S&D: Scott Walker/Walker Bros.

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I just got Nite Flights, Scott, Scott 4, and Tilt. What else is good?

― A Nairn, Sunday, 4 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Search everthing! "Portrait" The Walker Brothers, Scott 2 & 3 to start...

― Mary, Sunday, 4 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Then search Jacques Brel.

― Mary, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

A fair amount of the early seventies semi-lounge-cowboy stuff doesn't work well at all, though. At least for me! ;-) I think Climate of Hunter is the one solo album of worth not mentioned yet.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Oh, and Nicole to thread. Scott's her man.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Search all the Walker Brothers reissue CD's with all the great B-sides... Arcangel is one of Scotts finest moments..

― Baxter Wingnut, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Scott 3 is godlike. I prefer it to Scott 4.

― Jeff W, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

there is an album commencing with orchestrated noir but finished off with hack-ish covers -- scott admits it -- it's called 'til the band comes in, and 2/3 of the album, before the band comes in (ie the end of the orchestrated original compositions) is a beatiful little small album or big ep, which is enough of the smultzy elements and other scott-isms to put up with in one sitting

"if you need me to move thru', you know where i'm found / still alive,.... with my subhuman sound to the ground"

" 'til the band comes in, and the clouds begin to open / 'til the band comes in, and we hear them all as one / i'll be back again, if you promise that you'll write me / 'til the band comes rollin' in / dada dadah, dada dadah .."

― george gosset, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

try to get hold of the japanese version of ute lemper's 'puniching kiss', there's two great scott tracks on there - 'lullaby' and 'scope j'. uk version only has 'scope j'.

― matthew james, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

What's the deal with Man From Reno?

― David, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

As a recent convert to Scott, I bought Scotts 1 to 4, as well as 'Tilt'. But last week I got the 'Boychild-Best Of' comp just to have many of the tracks on vinyl. You must check out the opening track 'The Plague', an early B-side with R&B/almost-gospel leanings, and a riff the reminds me of the theme from "Pelham 1-2-3"!. I can't get hold of 'Til the Band' at the minute, but I would say that 'Scott 4' is my favourite - the quote from Camus on the sleeve says it all about the genius of this album. The fact that it was ignored on its release(it never even made the charts)is astonishing.

― tacit, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

A couple of friends of mine had their place burgled a few years back and all the electronics were taken, and all the CDs except one: sticking out prominently in the middle of one CD rack was 'Tilt'. Therefore, to the extent that we rely on the judgement of burglars*, Tilt = dud. The rest is classic of course.

*I'm sure this is a major component of your aesthetic, as it is of mine.

― Martin Skidmore, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Everything...Everything...Everything!

Tilt, very much included.

― Shaun Kinski, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Search his (non)production of Pulp's latest(?) I have the feeling they won't be calling him back into the studio anytime soon... I wonder, does he have any other production credits?

― Mary, Monday, 5 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

He produced a track on that Ute Lemper record. I'm not sure whether he produced Man From Reno or not, or the Pola X soundtrack for that matter. I Shall check. Other than that I don't believe he's produced a full record for anyone else other than the Jarvis Cocker Twee Explosion. However, I may be wrong.

― Shaun Kinski, Tuesday, 6 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Scott solo is classic, with the Borthes is much more mixed. ABout a third of the Portrait album is unlistenable cheesy covers, but when on fom they are great orch pop.

― Winkelmann, Tuesday, 6 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Walker has lots of producer credits from his late 60s days at Philips, though not for anyone terribly famous, or, indeed, for anyone I can remember. Check Mike Watkinson/Peter Anderson's biog "A Deep Shade of Blue".

― Michael Jones, Tuesday, 6 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Hee hee I think I was the one Tom referred to when he talked about the "rabid horde" defending Scott on ILM.

I am not really the gal to tell you what to search, because I will say something close to "EVERYTHING!". Definitely get Scott 1- 3, and Climate of the Hunter and the Moviegoer (if you can find them, both are kind of scarce) are worth looking into too.

The 70's material is a lot more forgettable, though I still cringe from using the word destroy.

