Scott 2

Scott 2 by Scott Walker (1968) For those of you who would dismiss this as ‘elevator music’, I should warn you that if you and I heard this in an elevator, I would press the Emergency Stop and ask you to be quiet for a minute and just listen. Scott Walker is a pop crooner with an actual brain. As a lyricist, he is poetic and insightful, like a cross between Jacques Brel and T.S. Eliot. (In fact, three of Brel’s well-chosen songs are included among these twelve tracks: “Jackie”, “Next”, and “The Girls and the Dogs”). Walker’s four original songs (“The Amorous Humphrey Plugg”, “The Girls from the Streets”, “Plastic Palace People“, and “The Bridge”) are likewise dark, brooding, fearless, and entrancing, expressed in poetic lines that, like those of Eliot, take punctuated and unexpected images and resolve them with lucidity from the shadows, as it were. Walker explores a decadent world populated by equally decadent characters and emerges with a fuller embrace of humanity, with all its internal tensions and moral disappointments. All twelve of the songs on this album are thoughtful and visually dramatic. “The Girls and the Dogs” is a simply delightful song, delightfully sung. I won’t spoil it for you. Musically, Walker delivers these well crafted melodies in a pleasing, not-too-deep baritone. He lacks the chops of a Sinatra, Bennett, Como, Crosby (Bing, not David), Martin, Tormé, Williams, or (I must include) Harry Nilsson. But he succeeds in the vocal heavy lifting nonetheless. Tom Jones surely wished he could have been this good (while still raking in the cash, the airplay, and the tossed panties). Scott Walker is backed by orchestra on this record, yet not in a typical Burt Bacharach or Henry Mancini style (although Walker covers one song from each of these composers on Scott 2). His arrangers step away from the piano-heavy Bacharach approach and the strings-heavy Mancini technique, and instead provide orchestration that celebrates soulful horns and seductive guitar. It’s beautiful music, even if it fails to capture 21st century ears. Listen to this album and tell me which track was banned by the BBC. 4/5

How bout NO, Scott.

Sir, a second Scott Walker album has hit this list

This sounds a lot more like movie music than like album music just by virtue of being so dramatic. Despite or maybe because it is so dramatic, I quite like it. Scott has a great voice and the songs are very soothing.

what a bullshit

It’s like your misogynistic skeevy uncle in a chat room. Ick.

Don't even know what to say. Weird energy but I liked it?

They're nice enough songs. I think this pompous theatrical style of pop is too stuffy for me. While everything here is competently done, the artistic expression on display feels like style over substance. Scott Walker's singing feels more like an act, making the whole album ring hallow. I would rather a sloppy album with personality than a well-crafted one that's bland.

Definitely a classic musician I haven't given enough attention. Scott has a killer voice and the string accompaniments here are absolutely stunning.

It’s very 60’s, incredible voice, very cinematic voice and the arranged, orchestrated instrument is very lavish and grand. Some weird story lyrics. I really enjoyed this top to bottom. Was kinda casually listening to it, so I'll have to come back later for my favorite tracks and a more in depth listen, but I thought every track on first listen was great. Voice never got old, felt like it had a lot of weight and emotion to it.

Huh. I realized that I recognize the name Scott Walker from the Vox Lux score (and the fact that he died recently), but I thought this might be a completely different person. The music is like a combination of Tom Jones the singer and Tom Jones the awful movie. It's funny that he sings things like "stupid-ass" but the delivery is painfully bland. Very risque lyrically, but far from risky sonically. This old style of pop music has aged like milk. Listen to the Vox Lux score to hear how a guy can really turn his life around. Favorite songs: Black Sheep Boy. Album art: Not terrible, but not very interesting either. I like the font and color choice for the title. The picture is decent, as far as artist pictures go, but it's boring. I guess that fits the album. 1/5

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Kind if a showtune-y vibe.

Wow! This is the most magnificent thing I have ever heard in my life! Wow! Love!

My feelings about this one swing wildly from love it to hate it and back again. These songs are cinematic and epic and total cornball. But somehow it all works and I'm closer to love it than not. The Jacques Brel covers in particular sound just right coming from Walker.

