Bish Bosch

Be the first to write a review

Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide - Thom Jurek
Bish Bosch is, according to Scott Walker, the final recording in the trilogy that began with 1995's Tilt and continued in 2006's The Drift. Its title combines urban slang for the word "bitch" and the last name of Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch. Like its predecessors, Bish Bosch is not an easy listen initially. It's utterly strange, yet alluring. Musically, Walker is as rangy and cagey as ever. His players have worked with him since Tilt; they know exactly what he wants and how to get it. A string orchestra arranged and conducted by keyboardist Mark Warman, and a full symphony on three cuts are also employed. The lyrics on Bish Bosch are full of obscure historical, ...
See more details below
CD
$14.26
BN.com price
(Save 16%)$16.99 List Price
Pick Up In Store

Pick Up In Store

Reserve and pick up in 60 minutes at your local store

Other sellers (CD)
  • All (10) from $12.07   
  • New (10) from $12.07   

More About This Product

Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide - Thom Jurek
Bish Bosch is, according to Scott Walker, the final recording in the trilogy that began with 1995's Tilt and continued in 2006's The Drift. Its title combines urban slang for the word "bitch" and the last name of Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch. Like its predecessors, Bish Bosch is not an easy listen initially. It's utterly strange, yet alluring. Musically, Walker is as rangy and cagey as ever. His players have worked with him since Tilt; they know exactly what he wants and how to get it. A string orchestra arranged and conducted by keyboardist Mark Warman, and a full symphony on three cuts are also employed. The lyrics on Bish Bosch are full of obscure historical, philosophical, medical, geographical and cultural allusions. For instance, subatomic science, a dwarf jester in Attila the Hun's court, St. Simeon, and an early 20th century fad all appear in "SDSS14+3B (Zircon, A Flagpole Sitter)." Elsewhere, Nicolai Ceausescu, Nikita Khrushchev, the Ku Klux Klan, and God himself show up. While Bish Bosch is another exercise in artful pretension, it is the most accessible entry in this trilogy and well worth the effort to get at it. Themes of decay are woven throughout these songs -- of empire, of the body, of language and religion -- yet they are often complemented and illustrated by wry, pun-like, and even scatological humor. Walker's pessismism is akin to Samuel Beckett's and like the author, he holds space for a sliver of hope. On "Corps de Blah," a chorus of farts answers an a cappella lullaby whose lyrics are grotesque. Before it's over, Walker reaches operatic heights vocally, singing about bodily functions, surgery ("Nothing clears out a room/like removing a brain"), speculative philosophy, and romantic betrayal, all while accompanied by thrumming, wailing strings, metallic guitar riffs, a flailing drum kit, and layers of electronics and ambience. "Epizootics!" uses a "tubax" -- part baritone sax, part tuba -- that introduces an infectious, fingerpopping drum chant before Walker employs bop-era vocal phrasing to climb to a careening crescendo before his version of a Hawaiian folk song closes it. "Tar's" power electronics shriek is brought to earth by a rhythmic strategy that involves machetes frantically clashing against one another. Despite its 21-plus-minute monolithic length, "SDSS14+13B (Zercon, A Flagpole Sitter)" is almost welcoming. Layered ambient and looped textures, bombastic rock dynamics, metal guitars, soundtrack effects, and Walker's signature theatrical baritone allow the listener inside the maelstrom of his soundworld. Here, as in many other places on Bish Bosch, traces, hints, and suggestions of melody are given small but pronounced spaces that momentarily relieve the listener's sense of dislocation and tension before building them up again. His voice too, is freer to float and engage something approaching lyricism. With Bish Bosch, Walker creates a kind of Möbius Strip: by virtue of creating a less physically demanding sonic landscape, he provides a way into his iconic trilogy on his way out of it.
Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • Release Date: 12/4/2012
  • Label: 4ad / Ada
  • UPC: 652637322026
  • Catalog Number: 73220
  • Sales rank: 11,926

Album Credits

Performance Credits
Scott Walker Primary Artist, Percussion, Electric Guitar, Keyboards
Ian Thomas Drums
Guy Barker Trumpet
B.J. Cole Pedal Steel Guitar
John Giblin Bass, Double Bass
Michael Laird shofar, Kudu Horn, Ram's Horn
Ann Morfee Violin
Steve Morris Violin
James Stevenson Electric Guitar, Guitar (Electric Baritone)
Pete Long Baritone Saxophone
Paul Willey Violin, Leader
Boguslaw Kostecki Violin
Alasdair Malloy Percussion
Frank Schaefer Celli
Steve Bentley-Klein Violin
Mark Warman Conductor, Keyboards, Hand Clapping, Musical Direction
Julian Trafford Violin
Lucy Hare Double Bass
Peter Walsh Finger Snapping
Stacey Watton Double Bass
Abigail Young Violin
Clive Dobbins Violin
Laura Melhuish Violin
Ruth Ehrlich Violin
Chris Fish Celli
Steve Rossell Double Bass
Joely Koos Celli
Chris West Double Bass
Alice Kent Double Bass
Tom Rees-Roberts Trumpet
Tom Pigott-Smith Violin
Nerys Richards Celli
Elizabeth Wexler Violin
Brian Wright Violin
Charlie Brown Violin
Vicky Matthews Celli
Jonathan Rees Violin
Enno Senft Double Bass
Sebastian Rudnicky Violin
Clare Tyack Double Bass
Stephen Warner Double Bass
Nikki Gleed Violin
Justin Pearson Celli
Dave Ogden Violin
Paddy Roberts Violin
Dave Smith Violin
Hugh Barnes Acoustic Guitar, Dobro, Electric Guitar, Ukulele, E-bow, Guitar (Electric Baritone)
Dom Pecheur Celli
Tamsy Kayner Celli
Technical Credits
Scott Walker Composer, Producer
Steve Morris Principal
Geoff Foster Engineer
Frank Schaefer Principal
Steve Rooke Mastering
Mark Warman Orchestration, drum programming, Sound Treatment
Peter Walsh Producer, Engineer, drum programming, Mastering, Sound Treatment
Enno Senft Principal
Alex Wharton Mastering
Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Be the first to write a review
( 0 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(0)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identity on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

 
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously