Scott 2

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Sun Oct 03 2021

4

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

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Wed Feb 24 2021

1

How bout NO, Scott.

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Thu Nov 11 2021

5

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

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Wed Jan 26 2022

1

what a bullshit

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Sun Jan 31 2021

5

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.

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Wed Mar 31 2021

5

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

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Fri Jan 29 2021

4

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

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Wed Oct 13 2021

4

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.

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Sun Aug 28 2022

5

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

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Fri Apr 30 2021

4

Exciting, unexpected entertaining

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Fri Oct 21 2022

2

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.

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Thu Aug 19 2021

1

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

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Fri Mar 19 2021

5

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

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Fri Mar 19 2021

5

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.

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Sun Aug 28 2022

5

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*)

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Sun Jan 31 2021

4

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

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Sun Aug 28 2022

4

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.

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Fri Oct 28 2022

4

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.

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Wed Nov 30 2022

4

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.

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Fri Jun 03 2022

2

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.

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Wed Feb 24 2021

1

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

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Fri Jun 18 2021

5

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

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Fri Jul 29 2022

5

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

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Wed Aug 17 2022

5

very cool

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Fri Feb 10 2023

5

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.

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Sun Feb 26 2023

5

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

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Sun Feb 26 2023

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.

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Fri Mar 31 2023

5

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.

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Tue Jun 27 2023

5

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.

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Wed Jul 12 2023

5

pure joy

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Thu Jul 13 2023

5

Very enjoyable

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Wed Aug 09 2023

5

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.

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Sun Aug 13 2023

5

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.

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Thu Sep 21 2023

5

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.

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Sat Sep 23 2023

5

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

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Thu Nov 12 2020

4

Magnificent in places, but I am inclined to agree with Scott's own view that is was a tad unfocused. Is it OK to like the people who ripped this album off more than the original?!!

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Fri Jan 22 2021

4

Really good, like it a lot. Not as interesting as his later stuff but I can see the roots being laid. Good lyrics too

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Thu Feb 04 2021

4

One for silly cooking

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Mon Mar 22 2021

4

asdasd

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Wed Jul 21 2021

4

Like Rogers & Hammerstein had relations with a jukebox.

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Sun Aug 15 2021

4

4/5 Nice voice and good songs, a little to long

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Fri Sep 17 2021

4

I don’t think Scott Walker is an acquired taste. You either love him or hate him. While I prefer his compilations of his work to the individual albums, this is still a strong, worthy listen.

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Thu Nov 11 2021

4

I liked it. Sounded kind of Burt bacharashy

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Wed Nov 24 2021

4

What a wild ride!

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Thu Dec 09 2021

4

Opulenz, Schwelgerei, Drama, garniert mit dichtem Streicher-Arangements, Glocken, Bolero und Bariton aus dunkel fließenden Toffee. Meine Güte, mir wird ganz weihnachtlich. Dieser Mann kann singen und er will es um sein Leben. Tolle Platte für eine glühende Nacht in nackt unter dickflauschigen Roben, heute Morgen knapp unter der 4 vorbei, aber ich freue mich auf kommende Kaminabende. Jetzt erstmal nen Obstgarten.

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Thu Mar 24 2022

4

I liked this - sort of timeless, really. Great voice, of course!

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Sun Mar 27 2022

4

This was great! I had expected this to me much darker like some of the other Walker's albums, which I don't entirely dig, but this is different.

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Fri Apr 15 2022

4

love how much the lyrical imagery seems to clash with the style. how is this from 1968?

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Wed May 04 2022

4

grand guignol x croon

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Wed May 04 2022

4

Dark crooning for the win.

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Wed May 04 2022

4

So when I heard the first minute of this I'm like "oh showtunes"shortness. I go look at the wiki to see what I'm listening to, get stuck in the reviews. I'm not sure I've read better reviews than the ones for this album.

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Thu May 12 2022

4

Ik vind het verrassend goed klinken. Klinkt een beetje als film-muziek. ****

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Fri May 27 2022

4

4.5

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Tue May 31 2022

4

ugh, 1968 again. Ok no, this was different and fun. The first song was incredible haha. It didn't quite reach that peak again, but I wasn't bored for even one second. Wild lyrics, fucking cool voice. I don't even care that most of it was covers. This just has to get a 4/5 - would have been full five if it was all originals.