Exciting, unexpected entertaining

Respect for a traditional crooner/heartthrob going rogue and making some really offbeat stuff. I can see how he influenced and gained the respect of some more iconoclastic artists like Bowie, Thom Yorke, Marc Almond, etc. But to be honest the music is not for me and has too much of a musical theater quality to it.

Three weeks ago I head the pleasure of discovering this extraordinary artist thanks to this list and Scott 4. From the first notes of the cinematic “Jackie” to the last notes of the lush “Come Next Spring” - I love this album even more! I have another new favorite artist! Scott knows how to deliver these incredible orchestration-powered songs - as a former French horn player I can’t help but love their prominence on this album. I love this album so much I listened to in three times in a row without stopping… followed by three more listens later in the day. The storytelling on these songs is incredible. The songs deal with real life in sometimes jolting ways. These surprising moments drew me in more. The songs are beautifully poetic sending me to so many different places - absolutely wonderful! I see that Scott Walker’s most recent album is from 2016. I’m so excited to have 50 years of Scott Walker to explore. Just a few notable items: “If I could be for just one little hour, a cute cute, in a stupid-ass way.” - Jackie The incredible strings accentuating “The best of both worlds, make your pick Amanda…” - Best of Both Worlds “If you love me let me live in peace and please understand, that a black sheep can wear a Golden Fleece and hold a winning hand.” - Black Sheep Boy “Oh to die of kisses, Ecstasies and charms, Pavements of poets will write that I died in nine angel’s arms tonight” - The Amorous Humphrey Plugg “I swear on the wet head of my first case of gonhorrhea…” - Next “Plastic palace Alice, She steals her cards tomorrow deals with deafening despair” - Plastic Palace People “The cheerless day may bring us little dreams that seem to miss their mark but, oh, my darling, wait until dark” - Wait Until Dark (*swoon*)

My favorite Scott Walker album, love every song on this album. The flamenco-esque influences on some songs are dope, nice and upbeat, just fantastic.

The first 4 Scott albums are pretty hard to beat in therms of theatrics and baroque pop uniqueness. This album has basically every instrument you can think of on it and some you didn’t. The lyrics are interesting (if not controversial) which makes this record deeply layered and fun to relisten to. I still think I like Scott 3 better, but this one is good too. Favorite track: Jackie Least favorite track: The Bridge

So weird and kind of awesome. He's like a crooning Eric Burden with the humour of Nick Cave and Warren Zevon performing an operatic spaghetti western in Vegas.

The borrowed line “whenever rain appears/it’s really angel tears” should be a mawkish splat, but Walker lets it pass like the regretful afterthought of a minor god. He had something, a certain laconic intensity that is both exciting and fatalistic. I knew a handful of songs from this from compilation - Julian Cope’s most likely, and those hit me harder today than they did ten or twenty years back when I first heard them. The preponderance of covers, especially the heavy lean on Brel, suggests was just thrown out, a sketch on the run, which I like; the rich arrangements are camouflage (and there are some interesting BBC arrangers contributing to this, worth following up) - the dude was shooting on the move.

I don't know how to rate this... At first I was put off by another "crooner record" (and the Phil Spector wall of sound) but then halfway through "Jackie" the lyrics caught my ear and I had multiple double-takes. Then "Next" comes in and it is clear that this isn't Tony Bennett: these Jacques Brel songs have something interesting to offer. Overall it's the type of thing I'm hoping to encounter on this list: something I've never heard of, something outside my usual listening, and something that, on reflection, was probably groundbreaking and influential.

Three years since I listened to the quartet properly, and I knew I would love Scott 2 standing by itself. It's a nearly perfect night-out album, with Walker pushing the boundaries while remaining eminently listenable. Basically the good version of the Dion record I heard yesterday. Spectacularity is inconsistent, as it maybe must be. But pop Scott Walker and weird Scott Walker are all worth listening to, preferably in big blocks.

Heerlijk, wat een stem. Wat een bijzonder tekst bij "the girls and the dogs"

is this what it means to be a theater kid?

