I’ve been tearing up, though. I’m nearer to completion of my third album. I should be finished next month and I’m hoping for a release in February if things go right.
Not much has happened here in England. The weather is freezing and winter’s setting in. And so is the fog. When you walk down the street you run into people and lampposts; it can be very embarrassing. It all depends on how you look at it, you know. I’d like to conclude by saying ‘Sayonara’ and, once again, a happy new year.”
1. Hair is important when you're The Walker Brothers.
2. The “drummer” Gary is a profoundly ridiculous person. I can see why he made Scott laugh. Because Scott is silly too. Funniest part: “Mick Jagger uses my cigarettes to throw at Scott. I can’t smoke ‘em afterwards cos they’re full of Scott’s hair.”
3. John was a tool. His pettiness irked me.
4. They actually met Marc Bolan (in a gay restaurant)! And they all got along (who wouldn’t get along with Marc?).
But seriously, this is a very informative biography and regardless of the writer’s rather odd opinions on certain songs (“Summertime” the highlight of The Walker Brothers' output?), his description is juicy and spot-on when it comes to most of the material or Scott’s vocals (the way he sings the word “enjoy” in Best Of Both Worlds is one of my most favourite things in the world).
I love how Scott discovered the genius in himself almost by accident – the “I’m just a bass player” became a singer, an interpreter, then a producer, a songwriter and composer. And of course, as philosophical, neurotic and private as his reputation suggests. The intense feel of his personality while he is caught in the conflict between his role as a reluctant pop star and his innovative dark muse comes across really well. He is someone who kept questioning everything and the more he questioned, the lonelier he became. This book is about this most unusual man with the most unusual talent that even he did not understand for a long time. As for others in his wake (David Bowie, etc.) – perhaps it is indeed not very difficult to portray Scott Walker’s image or “edginess”, but not at all an easy task to channel his innocence, which remains angelically elusive.
Scott (being cute at the height of his solo fame in 1968):
“Hello, readers. Happy New Year. This is Scott. I’m speaking from my flat… somewhere in London. As you know, I was ill for quite a long time and had to be in bed. But now, thanks to everything, I’m fully recovered and feeling fine. At first, I’d like to say to all my fans, I couldn’t be in Japan last July, so I earnestly hope to be there. I wish to see you soon, as soon as we can set something up with some promoters in your country.
It’s about 8 o’clock in the evening here roughly… I don’t know for sure because I don’t keep watches or clocks in the house. They have a tendency to make me very nervous. I’m dressed in corduroy pants, brown corduroy pants and a brown sweater: my usual casual sort of gear.
I’ve been producing some jazz LPs in England for Philips recently, for some talented musicians, some new young jazz artists, hoping they’ll be a big success in this country although I really don’t think so. The English aren’t very fond of progressive jazz. But I’m hoping to get them released in America and Japan where there’s a lot of market for this kind of thing.
I’ve been composing quite a bit lately. Most of the stuff I’ve been tearing up, though. I’m nearer to completion of my third album. I should be finished next month and I’m hoping for a release in February if things go right.
Not much has happened here in England. The weather is freezing and winter’s setting in. And so is the fog. When you walk down the street you run into people and lampposts; it can be very embarrassing. It all depends on how you look at it, you know. I’d like to conclude by saying ‘Sayonara’ and, once again, a happy new year.”
September 17, 2009
For the Scott Walker fan, this is one amazing book. For one, it focuses on the Walker Brothers years - which is early 60's to late 70's. And it does deal with the Scott solo albums of that period. Saying that this is a well-written biography of a band who was always not part of their time.
Three guys from California who decided to make fame and art in swinging 60's London. At one moment they were as huge as the Beatles, but even with that, they stood strangely from the pack. While everyone was tripping out on the merits of the Rubber Soul, Scott was getting into Jack Jones!
Scott at this time was obsessed with Foreign films, classical music, jazz, and....of course Jack Jones. He was very much of a man who was not part of his times - and to this day he is either not with the generation thing or apart from it. Yet him and his music is way ahead of almost everyone in the music world.
This is a beautifully designed book, and Reynolds did a really good job on The Walker Brothers legend. And of course since reading this book I have been spending a lot of time listening to old Walker Bros. albums, but the ones that stay with me are the Scott solo work. And his last two albums are brilliant.
Three guys from California who decided to make fame and art in swinging 60's London. At one moment they were as huge as the Beatles, but even with that, they stood strangely from the pack. While everyone was tripping out on the merits of the Rubber Soul, Scott was getting into Jack Jones!
Scott at this time was obsessed with Foreign films, classical music, jazz, and....of course Jack Jones. He was very much of a man who was not part of his times - and to this day he is either not with the generation thing or apart from it. Yet him and his music is way ahead of almost everyone in the music world.
This is a beautifully designed book, and Reynolds did a really good job on The Walker Brothers legend. And of course since reading this book I have been spending a lot of time listening to old Walker Bros. albums, but the ones that stay with me are the Scott solo work. And his last two albums are brilliant.
Read
October 12, 2009Read an excerpt from The Impossible Dream at Stop Smiling Online.
FINAL IMAGES
The final Walkers album, Images, was released that April, immediately charting at Number Six and gathering their best reviews yet. The band’s long-playing swansong begins with ‘Everything Under The Sun’. It has a stirring start, courtesy of Ronnie Verrell, but it’s soon clear that the song is in one of the few keys that does not suit Scott’s voice.
Read the excerpt....
FINAL IMAGES
The final Walkers album, Images, was released that April, immediately charting at Number Six and gathering their best reviews yet. The band’s long-playing swansong begins with ‘Everything Under The Sun’. It has a stirring start, courtesy of Ronnie Verrell, but it’s soon clear that the song is in one of the few keys that does not suit Scott’s voice.
Read the excerpt....
December 6, 2017
Below is my original review when I was around 70 pages in. It does get better as it goes and there is a general wealth of information but the lack of notes for specific sources is a bit alarming, as is the increasing number of repeated phrases and typos in the second half of the book. The 'hooky' style of writing thankfully settles down after around 100 pages! An enjoyable read but not definitive in my opinion.
Original review:
"Only part way through so far but honestly I'm really not a fan.
Anthony writes in such a hockey, conversational way that is just incredibly off putting. I'm cringing on an almost page by page basis. There's just so much in bad taste, it's like reading Kerrang or NME when what you really want is to be reading something with more meat on the bones. It doesn't feel very well researched, a lot of second hand research and little to no notes on where quotes are actually taken from. At the back is a very thin list of sources which don't really give anything away. A real shame.
This definitely doesn't feel like the book that Scott Walker and The Walker Brothers deserve. Without a doubt not the definitive book on the group which is a shame, the search continues I guess!"
Original review:
"Only part way through so far but honestly I'm really not a fan.
Anthony writes in such a hockey, conversational way that is just incredibly off putting. I'm cringing on an almost page by page basis. There's just so much in bad taste, it's like reading Kerrang or NME when what you really want is to be reading something with more meat on the bones. It doesn't feel very well researched, a lot of second hand research and little to no notes on where quotes are actually taken from. At the back is a very thin list of sources which don't really give anything away. A real shame.
This definitely doesn't feel like the book that Scott Walker and The Walker Brothers deserve. Without a doubt not the definitive book on the group which is a shame, the search continues I guess!"
November 24, 2013
This is a very good book about the Walker Brothers that doesn't focus solely on Scott, does a good job of describing their collective career and is clearly written without sinking in either silly gossip or ridiculous adoration. It has its tedious moments like pretty much all biographies - people's lives are rarely that much interesting but overall it's a very enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews