Scott 4

Thoughtful and beautiful arrangements, sorrowful lyrics. This is an album full of ballads and wonderful production. Not everyone's cup of tea, but impactful and serene while having consistent sad undertones, what a beautiful voice.

I really enjoy Scott Walker and have found a lot of artists on this list have been influenced by him but can't quite be him. I will say that I enjoyed the other Scott Walker album over this one. 4.5/5

Scott Walker is an incredible songwriter and composer. I've loved his albums Scott 3 and Bish Bosh, but this was my first time listening to Scott 4. I was definitely impressed. The layered instrumentals across the album were certainly embellished a bit from Scott 3, and the musical styling was more homogeneous than the chaotic mix on Scott 3. That being said, the small downsides of this were that the album was too clean, and the closer "Rhymes of Goodbye" didn't pack too much of a punch. All around great album though. 4/5.

Grata sorpresa ... voz preciosa. Art popavant-garde.

Opener is a banger shall see what the rest becomes. Loving this, World strongest man fav so far. Still loving it half way through Boy Child was a beautiful melody into a fun upbeat but still somber song, Hero of the War. Old man’s back again really mad you feel like a Stalinist. What a beautiful 30 minutes, Scott Walker has a beautiful voice and amazing musical choices. Great first album to him might listen to the other three Scott’s.

I do like this album, particularly the Old Man. A perfect 30 minutes of englishness. Thank god Scott existed.

This is the type of album this list is about! I have truly never ever heard of this artist before, but I ended up really liking this! Weird. But listenable. Not overlong, he has an interesting way of composing songs. A very singular voice. Operatic, dramatic, etc. I really enjoyed this! I listened to it twice!

a bit of a stunner from the big man.

With its warm production, tasteful orchestrations and of course beautiful voice, this album grabbed me from start to finish. 'The Seventh Seal' and especially 'The Old Man's Back Again' are incredible

No covers, no filler.

I think this album is fascinating. My favorite of Walker’s albums, I could probably give it 5 stars with more listens. It’s bizarre, but not as bizarre as much of his other work and much more accessible in a good way. His voice sounds great and the lyrics are interesting. The production and arrangements are so unique, it’s like there was no intention whatsoever for this to be popular. He’s like Sinatra on acid.

Great baroque album! Love this type of singer songwriter music. Such a vibe and very powerful. 4/5

Stunning great album.

I really enjoyed the unique sound and feel of this album. It hooked me right from the beginning The Seventh Seal. I liked all of the songs, but none really got there hooks into me. I can't see myself singing these under my breath in a few days. That said, I will definitely be listening to this record again.

Scott Walker seems like such an anomaly. He just seems to surprise me at every turn. Every decision he makes is like a left turn, where I would have gone right. It's amazing that such an iconoclastic person got the resources to make an album like this, full orchestra, choir, it's wild! Every line, confident yet strange. Much prefer this to some of the more hokey, medieval-themed adventures of people like Tim Buckley, whom we've had to listen to. This is just way more pleasant and fun. It's good all of the time, and sometimes *really* really good. 4/5

Grata sorpresa ... voz preciosa. Art popavant-garde.

This is the guy who does a bitchin’ rendition of Jackie. Shame it’s not on this album. But dude has a nice, rich dramatic voice and singing style. Good for story-telling songs. Fun to sing along with. The melodramatic lounge singing is absolutely feeding my starving soul. It’s like a sonic novela. So silly and serious at the same time. Hard not to love this. It’s infectious and ridiculous and really kinda fabulous. I can’t complain about something that makes me laugh this much.

this is absolutely beautiful oh my godddddddd "The Seventh Seal" is the perfect intro to an album i've ever heard in my entire life so so so good this is gonna be my summer album.

Ah, the much revered Scott Walker. First time listen, no wait, I know "Old Man..". I'd like to queue this to return to it on a different day in another mood. Because the circa Morricone × Crooner is pretty cool, I can already say, but it seems this is an album I should pay attention to and I don't quite have the patience today. Uhm, and this alone makes it a 4.

Cracking album….

Scott's still pretty poppy on this one, but there are definite hints of the weirdness to come. I reckon "Tilt" or "The Drift" shoulda been on this list rather than "Scott 2". Fave tracks - "The Old Man's Back Again" is freaking epic, and justifiably gets used in soundtracks to great effect. "The Seventh Seal" is also irresistible - a Morricone / Bergman mashup, c'mon!

3.5 - While I think I might prefer Scott 2 to this one, that could definitely change if some of these tracks grow on me. They're both pretty good, but in slightly different ways.

