Saturday 4 July 2020

Walter Carlos ‎– "Walter Carlos' Clockwork Orange" (CBS ‎– 73059) 1972


As your loyal scribe nicked his nom de plume from the top ten(Number 2 if I remember correctly?) in the chart in the pop-disk shop featured in "A Clockwork Orange" , it seems only too fitting to include this oscar nominated score in this brief section of electronic soundtracks for movies. It could have also fit comfortably in the thread one did on early female electronic pioneers.....except this was done by the male Carlos,Walter, just before his gender reassignment, as Wendy.
Generally,i'm not too big a fan of Wendy Carlos's synth work.It's electrified classics direction stunk of elevator muzak,as did the up and coming warbles in the 'Switched On Bach' series. What's the point in accurately transcribed classical works on a Moog?Why not just hear these over played compositions as they were supposed to be slooshied? New music for new instruments is the long respected tradition innit?
Soundtrack work was the perfect place for Wendy or Walter to tinkle their ivories.
A horrorshow of a movie,and the soundtrack is understated but with a sufficient level of sarky-ness to be a perfect bedfellow for this parable about directionless ultra-violent yoof.
I think I got a pain in me gulliver missus.


Tracklist:

1 Timesteps 13:50
2 March From A Clockwork Orange (Beethoven: Ninth Symphony: Fourth Movement, Abridged) 7:00
3 Title Music From A Clockwork Orange (From Purcell's "Music For The Funeral Of Queen Mary") 2:21
4 La Gazza Ladra (The Thieving Magpie, Abridged) 5:50
5 Theme From A Clockwork Orange (Beethoviana) 1:44
6 Ninth Symphony: Second Movement (Scherzo) 4:52
7 William Tell Overture (Abridged) 1:17
8 Country Lane 4:43


5 comments:

Mmmhmmmm said...

Oooooh - lookit what you gone and did, showing pictures of "history". Ma'am doesn't like that, you know. She might try to pull a Momus on yo' ass if'n you ain't careful.

northfieldhat said...

I had a thought that Walter always was a woman, pretending to be a man, to
avoid being ignored. Then, the myth of a sex-change operation, and Wendy can be herself. If you look at the pictures of Walter, he looks like a woman in drag.

Anonymous said...

Since you refer again to the great Women in Electronics thread, did you know this was coming: https://sisterswithtransistors.com/, or are you just finely attuned to whatever is brewing on the fringes of music?

kevinesse said...

this version is great.....much different than official ost....i prefer it. thanks!























Jonny Zchivago said...

@ expram...... no not aware of this documentary. I notice that Wendy and walter Carlos are missing....was this made by a woman? Ladies have a trackrecord of no considering transsexuals as proper women,only women bleed shit....this could lead to trouble.
I like to think of myself as finely in tune with the fringe,on trend as they say....but its just coincidence.
I think they call it being an "Influencer" in internet parlance.
I wish.