― Nicole, Tuesday, 6 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

The two lounge-cowboy albums really aren't so good... wait'll you hear him do "Delta Dawn"... *shiver*

― Sean, Saturday, 10 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

"ABout a third of the Portrait album is unlistenable cheesy covers, but when on fom they are great orch pop."

B-b-but I find those covers very listenable indeed! (See: "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore")

― Mary, Sunday, 11 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

three months pass...

"Til the Band Comes in" is staggeringly good; just as sublime as Scotts 3 and 4, which have been longtime favourites of mine. "Climate of Hunter" is certainly worth getting if you like the "Nite Flights" stuff; it's the next logical stage from it, even if nothing *quite* matches "The Electrician"; it's a fine album, and to be searched for.
The covers are a bane to TTBCI, but the last of them, "It's Over" is a good song very well performed by SW. What an anti-climax though that the album doesn't end with "The War is Over", one of the most beautiful things he's done; which sounds like the end of an era; the 1960s indeed, and the stage of his career when he was writing original material... a heartbreaking song, elliptically instrumented.
I would strongly urge Scott 3 and Til the Band... to be purchased immediately by anyone; though TTBCI is hard to find (I only got a CDR of it from someone in the States). Climate... may be a more acquired taste, but to fans of SW, it is a *must*.

― Tom May, Sunday, 1 December 2002 22:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

two months pass...

Blimey! "Black Sheep Boy" is a Scott Walker song! I take back what I said here.

I am studying for the Scott Walker tribute tonight with Mary. Today I will listen to:

Scott (= 1?)
Scott 2
Scott 3
Scott 4

Sister Ray had Tilt also but I was afraid.

I like it so far. It sounds like Bacharach/Divine Comedy/Morricone. Tonight should be fun!

― felicity (felicity), Saturday, 22 February 2003 18:35 (twenty-one years ago) link

D. P. J. Proby much better, just not as hip to reference these days.

― frank p. jones (frank p. jones), Saturday, 22 February 2003 18:38 (twenty-one years ago) link

Don't be afraid of Tilt!

― Amateurist (amateurist), Saturday, 22 February 2003 19:41 (twenty-one years ago) link

eek!

― felicity (felicity), Saturday, 22 February 2003 20:59 (twenty-one years ago) link

You should be afraid of Tilt. It's pretty great tho.

― Sean (Sean), Saturday, 22 February 2003 21:19 (twenty-one years ago) link

Iwas just listening to a Brothers album last night, Take it Easy. "You're All Around Me" is a fantastic early Scott composition, what a melody. Perfectly arranged. Love the judicious use of the bells. Man. I might have to add this to that "songs that give you chills" thread.

Actually the whole four song stretch on the second side of this record, "You're All Around Me" => Dylan's "Love Minus Zero" => "I Don't Want to Hear it Anymore" => "Here Comes the Night", is as good as anything he was involved with.

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Saturday, 22 February 2003 22:12 (twenty-one years ago) link

David Driver's favorite album is Till the Band Comes In.

― Mary (Mary), Sunday, 23 February 2003 06:37 (twenty-one years ago) link

Do you have that one Mary? It is the greatest--of his early records. Actually more precisely, side A is the greatest. Side B is, famously, eh. Viz Pulp's "Bad Cover Version" for corroboration.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Sunday, 23 February 2003 09:02 (twenty-one years ago) link

the female of the species!

some loony just gave me a VHS of every Scott tv appearance 67-95(I will let you know) He has the most brilliant career tragetctory(sp?) eva!

― gaz (gaz), Sunday, 23 February 2003 09:09 (twenty-one years ago) link

I don't have it:( I will begin search.

― Mary (Mary), Sunday, 23 February 2003 20:52 (twenty-one years ago) link

So felicity how was the show? I couldn't make it.

― hstencil, Sunday, 23 February 2003 21:02 (twenty-one years ago) link

I broke my cd-r of The Moviegoer! *sob* I forgot to mention this before, but it is also impossibly wonderful.