A voz dele só foi crescendo e ficando melhor! Terminei amando a voz e a interpretação. Entendi nada das letras! Várias melodias ótimas. As últimas três músicas do álbum foram mais difíceis. 86/100

very cool

What a weird and delightful album

lovely

Quite surprising, a fun album with some good tracks Not my usual choice but I would listen again

Gorgeous. His baritone voice is so powerful, and the stripped back instrumentation here really lets it shine. The guitar and strings are also top notch, perfectly emphasizing the vocals.

Stirring strings and Scott's full, round singing voice carry this. Nostalgic but not overly dated sounding. Standouts include Angels of Ashes and The Old Man's Back Again, but this was consistently good.

much better than I thought overall. Would like to listen some more.

Got that Tom Jones kinda sound, real show-boaty. Great voice, very theatrical, like the soundtrack to a musical or something.

Lovely baritone voice, lovely album.

3.5/5

Really good would listen again

Cool to write moody. Very dry dessert vibe

I had never heard of Scott Walker before, but I thoroughly enjoyed this album!

Orchestra pop. Really kind of liked it

4.3 - Great album, very old timey and warm

Half of it was great songs, other half was forgettable

I think finally I've seen the light with SW. I've tried before and it washed over. Today the commute was enriched by the guile and power of this album. Strong 4.

That Scott 2 did well commercially and Scott 4 bombed… that’s injustice

The coulda-woulda-shoulda-been-a-Bond-theme-crooner returns with a velvety vengeance!

It's immediately compelling. Overall enjoyable, it has a 60’s grooviness to several tracks, and lush instrumentation throughout. I personally enjoyed it, and it seems like this album and/or Scott Walker was influential to subsequent artists (Radiohead, Nick Cave), so I guess it has a important cultural relevance/context.

This is his best album. 1 to 3 are amazing as well but this one s the best

Beautiful album! Fantastic production and song quality packed in only 32 minutes. It is a bit strange that Scott 2 and 4 are included here but not the career highlight Scott 3. Do yourself a favor, listen to that one too :) love ya Scott

Deva nice!

Summary: Beautiful string arrangements, tasteful acoustic guitars, and light drums (among others) accompany Walker's confident baritone vocal in this excellent album. Some unusual mixing (especially with the vocals), but brilliant and luscious textures easily make up for this. The lyrics were really pretty too. The genre was difficult to pin down; Walker's one of those musicians that creates his own signature style. This was a tossup between a 4 and a 5, but I'm reserving the latter for unquestionable masterpieces, and a few questions could be asked about this album. The Seventh Seal: Lovely voice and dramatic, legato instrumental backing it in the intro. Either a weird vocal effect or a poor microphone setup gives it a semi-live feeling, but this mixes strangely with the studio-sounding percussion and guitars. Nice strings that only get better throughout the track. I'm finding it difficult to pin down the name of this style. Walker's powerful tenor-baritone is really something great. On Your Own Again: A brief, beautiful ballad. Sinistra-esque. Strings are again excellent. I wish this track had been extended. The World's Strongest Man: Not the direction I was expecting the lyrics to take based on the song's title, but it fits more with Walker's style. Something about the melody reminds me of a Billy Joel ballad, possibly in his River of Dreams era. Great stuff. Angels Of Ashes: The vocal is much louder in this track than previous ones, and it's a bit out of place. Very pretty acoustic guitar panned to the right, and some smooth strings (and occasional very high-pitched guitars? What is that instrument?) panned to the left. This song gave me chills, especially in the second half. Beautiful. Boy Child: We're back to the legato feel of the album intro. Another great track; not too much to comment on that hasn't already been said about previous tracks. Hero Of The War: The prominent, deceptively simple-sounding percussion gives this track energy we haven't seen thus far. At one point he pronounces "war" so that it rhymes with "tar", even though the previous line ended with "more". (Hmm.) Loved The Old Man's Back Again (Dedicated To The Neo-Stalinist Regime): Fantastic bassline. Bluesy melody, with heavy use of the major-IV chord giving a hopeful undertone to the primarily minor key. Gosh, this song is so good... I forgot to write things about it. Fun scatting in the outro. Duchess: A fairly nondescript but nonetheless beautiful track. (The main culprit was the very boring chords.) Love the smooth ending though. Get Behind Me: Fun verse, but it's the chorus where things really get crazy. Some choral harmonies and a very out-of-place electric guitar back Walker's powerful melody. The later verses are strong, especially with the acoustic guitar "hook". Uplifting. Rhymes Of Goodbye: A pretty, soaring waltz sends the album off on a good note.

Smooth

Grata sorpresa ... voz preciosa. Art popavant-garde.

Wonderful Torn between 4 and 5

first song got me thinking about ingmar bergman’s classic 1957 film for some reason

4.2 - Beautiful and lush arrangements, pretty lines of poetry at stretches when you care to pay attention, and Walker’s croony, maudlin baritone. This one is his artistic triumph and it seems to get better with more listens. Lots of stunners, particularly the deeply atmospheric “Boy Child” and the Gainsbourg-funky “The Old Man’s Back Again.”

