The Drift

The Drift
Studio album by Scott Walker
Released 8 May 2006 (2006-05-08)
Recorded June 2004 – November 2005 at Metropolis Studios, Chiswick, London, and AIR Studios, Hampstead, London
Genre Art rock
Avant-garde
Experimental
Length 68:48
Label 4AD
Producer Scott Walker, Peter Walsh
Scott Walker chronology
5 Easy Pieces
(2003)		 The Drift
(2006)		 And Who Shall Go to the Ball? And What Shall Go to the Ball?
(2007)

The Drift is the thirteenth studio album by the American solo artist Scott Walker. It was released on the 8 May 2006 and reached number 51[1] on the UK Albums Chart. No singles were released from the album. Apart from composing the soundtrack to the film Pola X, the album was Walker's first studio album in eleven years and only his third studio album since the final disbanding of The Walker Brothers in 1978.

Walker composed the songs for the album slowly over the eleven years soon after the release of 1995's Tilt[2]beginning with "Cue", the longest song to complete, up until the album's recording. An early version of "Buzzers" was premièred at the Meltdown festival on 17 June 2000 under the title "Thimble Rigging". The album was recorded over a period of 17 months at Metropolis Studios in Chiswick, London, with orchestra recorded in one day at George Martin's AIR Studios in Hampstead, London. Receiving good reviews from critics the album was released as an LP and CD in May 2006. The artwork for the album was designed by Vaughan Oliver at v23 with assistance from Chris Bigg and photography by Marc Atkins.

Contents

Overview

The Drift is Walker's first album composed entirely of new material since 1995's Tilt. In the interim, Walker's released output comprised a few instrumental tracks on the soundtrack to the film Pola X and a track on the soundtrack to the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough, as well as a few compilations of previously released material, including the retrospective box set 5 Easy Pieces.

The Drift has been cited by many critics and fans alike as a disturbing and complex album that departs from Scott Walker's previous albums while still remaining true to his experimental roots. French singer Vanessa Contenay-Quinones appears as the voice of Clara Petacci on "Clara".

The sound and subject matter for the album is unrelentingly dark and unsettling, often juxtaposing quiet sections with sudden loud noise to induce discomfort in the listener. Subjects include torture, disease, 9/11, Elvis Presley,[3][4] and numerous subjects in keeping with the horror genre.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic link
Brainwashed (favourable) 3 May 06
Telegraph (favourable) 6 May 06
The Guardian 5 May 06
The Independent 5 May 06
Mojo p.102, #151
musicOMH.com May 2006
New York (favourable) 8 May 06
The Observer 23 Apr 06
Pitchfork Media (9.0/10) 9 May 06
PlayLouder 15 May 06
PopMatters 10 May 06
Stylus Magazine (B-) 9 May 06
The Times 6 May 06
Tiny Mix Tapes 15 May 06
Uncut (favourable) 10 May 06
Yahoo! Music 15 May 06

The Drift received positive reviews by the majority of critics.

Mikael Åkerfeldt wanted his band Opeth to have their album Watershed be a Heavy metal version of this album but "it proved to be impossible simply because his [Scott's] head is sicker than mine and I also love melodies and dynamics. There are however many parts on there directly inspired by Scott."[5]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Scott Walker, except "Psoriatic" (Scott Walker/Bob Carleton). 

No. Title Length
1. "Cossacks Are"   4:32
2. "Clara"   12:43
3. "Jesse"   6:28
4. "Jolson and Jones"   7:45
5. "Cue"   10:27
6. "Hand Me Ups"   5:49
7. "Buzzers"   6:39
8. "Psoriatic"   5:51
9. "The Escape"   5:18
10. "A Lover Loves"   3:11

Personnel

Production

Release history

Region Date Label Format Catalogue
United Kingdom 02006-05-08 8 May 2006 4AD LP2×LP CAD 2603
CD CAD 2603 CD
United States 02006-06-06 6 June 2006 4AD CD
Japan 02006-06-24 24 June 2006 Hostess CD HSE-20015

External links

References

  1. ^ "Chart Stats - Scott Walker". chartstats.com. http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=1980. Retrieved 2009-02-12. 
  2. ^ Williams, Lewis (2006). Scott Walker - The Rhymes of Goodbye (1st ed.). London: Plexus. p. 179. ISBN 0-85965-395-1. 
  3. ^ Elvis Dreams of 9/11, a review from New York magazine
  4. ^ "Interview with Scott Walker". The Wire. May 2006. 
  5. ^ http://opeth.com/index.php/discography/show/tpl/watershed-session-diary
Scott Walker
Solo albums

Scott (1967) · Scott 2 (1968) · Scott 3 (1969) · Scott: Scott Walker Sings Songs from his TV Series (1969) · Scott 4 (1969) · 'Til the Band Comes In (1970) · The Moviegoer (1972) · Any Day Now (1973) · Stretch (1973) · We Had It All (1974) · Climate of Hunter (1984) · Tilt (1995) · The Drift (2006) · And Who Shall Go to the Ball? And What Shall Go to the Ball? (2007)
The Walker Brothers albums

Take It Easy with The Walker Brothers (1965) · Portrait (1966) · Images (1967) · No Regrets (1975) · Lines (1976) · Nite Flights (1978)
Compilations
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