― Nicole (Nicole), Sunday, 23 February 2003 21:04 (twenty-one years ago) link

Oh it was wonderful! I lurve the Loser's Lounge! I am think I am starting to "get " Scott Walker. He makes me want to listen to the Gainsbourg "Actrices" album, The Divine Comedy and Leonard Cohen in Tri-ophenia.

Next for my studies: St. Etienne or failing that the tribute, Ain't Etienne.

― felicity (felicity), Monday, 24 February 2003 06:27 (twenty-one years ago) link

(Felicity, let me know if you fail to find any SW albums, or copies thereof, in NYC.)

― Amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 24 February 2003 06:31 (twenty-one years ago) link

Thanks!

― felicity (felicity), Monday, 24 February 2003 06:33 (twenty-one years ago) link

heh i have a feeling st etienne is markedly less difficult to "get" than s walker

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 24 February 2003 06:34 (twenty-one years ago) link

..and markedly less rewarding... (ducks)

― Amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 24 February 2003 06:47 (twenty-one years ago) link

whyioughtablahblah

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 24 February 2003 06:49 (twenty-one years ago) link

Black Sheep Boy is a Tim Hardin song. But it is great as is much of Tim's stuff. As is Scott - but what's with everyone being so (relatively speaking) down on Scott 4?

― tigerclawskank, Monday, 24 February 2003 11:42 (twenty-one years ago) link

I'm up with it!

― Mary (Mary), Monday, 24 February 2003 12:07 (twenty-one years ago) link

I'm up with it, exc. I have never much liked "Seventh Seal."

― Amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 24 February 2003 12:33 (twenty-one years ago) link

question for A Nairn who started this thread:
what's Nite Flights like ?
ie is a bad cover pulpy type comment like "except for the non-scott songs appropriate" ? (i've only been lucky enough to hear the 4 scott walker songs so far)

― george gosset (gegoss), Monday, 24 February 2003 13:11 (twenty-one years ago) link

the non-scott songs on nite flights are apalling in every way except as a barometer of how well scott handles the same experimental territory!

― pulpo, Monday, 24 February 2003 13:15 (twenty-one years ago) link

I don't understand this thread.

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 24 February 2003 13:27 (twenty-one years ago) link

I would like to mention Climate of Hunter on this thread again, because it is the equal of any of Scott's albums and because it features the world-historical musical meeting of Ray Russell and Billy Ocean.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 24 February 2003 13:38 (twenty-one years ago) link

"what's Nite Flights like ?"

It's very noticeable when the 5th track comes on how much the creepy tone of the album changes. Some of the other songs aren't very apalling but just different. The singing is nowhere near as good as Scott's, but I do like "the Death of Romance," and some other aspects of some of the other songs. I think Maus' songs are the worst.

― A Nairn (moretap), Monday, 24 February 2003 15:18 (twenty-one years ago) link

But as for searching for Scott Walker songs those four are the only ones nessicary from that album.

― A Nairn (moretap), Monday, 24 February 2003 15:19 (twenty-one years ago) link

Scott 4 is my favorite.

― Sean (Sean), Monday, 24 February 2003 15:50 (twenty-one years ago) link

three weeks pass...

How do you people rate Stretch and We Had It All? Just heard that two-fer. I expected to be pleasantly surprised, but it really is anemic. He sounds fairly distinterested much of the time and while the musicians are capable, there isn't a moment of inspiration on either record. Well not quite, his version of "Sundown" is nice.

Has anyone heard Any Day Now?

― Amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 04:54 (twenty-one years ago) link

Oh yeah Stretch / We Had it All is pretty horrid. I don't know what happened to him around this time. (i.e. I honestly know next to nothing of his personal history). It's like Beefheart with those two Mercury albums or something. Did he have some kind of manager/svengali who pushed him into this shit?

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 05:05 (twenty-one years ago) link

I actually think that two-fer houses some good material. I enjoy hearing Scott sing, and I think he interacts with most of the songs pretty well. There are a couple clinkers (I don't want to hear anyone sing "Delta Dawn" ever), but lots of highlights as well. He's obviously going for a different mood than what he made his name with previously, in fact it's probably easy to argue that the level of ambition here is somewhat lower, but I still like it.