He's got a nice voice I guess. Best song: get behind me

4 stars for Scott 4

The general sound is unique and sounds really good, and i like his voice a lot

Vibez 🐍 Nah all jokes aside a really nice album to listen to. Amazing deserves nothing less than a 4

Every aspect of this album shines. Right from the beginning of the album I was hooked. The opening track ‘the seventh seal’ is one of the best songs I’ve heard. The album features beautiful production that had no flaws. Scott Walker’s singing is amazing. There is even so much to gain from the lyrics of the album, especially on songs like ‘the seventh seal’ and ‘hero of the war’. This is a great album, I strongly recommend giving it a listen if you haven’t heard it yet.

Scott Walker has a lovely voice and style. His songs are always pleasant to listen to, even though some of them are rather basic. But even then, I liked this album as a thing in the background, with Walkers very soothing vocal range. Really positive record.

What an album!

Ok

Really enjoyed this album, how have I not heard this before

Really good!

On the surface, it's crooner music by a guy who missed his era. But underneath that, you have a baroque pop artist making music with unconventional song structures. Tracks like "Boy Child" never resolve but keeps going with sparse strings that create an ambiance that reflect the emotion in Scott's voice. I wasn't a fan of Scott 2 because it sounded like it lacked innovation and was too derivative of the likes of Jacques Brel. But this branches out. It's still accessible and consistent, but aims at being unique with unpredictable techniques that work in context. It's not for everyone, and some tracks shine more than others. But he gives every track his all, and there's always something peculiar to keep me engaged. Favorites: Angels of Ash, The Old Man's Back Again

Svelte.

Scott Walker is a good guy and does well on this album. There are stronger singers though and I think they could really do more by giving him less but more poignant instruments to sing too (even if that sounds counter-intuitive).

I liked this quite a bit!

Michael Scott 4 The Cure

Before today, I'd never heard of Scott Walker before. First thing that struck me was the nice, simple album title theme (Scott 4 being his fourth (not fifth as the review says) studio album). Scott sounds like a cross between Nick Cave (with the dark themes and baritone voice) and Leonard Cohen (with the odd bit of crooning thrown in). Scott's lyrics are very deep and dark, but beautiful (notably The Seventh Seal and Hero of the War). I would call this musical genre baroque pop or chamber folk perhaps. Overall, a pretty good album. Apparently this was quite the departure from his straight up pop music fare of previous albums. I think this is one of those albums not to listen to if you are depressed, because it will just make you more depressed. If you are in a good head space though, it is a beautiful record. Favourite songs: The Seventh Seal, Get Behind Me, The World's Strongest Man, Duchess, Rhymes of Goodbye, Hero of the War, The Old Man's Back Again (Dedicated to the Neo-Stalinist Regime) Least favourite songs: Angels of Ashes 4/5

Lyrically dark in a Leonard Cohen way, but beautiful and lushly orchestrated. This is England-Gothic-Chamber-Folk-Music ...Completely a category of it's own.

This is a really cool and interesting record. It contains: dark, brooding 'Murder Ballads' with male vocal choirs adding atmosphere (The Seventh Seal); longing songs of heartbreak and self deprication (World's Strongest Man); country and folk infused songs of sadness (Duchess); lush singer songwriter pop (Get Behind Me); and a few examples of croonfest (On Your Own Again). All of it is held together by Walker's emotive baritone vocal, soaring strings and sad atmosphere. I really like this. Rating: 4.5/5 Playlist track: The Seventh Seal Date listened: 24/06/23

This is great. As a fellow annoying whiner, I can always enjoy a nice old whiny album. Leonard Cohen but by a guy that looks like Han Solo. Gotta love it.

-Retrospectively Reviewed on 17/06/23 (generated: 14/06/23)- BL: Never heard of Scott Walker before but interested to hear AL: very solid album. Loved the Ingmar Bergman reference at the start. Held pretty solid the whole way through. Excellent examples of 60s counterculture lyrical witticism. His voice is also excellent. My only problem with the album is the strings throughout, makes it feel quite overproduced when I think the album would’ve been stronger with a more acoustic sound. Enjoyed though. FT: “The Seventh Seal”, “Hero of the War”, “the old man’s back again” 4/5

Classic stuff

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seventh_Seal I guess he played the Scandinavian defense...

A fine record, I think that it is quite concise, which saves it from a 2.

