Scott 2

How bout NO, Scott.

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

what a bullshit

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

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.

Sir, a second Scott Walker album has hit this list

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

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.

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.

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!

Exciting, unexpected entertaining

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.

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.

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

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.

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*)

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

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.

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.

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.

is this what it means to be a theater kid?

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!

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 don't understand what is good about this.

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

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

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

very cool

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

pure joy

Very enjoyable

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.

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.

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.

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

Loved it

Great album. Enjoyed will listen again

So very weird

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

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.

Beautiful and a great cover of Next!!!

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!

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.

This is absolutely my jam. Love it.

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.

Chamber pop at its finest.

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

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.

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

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.

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?!!

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

One for silly cooking

asdasd

Like Rogers & Hammerstein had relations with a jukebox.

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

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.

I liked it. Sounded kind of Burt bacharashy

What a wild ride!

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.

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

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.

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

grand guignol x croon

Dark crooning for the win.

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.

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

4.5

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Unexpectedly a lot of fun!

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

3.5

Theatre kid core

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

very good

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.

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.

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.

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

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"

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

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!

His first album is a 5, I think.