Great voice. Dull as fuck songs.

Scott 2 deserves 2 stars. Boring. I would rather see a movie than listen to it

This album is poetic and cheesy and hilarious and baroque and misogynist and original. The lyrics undoubtedly represent the experiences of a particular generation of men. However this means it hasn't aged very well - today it feels a bit like Ron Burgundy sings Sinatra.

I get that he has a good voice, and that in 1967/1968 this career path was a bit unusual (Harry Styles sings Wagner?) but the MOR (plodding) production coupled with the somewhat unpleasant nature of the Brel songs in particular (and their hectoring delivery) just makes for a smarmy mess that I really have no desire to listen to, despite the alleged quality of it all. Sorry!

Some said this isn't elevator music. They were right. Its far far worse. This is music to take the stair to avoid.

Boring crooner music. Not even interesting orchestrations. Especially with certain songs when compared to their original versions from Jacques Brel. I seriously don't understand why this album is on there and not any Brel's

I've never heard of this before. As the first song, Jackie, started playing, my eyes grew wide, and I mouthed "wow". Not sure what I expected but it certainly wasn't this. The song is filled with borderline inappropriate lyrics, and then halfway through I discover the singer was actually "Jackie". Didn't see that coming either! As much as I'd love to live-blog this album, I'll give the abridged version: - Psychedelic Cattle-driving song (the aforementioned "Jackie") - Weird Tom Jones - Vanilla Neil Diamond - Creepy James Bond Theme - Really creepy Spanish-themed soundtrack song ("Next", but could be called "Jackie Strikes Again") - Song to Murder Hookers To - Bad Trippy Beatles - Slightly Creepy Engelbert Humperdinck - Raunchy Rogers and Hammerstein - Sappy Burt Bacharach - If Ernest Hemingway was more misogynistic - Frank Sinatra sings a bad song. Glad I've heard this monstrosity, but will definitely never listen to this again.

Why did this over get added to the 1001 songs list? Just a waste of time. I didn't want to poke my ears out, but it was just so bad.

Shouldn't be on the list. I get it and he's charismatic, but a waste of a spot and a waste of time

Could've died without hearing this shit

I am trying to determine if I actively dislike this album, or if am just indifferent to it. Seems like a 1 if that is my thought process.

Hmmm. Usually I would give an album two stars if I don't like it but the music is inoffensive enough that I can sit through it. Although I did sit through this, and not want to rip my ears off, it was pretty bland and there are some other features that have really annoyed me about it. Firstly, how very fucking unoriginal to name your album after your first name, and not only that, this is Scott 2, the sequel to Scott as I later discovered, and furthermore the precursor to Scott 3 and Scott 4. The lyrics verge from the soppy to the downright misogynistic. I also later found out Walker was English, so even more unforgivable is his use of 'ass' rather than 'arse' (get it right if you must). On a more charitable day this would be a 2, but fuck you Scott, here's another 1 star review

I don't understand what is good about this.

I’m at a 5. I dunno, something about the “Disney” feel of this album really clicked for me – the blend of the orchestration, his vocal tones, & the rather rich & vivid lyricism on each track all fall right into my wheelhouse. I’m a big fan of music that forces the listener to feel involved, if only because I really enjoy trying to catch and figure out the vibe of each track. That’s not to say there’s not a place for easy listening “turn your brain off” music, because I adore that all the same. This is just an album that mixes the best sensibilities of both – really good lyricism & really easy instrumentation, that provides the “correct” soundtrack to each song. I’ll say this – this is mostly an album of covers, which does diminish it a little bit, but his delivery & poise & confidence on each track overrides that for me. It really is all in the delivery; something like “The Girls & The Dogs” only really works if you approach it with a Mary Poppins-esque whimsy. That works both ways, like with the triumphant vibe on “The Amorous Humphrey Plugg”, which wouldn’t feel the same without the bombastic tenors of his voice. Of the four tracks Scott wrote for this album, I think that one is probably the best, but there’s not really a miss here. It’s definitely not an album for everyone – to ignore the lyricism would probably lead to some variant of “pretentious orchestration by a man who’s trying too hard”, and to focus too heavily on the lyricism might lead to some variant of “pretentious poetry by a man who’s trying too hard”. I think this album finds a healthy balance, but the onus is on the listener to find that balance in their own right. Whether or not placing so much on the listener is a good strategy is for other people to debate. With that said, I don’t understand how this has an average of 2.46 on the site, because I really think it’s a 3 at worst. For my tastes, I really enjoyed this, & I think it’s deserving of a 5.