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Thu Jul 07 2022

4

this was one of the most prototypical “wall of sound” albums i’ve ever listened to, and i think i understand what that means way more now. it was musically interesting, though i grew a bit bored midway through when it felt like we were getting the same themes over and over again. the lyrics made up for this, they were really funny in places, though some haven’t aged well. i don’t usually notice lyrics at all, so this was a welcome surprise. a fun listen, though i don’t think i’ll come back to it anytime soon.

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Thu Jul 07 2022

4

Some good tracks. At times redundant but overall an interesting listen

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Mon Aug 01 2022

4

Scott est absolument gigantesque. Seulement, Scott ne propose pas de country dans son repertoire, l'auditoire américain décérébré du générateur ne peut donc apprécier cet album.

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Fri Sep 02 2022

4

I liked it better than Scott 4, the previous album I heard on this project. The baroque pop stuff is always solid in my book, even if it's a little kitschy.

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Sun Sep 04 2022

4

Scott Walker is great. Haven't really listened to any of his records before but found this charming and grounded and pretty enjoyable. I like the mix of originals and covers, which as I understand it, this was the last one of his records with such a balanced mix. Always down to check out more of this stuff.

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Wed Sep 21 2022

4

Unexpectedly a lot of fun!

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Sun Oct 09 2022

4

Pretty good, not an all time fave but I still managed to like it a lot

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Wed Oct 12 2022

4

3.5

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Tue Oct 18 2022

4

Theatre kid core

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Thu Oct 20 2022

4

I'm surprised that this one has such a low rating. I think it's pretty good. He has an impressive voice, and the orchestration is great. I am a sucker for strings. My favourite songs were Next, The Amorous Humphrey Plugg, and The Girls and The Dogs.

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Mon Oct 31 2022

4

Genius and over indulgent is the same breath. I have never warmed to Scott Walker completely but hi influence on so many bands I love is inescapable

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Wed Nov 02 2022

4

Jackie is kind of a banger. Scott Walker has a really pleasing voice. The song lyrics seem very risque for this time period.

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Thu Dec 01 2022

4

Très bon comme baroque pop, fait un peu penser à du Engelbert Humperdinck, très smooth, parfait pour un souper de weekend en famille.

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Wed Dec 21 2022

4

Though this album of (mostly) covers doesn't hold a candle to his creative breakthrough "Scott 3," I always enjoy Scott Walker. Some of the lyrics are hilariously coarse, especially considering the time period. "Plastic Palace People" hints at the direction he will go in next and is a standout track to me.

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Fri Jan 20 2023

4

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Jackie, The girls and the dogs

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Tue Jan 24 2023

4

very good

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Mon Jan 30 2023

4

The tragic charm of a bygone lounge crooner, weaving tales of lost love and a childhood scathed. "Next" hit me especially hard, and "Come Next Spring" was a perfectly bittersweet closer.

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Wed Feb 01 2023

4

This is quite enjoyable, in an over-the-top and theatrical way, complete with its questionable lyrics. Jackie is clear and away the stand out track.

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Fri Feb 03 2023

4

Shagging the remains of an abortion out of your ex girlfriend is a wonderful remedy for grief. This record is the perfect soundtrack for it.

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Fri Feb 03 2023

4

Scott Walker may very well have one of the best voices of all time. While I don't quite jive with his music, I can recognize his outstanding talent. 4/5. Favorite Track: Jackie

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Wed Mar 01 2023

4

I like older, weirder Scott Walker, as a rule, but this still has much to recommend it. The Jacques Brel covers, in particular, go hard! Fave tracks - "Jackie", "Next", "The Girls and the Dogs"

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Fri Mar 10 2023

4

I adore Scott Walker. His is the voice I wish came from within me when I open my mouth to sing. This is a fabulously (over) dramatic album. Only reason it’s not 5 star is that it’s probably the one I return least of his first 4 albums. But that is an endorsement of the quality of the rest of those albums rather than a knock on this collection

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Fri Mar 31 2023

4

Musical theater ass album. Scott, buddy, this is commercial music in the 60s - not Guys and Dolls. Now with that being said, this cat is fucking cooking! 2 albums within 3 days using Spector’s wall of sound technique is kinda crazy!

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Fri Mar 31 2023

4

His first album is a 5, I think.

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Sun Apr 02 2023

4

Why don’t people like Scott Walker he’s so awesome, there’s a tonne of covers which brings it down a little but it’s still great 4/5.

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Wed Apr 05 2023

4

Walker sounds like a mix between Nick Cave and Frank Sinatra and I am here for it. It’s a little monotonous, but still very pretty music, would listen again. B

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Thu Apr 06 2023

4

I am obsessed with this album hahaha. It has the drama of a musical. Very theatrical lyrics and ensemble. Rather than singing along with the composed music, it’s very clear that the music is there to emphasize and compliment his voice. and his vocals are so strong. Fun!! Slay Scott The girls and the dogs was my fav

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Fri Apr 07 2023

4

This feller has an incredibly wobbly voice and some odd lyrics. Pretty good.