Nice

4.25

Old man's back again is such a dope song, the rest of the album doesn't hit quite the same but still solid

A cinematic exploration of folk and orchestration. Really wowed through the listen. Resonant with classic 60's music while also leading a clear path to future use of orchestration by bands like Radiohead and the Flaming Lips

so great

J’ai vraiment aime le viobe et l’album en son entierete. 3.85

Cool, distinctive in an interesting way

The voice pulls back in the orchestration, prefiguring Walker's upcoming work. Funny enough, the overt musical styling gets stereotypically American as the record concludes. Scott 4's lyrics are highly evocative, but they're understated, perhaps not the best introduction. As before, I find it nearly impossible to fairly rate it as a project standing alone. Are all four Scott x records perfect? Likely not, but I still think they provide a perfect gliding progression into the spiky later life.

Interestingly theatrical. 7/10

Slow burn but grew on me

Muy interesante

Reminds me a bit of Neil Diamond. I enjoyed this album.

first listen fantastic and timeless, definitely makes me want to ride a horse in new mexico

fine. a bit on the bland side maybe?

How fancy! Scott has a knack for compositions that showcase how much more pop music can be. Great voice for it too.

Tranquille.

Well. The first track is a re-telling of Ingmar Bergman's film The Seventh Seal which sounds a bit like the opening of a late 60s/early 70s TV show that reminds us each week of the show's premise (à la Gilligan's Island, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Brady Bunch). That just seemed a little strange to me. The rest is less weird and very much of its time. Walker's voice and the orchestrations are lounge-singer cheesy throughout. But that is not necessarily a bad thing. The music definitely evokes an era and gets better with multiple listens. Walker's wikipedia page is fascinating and I am interested in hearing something that would cause a reviewer to say "imagine Andy Williams reinventing himself as Stockhausen."

Great album, delicate and strong

I was pleasantly surprised with this one. I didn't listen actively to it, it doesn't really as the soundtrack for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2, but it managed to captivate me enough that I'll definitely check it out again! 4/5

In the hunt for a climate where his muses can be indulged without question and judgment, before he tilted down the drift where mediocrity reigned, the final album in the Scott tetralogy sees the Boy Genius start paving the road that would lead down to what would become wicked, demented and all together unlikely brilliant. War heroes, European art films and invasions of countries coalesce in an album that sees the 30 Century Man operate at his finest. A fine album to understand who Scott was and who he would become. Favorites: The Seventh Seal, On Your Own Again, The World's Strongest Man, Boy Child, Hero of the War, The Old Man's Back Again, Get Behind Me.

I enjoyed this album very much on first listen and I feel it warrants a deep dive. Stylistically very different from my usual fare as he definitely has the voice and sensibilities of a crooner. But the arrangements grabbed even on the first listen and make me want to get to know them. 4 🌟

Really enjoyable. I had no idea what to expect. What a treat. Seriously. I can't think of anything else to write. Added and going to explore his solo work, and The Walker Brothers.

The Old Man's back again! The last in a line of straight forward classic solo albums by Scott. Baroque chamber pop with elegant arrangements and Walker's amazing voice - hugely influential on many artists. The Seventh Seal and On Your Own Again are a fantastic one-two kick off, The Old Man's Back Again is drama in song and Rhymes of Goodbye end on a bittersweet note.

Really enjoyed it for the type of music it is. It's like Perry Como or Andy Williams - people that are good, but I don't often listen to. Every song on the album quickly felt familiar and comfortable to me. I enjoyed it. 4/5.

Moving further away from the Scott Walker we all knew and loved and nearer to the Scott Walker that the musically adventurous of us know and love even more.

On the surface this is pretty standard 60s pop music, but there’s a weird, dark beauty lying underneath that makes it really cool.

Stunning voice - probably better on the big hits of the Walker Bros tbh, but that's because as an uneducated luddite, I rather enjoy pop hits vs "this is music to MAKE YOU THINK"

I like this a lot. It's very brooding and European sounding, like a soundtrack to an imaginary film. His voice takes a bit of getting used to (you might say it's an acquired taste).

Not for everyone, perhaps. But overwrought songs about depression and foreign films are pretty much my jam.

surprisingly enjoyable even though didn't know any tune nodded along all the way, could hear this being played at Christmas. 3.8

large arrangements, lyrically smooth, veering on the side of easy listening. Incredile production for its time.

Oh I fucking love this.

Pretty

Classy album full of colour, one of the few ‘crooners’ who I enjoy listening to, lyrically and musically engaging all the way through. And the baseline on ‘’The Old Man’s Back Again’ is something else!

A total surprise. Every individual element of this album combines perfectly to create a beautiful and effortless listening experience. Will definitely come back to this but I am also now intrigued to explore more of Scott Walker’s work.

What a pleasant surprise this album was. Liked the Seventh Seal, other songs reminded me of the ending track from Monster.