Brilliant

This album doesn't always hit, but holy hell when it does it fucking HITS!!! "Jackie" and "Next" are worth a spot on this list alone, and those 2 songs alone would bump this up a star rating. Then you add in the other incredible tracks on here and it just has to be a 5, no matter the few dud songs

Absolutely sensational. The divine depth of Scott Walker's brilliant voice accompanied by superb arrangements and production.

60% Bond theme, 40% mariachi band, 100% genius. His voice is heartbreaking.

Интересный альбом, по звучанию напоминает саундтрек к какой-то сказке. Обожаю барроко-поп за богатый ассортимент инструментов. Красивая оркестровая музыка

Bild, adventurous, unexpected. For those qualities I'd give it a 10, but combined with execution, technologies of the time and a certain pretentiousness it boils down to a flat 5. Extraordinary record, like so many of Scott Walker's.

The more I listen to Scott Walker, the more I appreciate his music. His work has really stood the test of time. The orchestration on this album brings out the baroque pop side beautifully, and his vocals are so powerful and expressive. It’s easy to see why his music still resonates today.

Did not expect this! A sort of dirty, sort of beautiful collection of musical stories with the some of the most wonderful arrangements I've heard in a while.

gloriously stylish, mannered drama

This record confirms how I’ve summed up Scott Walker: he’s Sinatra if Ol’ Blue Eyes had a habit of spiking his Jack Daniel’s with LSD. What a great sounding, wild and weird album this is. Scott’s vocal performance is outstanding, the stories in the songs are bonkers, and it’s filled to the brim with odd and interesting baroque music that’s unlike much else. Jackie is a killer opener, and every song thereafter is great.

Scott Walker's Scott 2 is a magnificent showcase of his artistry, blending an unparalleled ability to interpret songs with his original compositions. Released in 1968, this album solidifies Walker's status as a formidable singer-songwriter, capable of transcending the boundaries of popular music. From the very first track, Walker's baritone voice grips the listener with a deep emotional resonance. His performance, whether on covers or original pieces, is nothing short of mesmerizing. He brings a dramatic flair to each song, infusing them with poignancy and an intense sense of longing. The way he navigates the complex emotions of tracks like “The Girls from Ipanema” showcases his skill as an interpreter, breathing new life into classic songs while maintaining their core essence. When it comes to his own work, Walker's songwriting shines with a lyrical depth that is romantic to the extreme. Tracks like “It’s Raining Today” encapsulate themes of love and loss, wrapped in stunning arrangements that highlight his vocal capabilities. His knack for storytelling, paired with lush orchestration, creates a dreamlike quality that draws the listener into his world. The rich instrumentation complements his voice perfectly, making each song not just a performance but an immersive experience. Scott 2 is infused with a pervasive sense of romance and melancholy. The production captures a classic sound that feels timeless, with lush strings and thoughtful arrangements enhancing the intimate lyrics. This album is not merely a collection of songs; it is a cohesive journey through the complexities of love, longing, and human connection. In conclusion, Scott 2 exemplifies the brilliance of Scott Walker as an artist. His ability to perform both covers and original music with such passionate intensity defines this album as an essential listen for anyone who appreciates the art of song. It stands as a testament to his unique talent, ultimately marking Scott 2 as a landmark record in the genre of romantic music.

Never heard it before. Insane.

Anything by Scott Walker is good

I actually love this so much. I was not prepared to like this at ALL. So melancholic, debaucherous, lustful, old-fashioned. Jacques Brel meets Frank Sinatra? I listened to it three times in a row and enjoyed it each time.

Just like Scott 4, a superclassic Scott Walker album (nothing to add).