― Sean (Sean), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 13:37 (twenty-one years ago) link

three years pass...

Any Day Now is a smashing albumn. It is the best of Scott's "pure-lounge" albumns, with some really dynamic arrangements.

― Adrian, Wednesday, 3 May 2006 12:58 (seventeen years ago) link

Start here, if you think you're hard enough:

New Scott Walker album: 'The Drift'

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 13:08 (seventeen years ago) link

The other day I heard a Walker Brothers song 'We're All Alone', which was not as good as 'No Regrets' but it was still pretty sublime. Googling it I see it comes from a reunion album 'Lines'. Is this any good? And is the 'No Regrets' album any good (apart from the obviously excellent title track)?

― Frederic R., Wednesday, 3 May 2006 13:14 (seventeen years ago) link

No Regrets is pretty good throughout, though I will remember it more fondly for the cover photo (permed/nattily-attired Gary and John flashing "buy me, please buy me" smiles while a shirtless Scott sips his beer and stiff-arms the camera...surely the classic "which of these is not like the other"? shot)...

― hank (hank s), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 13:37 (seventeen years ago) link

three months pass...

Just got the Walker Brothers boxed set (Everything Under the Sun) - haven't listened to it all. It says "The Complete Recordings..." on the front of the box, but don't sell your old Walker Brothers stuff just yet! Offhand, "After The Lights Go Out" is a different mix (way less reverb on the vocals) than the one on the After The Lights Go Out one-disc best-of, and there's only one version in the box. (I prefer the one with more reverb...)

― Ernest P. (ernestp), Saturday, 2 September 2006 22:33 (seventeen years ago) link

two years pass...

I'm not a fan myself, but I figure those who are will want to hear the audio versions of the two pilots for Walker's BBC show, which are here: http://tsutpen.blogspot.com/2009/01/scott-1.html.

― Matos W.K., Monday, 26 January 2009 00:23 (fifteen years ago) link

four years pass...

holy christ I had no idea these two performed Scaggs' "We're All Alone."

― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 28 August 2013 01:49 (ten years ago) link

How has there been no mention of the incredible "In Five Easy Pieces" box set? While it's missing a bit, it also has lots of stuff otherwise unavailable. And I personally love the themed discs.

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Wednesday, 28 August 2013 14:27 (ten years ago) link

three years pass...

Doris Day's "Love Him" from 1964 is the same song as the Walker Brothers "Love Her" from 1965 - with a very different arrangement. However what's interesting is that the intro sounds so much like Montague Terrace in Blue.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HinOwpgK5U

― everything, Friday, 7 July 2017 21:31 (six years ago) link

Good catch.

Posted this elsewhere, but I was listening to the 1955 Frank Sinatra single, "Not as a Stranger" and noticed that Scott Walker's 1967 version of "Jackie" pretty much swipes the intro and outro of it. Curiously, Jacques Brel's 1966 original version, "Chanson de Jacky," has the same intro but not the same outro.

― Josefa, Saturday, 8 July 2017 03:15 (six years ago) link

two years pass...

I chose 25 of these things.

― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 20 October 2019 02:00 (four years ago) link

You definitely have to hear 'Til the Band Comes In.

― Michael Oliver of Penge Wins £5 (Tom D.), Sunday, 20 October 2019 08:03 (four years ago) link

You don't rate "The Electrician"?

― Soundslike, Sunday, 20 October 2019 12:57 (four years ago) link

seven months pass...

Not sure I've ever seen an interview with Scott Walker from the 60s before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGXzLYglKHk

― Subverted by buggery (Tom D.), Sunday, 14 June 2020 23:36 (three years ago) link

Nice find. So young! & beautiful. And quite relaxed

― willem, Monday, 15 June 2020 13:17 (three years ago) link

Der Art Zigeuner! :) Yeah lovely find. And a voice to die for.

― Le Bateau Ivre, Wednesday, 17 June 2020 08:58 (three years ago) link

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