Love it. Haunting lyrics and vocals. Folky instrumentation, but harkens a... what's his name... a feeling of a spaghetti western

Silky smooth voice, reminds me a lot of Richard Hawley

short album whoo! he has a lovely voice. This was actually very good wow Favorites: The Seventh Seal On Your Own Again (wow) Angels of Ashes The Old Man's Back Again Duchess

Приятный, лёгкий альбом. Но когда пытаюсь вспомнить, какой трек зашёл, в голове играет какой-нибудь Andmoreagain. Только дело в том, что это трек группы Love, вышедший 2 годами ранее. О которых я даже относительно давно не вспоминал уже. Посему пришёл для себя к выводу, что конкретности и внятности, "лица" альбому немного всё же не хватает. Впрочем, на момент прослушивания ощущения звуковых обоев вроде бы нет. Трек про Старого мужика посвящён сталинизму. Думаю, хотя бы куплет можно посвятить тому, что именно благодаря Сталину были осуществлены индустриализация, культурная революция, ускорена урбанизация, достигнуты успехи в науке и, не в последнюю очередь, Великой Отечественной войны. Без взгляда с этой стороны текст трека нахожу некорректным.

Scott Walker's production has always been a little unhinged, but some of the songs on this record really work for me. A nice combination of interesting lyrics to dive into, big string arrangements and some dark harmonies. Fav tracks: The Seventh Seal, Hero of the War, The Hold Man's Back Again

Really enjoyed revisiting this one. Scott Walker has such a striking voice and singular perspective in his writing. I was surprised that I found it a little less compelling than I did when I first listened to this album maybe a decade ago. Still, a really strong collection of memorable songs. My favourite is either "The Seventh Seal" or "Hero of the War". 4.5/5

This is a gem.

4/5

Viel prachtig samen met mijn rustige morgen, vandaar de 4 sterren. Op elke andere dag: 2 of 3, afhankelijk van hoe chagrijnig ik ben...

Nice, easy listening album. Not my usual cup-of-tea. Would recommend to my parents.

Good Ol Scott!

Spooky, beautiful, and classic

I love Scott Walker but perhaps more so when he is part of the Walker Brothers band. I listened to this twice, and enjoyed more on the second listen. Beautiful orchestral music by a talented composer

Oh yeah, strong start. Like a Tom Jones 007 feel. I like the spaghetti western sound of "The Old Man's Back Again". The only one I didn't like was "Boy Child". There's something about the way he sings that makes it difficult for me to take it totally serious, but I found it a fun and enjoyable listen.

I'm a huge fan of his 78 album "Nite Flights" with the Walker Brothers and his more experimental output that came after but less excited by his earlier material. Can definitely hear where Bowie took some inspiration for vocal phrasing here and there. The song that I like the most on this one is "Boy Child" - it's the closest thing to the strange and suspenseful mood he creates in his later work that I love so much.

I thought the second half of this album was stellar baroque pop. Lush strings, great singing and interesting lyrics to boot. I like Scott Walker’s early stuff a lot. This makes me want to listen to his early stuff. Favorite song: The Old Man's Back Again (Dedicated to the Neo-Stalinist Regime) Least favorite song: On Your Own Again

Great stuff that bears repeated listens.

Sounded like elvis

Scott Walker. Nuff said

It was enjoyable. Very nice vocals. Lyrics are a bit on the wild side.

I liked the first track, the seventh seal. And generally, I like this style of music. I found the album enjoyable to listen to, however, I think it was a little mediocre for the genre.

This guy seems like a hell of a songwriter, and this album could surely be a great experience. Maybe I'll be inspired to listen to it again some day when I'm a little less busy and I can appreciate it more, but I never had a point where I was wholly invested in what I was hearing.

Great dark vocals and sound ambient. Really cool album!

Scott Walker has one of the great baritones in pop music history, and Scott 4 is the record where his original songwriting fully takes over from covers — lush orchestral arrangements, strings and bass doing genuinely interesting things underneath, a European cabaret darkness borrowed from Jacques Brel that gives the whole thing a dramatic intensity conventional pop of the era wasn't attempting. "The Seventh Seal," a song adapted from an Ingmar Bergman film, tells you everything about where his head was and nothing about why this would be anyone's idea of a good time. The honest verdict is don't hate, don't like, would never reach for — which is a three delivered without ambiguity or apology. The voice is real, the arrangements are considered, the songs are interesting in the way that things can be interesting without generating any pull toward return visits. It sits at arm's length and stays there for the full runtime. Whether it belongs on a list of 1001 essential albums is a fair question. The answer is probably yes, but for reasons that have more to do with the through-line to Bowie and a generation of British art-pop than with anything this particular listener needs from a record. Influence and listenability are different categories, and Scott 4 earns its place firmly in the first one.