Got me horny tho

Scott Walker was a Plastic Palace Person operating high above the heads of everyone else. That song itself is like a Fellini film for all of its themes of innocence and artificiality, and the idea of young Billy floating blissfully above the world calls to my mind the opening sequence of "Eight and a Half". My take is this: Walker's music, so seemingly thick with syrup, so overindulgent and ambitious, it at first appears to be reminiscent of the usual orchestral pop-shlock of the 60s, the types of records you might find in abundance at Goodwill these days; but listen again and you start to discover a dynamic very artistic aesthetic that could never be found with Bing Crosby or in the career of any other crooner who's ever existed. This is the strange and alluring magic of 1960s Scott Walker, a young man ahead of his contemporaries and unwilling to share their style at the risk of being misunderstood and labeled as unfashionable.

The clash between the voice and instrumentation and expected subject matter is such fun. Really marvelous.

I know the Breul covers, Jackie has been a favourite song for decades. Next is magnificent. But the originals are new to me and holy shit. Masterpiece. The Girls From The Streets is the perfect follow up to Next.

This is brilliant. Laugh out loud funny. It’s so stupid, the lyrics, the strings, the whole ridiculousness of it all.

Chamber pop at its finest.

Edit: Scott 4 is still better, but this gets a 5 too. I love this weirdo and his weird ass music. I was so on the fence about him when I heard Scott 4, but I’ve since completely embraced his music. My favorite songs on this album are “Best Of Both Worlds,” “Black Sheep Boy,” and “Come Next Spring” but honestly it’s all pretty good. I think in general I preferred Scott 4 to this, but I like this a lot as well.

Wow wow wow. What an album. Pop, baroque and weird combine in the most beautiful of ways. Also, the second cover of the same Jacques Brel song I've had in a week. This was the better version. Buying it. And soon.

This is absolutely my jam. Love it.

I've listened to this album before, about a year-and-a-half ago when my parter listened to it, and I remember being caught off guard by its quality, but otherwise forgetting most of the album, with only one or two tracks making it into my regular shuffle. However, re-visiting this album all this time later, I've heard far more that is obviously inspired by this record, such as The Divine Comedy, and I've in turn fallen in love with this style of music. The amateur-ish yet insanely captivating vocals, the questionable yet charming lyrics, and God those strings! The whole ensemble of instruments on this record in general is flawless, and makes the album what it is. Most of the songs are covers, and I feel that does help Scott Walker's serious case of "Huh?" lyrics, and I'd happily swoon over this album time and time again if it were only to enjoy each orchestral sweep, dive, and peak. Its an album that somehow displays raw emotion whilst feeling cold and distant, and I think the idea of a crooner in the late 60s matches this feeling perfectly. The style is dying out, the art of music is moving on, and yet something about this simple baroque pop record leaves a massive impact on me. If this is what I have waiting for me with the rest of Walker's material, but even better, then sign me up.

From the first few seconds on track one, I thought I was going to hate this...how wrong I was! I think it's the surprisingly perverse lyrics that keep popping up unexpectedly that is so entertaining. I love it!

Beautiful and a great cover of Next!!!

Unexpectedly enjoyable. There's some low reviews on here, but I'm not in agreeance with them. Whilst the songs can come across as a bit cheesy on first listen, they're full of interesting stories and characters. In fact, I was quite surprised by the directness in covering certain topics considering when the album was released. Didn't expect to like this as much as I did.

A great follow up to Scott, more complex songs, Scott walkers voice really shines in this one. The covers and Scott's original music form a fantastic whole, his songwriting in particular is very good. A very playful album, juvenile feelings delved deeply into

So very weird

Great album. Enjoyed will listen again

Loved it

a melancholy masterpiece, even at the time it was a towering achievement of a passing era

How goodly weird. "Next" was a fun listen. I imagine this album as something my art teacher would have playing in the classroom while students were working on projects or something. It's definitely something. It reminds me of Rocky Horror at some points, reminds me of Frank Sinatra at some points, reminds me of Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder) at some points. What a beautiful and strange album. What a weirdo! I love this. I'm keeping this one.