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Mon Apr 24 2023

4

Heat!!!!! Känns långt före sin tid men samtidigt ba koolt? Idk... måst lyssna mer Scotty

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Mon Apr 24 2023

4

Majestic songs performed with appropriate emotion. Mostly accessible and conventional arrangements, with only hints of the creative vision that would only fully be revealed much later in his career. Still, this is a great album on it’s own

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Sat May 13 2023

4

4.0 - Disjointed and much better as a sardonic takedown of big band crooning pop music, a sort of mash-up of Tom Jones with Frank Zappa. In that vein, “Next”, a Jacques Brel original, is a standout gem, the lyrics of which read like existentialist “lost generation” poetry. That song, as well as “The Girls and the Dogs” show that I’ve clearly underestimated Brel as a songwriter. Walker himself proves his songwriting chops on “Plastic Palace People” and “The Bridge”, both filled with their own striking images. Then there are a couple of detours into earnest big band crooning that I find paltry: “Wait Until Dark” and “Wisdoms of the World.”

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Mon Jul 03 2023

4

Okay, it looks really simple - thanks to this list I was introduced to the magnificent person, Scott Walker. After listening, twice, to the album "Scott 2" I have fallen into the deep hole of googling everything related to Walker in his career. I am absolutely amazed by his uncompromising standards and most importantly his amazing voice. How can a person like this make a fabulous rendition of "Jackie" by Jacques Brel, to collaborate with drone metal kings Sun O))) years later? This is just simply an enormous achievement. Going back to "Scott 2" - I didn't like every song, some of it was a pretty boring "French Movies Song From 60s" stuff, but when he surprised you, there was no coming back. It's not the best album in the world, but it opened another door for me, and just because of that I will remember it for a very long time.

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Thu Jul 13 2023

4

Second album on this list from this guy (the other pretty recent too) and I don't know quite what to make of it. It's not boring, anyway, and the music is well-voiced and well-produced. Bonus point for just really odd lyrical choices.

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Thu Aug 10 2023

4

What an absolute pleasure to listen to this album.

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Fri Aug 11 2023

4

I have always found Scott Walker's solo material odd (but in a great way). I like the orchestral, theatrical pop he embraced quite a lot. It may be over the top and overly dramatic, but that is the point. Jacques Brel, who is covered here, is like Bacharach on steroids. As a period piece it is a good listen.

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Fri Aug 11 2023

4

Really good.

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Thu Sep 14 2023

4

Really enjoyed this.

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Thu Sep 21 2023

4

Not my kinda music, but this one is damn beautiful

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Fri Sep 22 2023

4

Walker is such a unique and interesting musical presence - his voice alone is disarming and compelling, and he brings a theatric flair to pop that is hard to find anywhere else. This is a really solid album, though while still relying on covers of contemporaries (including a few by our friend Jacques Brel), his songwriting isn’t allowed as much room to shine as his next couple records that can really strike you down. I hope at least one out of ‘Scott 3’ or ‘Scott 4’ make this list as well, as they deserve the same recognition as this album. Three and a half. Fave track: Jackie

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Fri Sep 22 2023

4

This was pretty damn nice really. Sometimes in teeters on being too theatrical for my personal taste but an enjoyable listen. Fav track: plastic palace people 3.5

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Fri Oct 16 2020

3

The best ones were the Jacques Brel homages.

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Fri Apr 09 2021

3

false

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Wed Dec 16 2020

3

Majestic, swirling arrangements; Walker's warbling is a little over-the-top at points but engaging overall

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Thu Apr 15 2021

3

I don't think I've ever listened to a full album produced by Phil Spector before, which provides an interesting experience. The instrumentals do really fill up the record, which helps a lot in an album like this that I might not ordinarily like. It's another one of those times that I wish the rating was out of 10 rather than out of 5. This album is somewhere between a 3 and a 4 for me. The music is really cool, the words are mostly very uninteresting to me. I like his voice, though. 3/5

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Thu Feb 18 2021

3

This album started off strong with Jackie. There were some other songs that were very entertaining. Scott Walker has a very pop crooner sound. The band is a welcome change in this list. The last few songs kind of blended together and some songs were covers. Making this album only average.

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Mon Feb 01 2021

3

Litt tøft

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