Well that was melodramatic, batshit, starting the album in a Bergman film.. And a fair decent listen. Love the feel, overall baroque pop angle but Some of the songs don’t quite hit for me so can’t give it a higher score, but the overall trip was OTT, orchestrated, dramatic fun. 3 Star

I had never hear of Scott Walker, so this was an interesting discovery. Similar to the Carpenters in that way. He has a beautiful voice, and while I thought his delivery was a bit stiff, it was still really nice to listen to. These songs and arrangements must've sounded totally retro when they came out in the late '60s. Thematically they're more like dramatic Broadway numbers, but with pop song structures and some psychedelic guitars working their way in on occasion.

Was aware of Scott Walker But never listened to any of his stuff. Can hear his influence on so much of the music I love (Radiohead, Richard Hawley etc) It’s very pretty. Will dig in to more of his records. Favourite track: hero of the war

Better than I was expecting. Fav tracks: The Seventh Seal, The Old Man's Back Again

Esperaba lo peor, por que el Scott 2 me pareció un rollazo. Pero bastante bien, aunque solo me guardo: The old man's back again. Un sonido como de temas de James Bond constante. Interesante.

Sad.

A bit bland at times, but Scott Walker has a damn good voice. His voice really fits fantasy/sci-fi themed songs. Favorite Track - Hero of the War Least Favorite Track - The World's Strongest Man ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This would likely not have landed with me at all in earlier times. This morning it did. I think I sort of get it now.

Smarmy. 3/5

Scott Walker is another new name for me, love it. Just from the album cover, I find you start to draw up some early theories about what you might be about to listen to; I envisioned piano and some potentially vain or pseudo-profound lyrics, especially naming an album after yourself like this. "The Seventh Seal" surprised me then, to start with some Spanish guitars and a medieval tale, tambourines and strings kicking in later. It was, honestly, kinda cool! "On Your Own Again" with it's subtle instrumentation and Walker's voice made for something quite beautiful, with the pick up in the middle with the strings was really great. For similar reasons, "The World's Strongest Man" was also nice to listen to. ...By "Angels of Ashes", I am starting to grow bored of the same formula being used yet again; why isn't there something like the first track mixed in with all this? And again with "Boy Child"!? I can see why some people said this feels like 'depression the album'. Despite this, I cannot deny that the between the vocals and instrumentation, it is really great music. All this somberness is just too clumped together; I feel gaslighted by the opening track haha. It finally broke with "Hero of the War", although the lyrics were still in that vibes, the drums and upbeat tempo of Walker's voice was enough to feel like fresh air after all the humdrum. The thumping bass, Gregorian chants and swagger in Walker's voice made "The Old Man's Back Again" probably the best track on this album. The lyrics too; it's like if Nick Cave could actually sing! Other songs enjoyed, regardless: "Get behind Me". Overall there was nothing utterly repulsive here, but I am gonna need to listen to something else to pull me back up again. Would be happy to listen to more of Walker's work.

3.2/5 reminds me of soft back

Wasn't bad Pop music but nothing really stood out to me.

One of those rare cases where the album improves as it goes. First half had me cartoonishly throwing up in the closest trash, it's sappy as hell and textbook antonym of 'variety'. "The Old Man's Back Again" and "Duchess" were my favorites fo sho. Still sappy though for sure and lacking in variety overall. Too much of the same stuff.. some good songs though

One of these middle of the road, forgettable album Perfect 3/5

Alex Turner empezó a cantar como este señor 3.5

Like his other stuff it starts strong but gets weak over time.

Wow that was weird and wild! Cult folk artists are some of the strangest discoveries.

This feels a bit Neil Young-esque to me. I don't mind this, it's a pleasant listen and relaxing. I don't feel overly drawn to it tho, not that it's bad but not gripping me enough to come back for more. There are a few nice tracks, and I like those decently enough, but not stand-out. Fav Track: The Old Man's Back Again

Cool 60s sound - OK but no real standout songs

not too bad

The kind of songs you’d hear in a tarintino movie, pretty solid

Somehow this music makes me think of what Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau would be if he were an Anglophone singer-songwriter instead of a German art song performer (which I wonder if other classical music fans would confirm??) - an earnest baritone with real emotions, but also the ironic distance of a performer playing a (necessarily artificial) role in something carefully crafted and composed

still has a good voice on this outing. pleasant album

Ahh that's who Scott walker is

na vikipediji između ostaloga stoji kako su njegovi prethodni albumi često sadržavali obrade, i to "nekoliko prepjeva pjesama jacquesa brela", što se itekako čuje na ovom u potpunosti autorskom albumu. standardno unutar svoga žanra (piše "orkestralni pop"), solidno čak. ništa vanredno i ništa što bih ovako ciljano slušao, ali bilo je ugodno preslušati. stvar »the old man's back again«, isticana kao najbolja, fakat nije loša. ne razumijem hejt koji jako puno ljudi na ovoj stranici baca... valjda album stvarno malo ljudi jako jako obraduje i obori s nogu, pa dobije u konačnici lošije ocjene. no meni je minimalno za trojčicu

Very laid back and quite enjoyable.

bit too thoughtful while singing, same mood for every song. some father john misty elements when it comes to voice or musical arrangement

Teatral e melodramático. O foco mora nos vocais, mas a instrumentalização é interessante o suficiente pra me agradar, e complementa bem a voz de Scott e seus contos deslumbrantes. 3/5

I haven’t saved many tracks from this album but yeah, I definitely can hear how much it must’ve influenced so many of my favourite artists. And it sounds pretty good considering how old the record is.