Yeah it's really good. Can't decide if this would be my pick of the 3 Scott albums before the masterpiece, but it's a worthy pick. Love all his Brel covers, but these are some of the dirtiest, in a grimy sense. Feel like you could catch something just listening to them, wonderful. The other covers are nice, Scotts original stuff is great. I would probably choose Scott 3, more of his original stuff.

Came very late in life to early Scott WAlker, and then there was a period when I listened to little else. The four first Scott albums are stunning and this one is possibly the finest.

Very enjoyable

pure joy

Glorious baroque pop with Walker’s fine, fine crooning voice. What must his Walker Brothers audience have made of this? An artist doing as he pleases, ignoring pop contention with full on orchestral, cinematic songs about dogs and girls from the street and mobile army whore houses. And kudos to Walker for championing the work of Jacques Brel, Belgium’s finest singer songwriter, bringing English translations of his incredible, majestic, poetic work. This is an album to luxuriate in, like a rich meal or a warm bath. Peerless.

This dude took an orchestra, a microphone, put them together and “cooked” as the kids say. You don’t hear this type of orchestral-pop-singing too often outside of the theater. And this dude NAILED it. For some reason kinda he reminds me of Barry Manilow. Not a bad thing. He did drop a soft f bomb in the song “Next” but I’ll forgive him. It was the 60s after all. It’s times like this when I really wish this website had decimals or a 10 star rating system because there were a couple songs that just didn’t get me going as much as I wish they had. Especially since the first song on the album hits you so hard it’s just a little disappointing to have those few mis-hits. 4.75/5 would be the ideal rating for this but fuck it. 5/5.

I always thought Scott Walker was like the Frank Sinatra for alt kids. And I mean that in the best ways. The vocals and orchestration pair extremely well here, but the experimental elements of the song writing, as subtle as they are, really elevates this album for me.

Never even heard of Scott Walker before this, had no idea what to expect. With a beautiful orchestra in the background and some amazing lyrics, not to mention Scott's amazing voice, this was a great listen! Dark and brooding, some crooning involved, but not in excess. Really enjoyed this! Saved tracks: Jackie, Black Sheep Boy, The Amorous Humphrey Plugg, Next, Windows Of The World

Brilliant album. Vibrato is a hit or miss for me but his is stunning. His resonance is notable too. Overall the production is also well balanced and pleasing.

very cool

so I listened to his first three albums and Scott: fucking amazing - 10/10 Looking Back With: Super fun, loved how he sounded like Judy Garland the whole time (if that was him singing, idk) - 10/10 Scott 2: I don’t know about this one, still really good but it had less creativity I still enjoyed it nonetheless. Like if Nick Cave wanted to make a Frank Sinatra type album, 9/10

Excellent "oude stijl" album met uitgebreide bezetting. Leuke melodieën, leuke of mooie teksten.

Hey, all! SCOTT 2 here. Yeah, I couldn't help myself. Anyway! I'm a couple of days behind on my album reviews right now, so I'll try to keep this a little brief. Off the top, I wanna say this: if I'd gotten this album even just a little while ago, I don't think I would have appreciated this album as much as I did. I mean, this is an album that's all about the lyrics, and I only just recently figured out how to enjoy and appreciate that stuff. I'll tell you for a fact, if you listen to this thing without paying attention to them, it's... Y'know, it's whatever. It's fine, I guess? Maybe a little sub-fine? You get some Disnsy-style orchestration and a guy who reminds me of Engelbert Humperdink, and,y'know... Sure? I had this album on while I was writing something else, and that was a mistake, 'coz not only did I not really have anything to say about the album, I couldn't think of much terribly positive I wanted to say. So giving the first side another listen and keeping in mind the importance of the lyrics... G'woof, goodness, yeah, it hits a lot better. 'Coz y'see, it's all exercises in contrast. It's taking these teen baroque pop orchestral arrangements and pairing them up with words that, well, let's just say they're not exactly sunny. And it's really interesting stuff, honestly. I can dig it. Although that's also why I still can't be all **that** gungho for this thing. After all, I just don't normally have the kind of focus required for a record like this. I mean, it really is all about getting immersed in the words and letting it paint a cinematic scene alongside how they're sung the orchestral arrangement. I can't see myself just putting this thing on casually. It's a "me" problem, absolutely, but it's also why I can see how this thing ended up with as low an average rating as it did. Y'know, I don't wanna assume too much about people, but if I had to guess, it seems mostly people only heard that Engelbert Humperdink voice and nothing else. Still, if you're the kind of person who loves to dig into lyrics and the scenes they can evoke, this is a pretty good one. And heck, even if I'd never do it casually, I could see myself going a little deeper on this thing myself... Just not right now. I got another thing to write.

Seriously good songwriting, epic conposition and equally stupendous production. They do not make music of this caliber in the modern era and it fucking shows. Scott Walker paints detailed scenes with his words and phrasing that teleport you into the story and allow you to go along for the ride. I'm a fan of this album and find it so soothing to enjoy a long drive with this as a soundtrack.

"Scott 2" is the second solo album by American-British singer-songwriter Scott Walker. Baroque pop is the musical genre and that's that. The album is an assortment of pop cover songs, selections from Jacques Brel and original songs. Commercially, it reached #1 in the UK and was critically well-received. A charging beat and orchestra open the album in "Jackie." It's a Jacques Brel cover. Walker's baritone vocals are quick and dramatic. He almost raps in spots as he dreams about living a life of luxury with brothels, drugs and other assortments. A song about remaining grounded. Walker covers a contemporary song in Tim Harden's "Black Sheep Boy." A traditional band with an acoustic guitar and drums with strings in the background. Hey, we got baroque folk. He's back home to rest but that's all; he'll be heading west. Swirling strings open "Plastic Palace People." Walker seriously signing. The song changes pace. There's an air of pyschedelia. Walker describing dreams of a child fearing the bleakness and phoniness of adulthood. There's a really creepy element to this song. Walker's voice goes deeper and sadder in his cover of Hal David and Burt Bacharach's "Windows of the World." Vibraphone and soft strings. A boy yearns for the rain of the day and shittiness of the world would go away. This album is beautiful sounding. Walker's baritone vocals are strong, emotional and dramatic. He sings, talks and raps some. It's a very eclectic selections of songs. The orchestral music is juxtaposed with mentions of brothels, losing virginity, drugs, nightmares, dreams and romance. The story-telling style in the songs reminded me of Leonard Cohen for some reason although the music, voice and story content couldn't be further apart. I liked his other album in the challenge "Scott 4" slightly better but this is a very good album and worth a listen for anyone.

I dig it.

Очень красиво, а какой голос!!!

Weird, but you cannot deny the production and ambition

I love how dramatic and bitchy this is. Will definitely listen again.

Never heard of before, loved the orchestral accompanimente and lyrics

I think I loved this, it was like it's music for a made up movie and it's just a real joy to listen too but you have to be in a specific mood and I'm not actually too sure what mood that is, still I had a riot

7/10. Great voice, kept it interesting. Good overall.

I love Scott Walker (not one of the best from his self-titled releases but it’s great)

Ridiculous and brilliant at the same time.

Big personality singer with backing instrumentals that highlight the highs and lows of the performance. Some of the lyrics just don’t match the vocal style and almost give a “I’m make this up while I sing it” feel. Other than that it’s great and at time a sincerely great experience. 7/10

Хорошо

being a cursory fan of a couple of Scott Walker's later albums, Scott 2 offered me more of a look at his origins, in a very different sort of musical lane. compared to the terrifying experimental music he would make in the latter stage of his career, this is a total cakewalk. that being said, it's not without its quirks. the lyrics, especially on the Jacques Brel covers, are often overtly sexual and a bit maudlin. they come across as something akin to show tunes, especially because of the grandiose orchestrations that are an omnipresent feature of the music. this is tagged as Baroque pop, but the inspiration seems to be less Baroque and more Classical, or even Romantic at times. my highlight, apart from the minor hit "Jackie", is the sensational arrangement of Henry Mancini's "Wait Until Dark". strong 7/10.