I thought the voice sounded familiar, and then after I listened again I realized it was he who was in the Walker Brothers. Not a bad album overall, keeps some of the same sound that The Walker Brothers sounded like. At least its not Tom Waits...

Is this enjoyable in the background? Yes. Do I think it deserves to be in the best albums in history? Definitely not

I have not heard this before. I’ve listened to some later Scott Walker albums but he’s an artist I’ve kind of slept on even though a lot of my musician friends talk him up. This album is a lot less weird than what I’ve heard before, there’s a nice late 60s baroque pop sound with good melodies and instrumentation, but nothing that is particularly memorable. I like it just fine.

stabil aber nichts besonderes. 2.75 sterne

He has a great voice and sings well. The songs are boring, unfortunately (except for the opening track). 3/5

I'm not a huge Scott fan despite my best efforts. It's not bad though

It’s at turns compelling then boring.

Found a couple new songs but overall just ok

This was an interesting listen. It sort of had the usual tropes of crooner music but done in kind of an abstract way. The strings and backing vocals sort of float through the pieces which are anchored by a solid band that has to navigate through some interesting chord changes. The thing that really blew me away though was how well the music was recorded and mixed. It sounds way beyond the quality of recordings for the year of 1969. Every single song on this album is interesting however I do have a hard time remembering any of them after one listen as his singing style kind of seemed one dimensional by the end of the album but his voice sounds great and he sings well on every piece. Definitely looking forward to digging into his discography.

Me cuesta un poco.

The man who inspired a million pub singers clears his throat and, wisely, sings a bit less at you this time. Compared to Scott 2, the operatic croon is dialled back, the drama trimmed, and the whole thing feels more human. Still lush, still moody, but now with space to breathe — like Scott’s swapped the spotlight for a comfy chair. Thoughtful songs, classy arrangements, and nothing that demands your full emotional collapse before 9am. Not spectacular, but very solid. Goes down easily. Ideal for the drive into work, as long as you don’t catch yourself trying to sing like him at the traffic lights.

apaisant mais pas exceptionnel

Kæft det her er fedt! Lidt for meget Michael Bublé på "The World's Strongest Man" Lidt for meget christmas carrol på "Boy Child" Vinder lidt tilbage på "Hero Of The War"

*64 A little bit of both. Jeg havde håbet på mere.

Det her synes jeg var ret fedt - Det var meget noget jeg hørte i baggrunden, men det kunne noget.

Det er noget funny noget, det her Jeg må indrømme, at jeg ikke rigtig ser det her albums berettigelse på listen Ikke dårligt, men jeg tror ikke, jeg ser Scott Walker-lyset lige foreløbigt. Virkelig weird lyrik på mange af numrene. En lille 3'er. 2.8

Stor 3'er. Har aldrig hørt det før, men synes faktisk at der var nogle rigtig fine (og nogle ret mærkelige) numre.

Scott får meget kritik i de globale Reviews. Jeg kender ikke de 3 foregående album, så jeg kan ikke relatere. Jeg synes egentlig at albummet starter overraskende godt på intro nummeret, men hurtigt bevæger man sig ind i en trance af den samme monotone lyd i 30 minutter. Intet super godt, intet super dårligt. Bare middelmådigt. 2,5/5

Ved ikke helt, hvad jeg skal mene om det her album. Sådan set okay musik, og synes der er et par ret gode numre i mellem. Men en lidt sjov genre, og har ikke meget erfaring med baroque pop. Kommer nok heller ikke til at blive overvundet af det her album. Tror vi er over 2,5 men ikke meget.

This album came off really well in contrast with the Scritti Politti album before it haha. The music isn't remarkable, but I appreciate aspects of it. I quite like Scott's singing voice. It reminds me of Nick Cave and Dexy's Midnight Runners at times and is giving crooner vibes. There's good variety in the musical style of the tracks too.

There were moments of gold on here, the old mans back again, and Duchesse, these songs felt like Scotts voice was working reallyyyyy well, beautiful strings and a funky bass line to make it smooth, with these angelic male choir vocals deep in the back. That being said, I really debated going with a 2, but the few amazing songs on here made this worth the listen through in my opinion. The other songs just didnt do it for me, felt like his voice was clashing.

Libe kuulamine hea produga, aga siin pole midagi revolutsioonilist ega väga meeldejäävat. Oma aja kohta äkki väga uuendusmeelne, aga tõtt öelda ei tea ma selle ajalugu. Kuulaks uuesti, aga veits tavaliseks jääb see plaat. 3.2/5

🤷‍♀️

Rv

Liked his voice, the clarity of the sound and the ability to follow stories with ease. Not favorite new artist, but I enjoyed the time together

Best Song: The Old Man's Back Again (Dedicated To The Neo-Stalinist Regime). A cool, dust-blown, spaghetti western feel. Worst Song: Angels of Ashes. It sounds like he's trying to ape Sinatra. Overall: Really rides the line between interesting and annoying. It does that "faux-theatricality" thing that I dislike, and despite having a relatively weak singing ability he has a tendency to oversing (I think he put about 6 extra syllables in the word "snow") but his little vignetted stories are actually kind of compelling. Dated, but in a way that makes you vaguely nostalgic for some sepia-toned memories you don't actually have.

Esta bueno, no es un genero que le mate( y hoy creo q no estaba para escucharlo del todo) asiwue ni li disfrute taaaanto

A good album, I liked Seventh Seal the most.

Great voice, I need to spend more time listening to lyrics.

Wow, I really like Scott's voice. I don't think this is necessarily an album I would come back to a lot, but I found it pleasant to listen to.

Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5

The songs all have a very similar style and sound to them. It works very well on some tracks, and considerably less well on others. It's not really my thing.

Decent symphonic pop album that doesn't overstay it's welcome. Solid breadth of musical diversity, but lacking a true standout track that grabbed me. Inoffensive and overall okay. Top tracks: Angel Of Ashes, The Old Man's Back Again, Get Behind Me

1960s crooning?

This was a nice trip to the 60s. I didn't love it, but I liked it. Three stars.

6/10

Nice blend of 60’s and 70’s styles. Definitely a bridge album between those decades. Scott’s crooning borders on the comical but it works. May listen to more of his discography.

I like that he wrote all of the songs on this one, but still meh for me. Probably 2.5 but gets a bump for originality and the last 2 songs picking up.

The crooner vocals were not my favorite, esp on the first half of the record. The second half was much better and Get Behind Me was actually a pretty good track. Hero of the War was ok, as was The Old Man and Rhymes of Goodbye. I'd be fine if I never heard this again but was glad for one listen.

Kolejna płyta, która gdzieś się rozmywa i nie zostaje w pamięci. Przyjemny wokal, ale nie jestem w stanie nic więcej powiedzieć. Gdyby beżowy nagrał album to brzmiałby właśnie tak. 6/10

Not my jam, but decent music.

this was cool!

I didn't hate it

Fine listen with no major stand outs but enjoyable.

For anyone who logically assumed this was Scott Walker's fourth solo album, I hasten to disappoint you — it's his fifth. The oddities don't end there. Listeners and critics of the late 1960s misunderstood the juxtaposition of a pop baritone with lush, cinematic orchestral arrangements and ignored the album to such an extent that the label decided not to reprint it (the first reissue wouldn't be released until 1992). Yet the record still managed to reach the right audience, as echoes of its mysterious atmosphere can be felt in Pulp, Suede and Nick Cave, as well as in some works by Alex Turner and Brendon Urie. Walker, however, continued to pursue increasingly avant-garde experiments right up until the very end, beating raw meat with a hammer and clanking machete blades during studio recordings, and even released a collaborative album with Sunn O))). However, that's another topic.

Weird, not terrible, very descriptive story telling. Worth a listen

He's got a lovely voice . Several tracks are a bit 'film soundtrack ish' , I can imagine Alan Bates and Julie Christie on screen . Not more than a hair's breadth between Duchess and Dylan's Lay Lady Lay . Will need to check which one came first . Ok but wouldn't listen again .

Maybe it's because it's a beautiful sunny spring morning but I quite like this.

Bien aimé!

Duchess is on my play list of liked songs but some of this gets a bit wonky

Kinda sleepy lounge singer album, with enough of that 60's era orchestral accompaniment to make it feel dated. His voice isn't something that is so good that I'd find myself needing to listen to it on repeat, though it does have a unique quality to it

Good for what it is, short and sweet. Nothing particularly memorable

Favorite Track: The Old Man's Back Again

I like this less than Leonard Cohen, but it scratches the same itch.

well, he's got a nice voice at least. not sure why this is required listening though. i liked it more than a lot of the other singer-songwriters on this list with their awful voices and uninteresting ballads, but not enough to listen more than twice. this is a 3.5 for me, but it's not a 7/10, y'know? favorites: the seventh seal, on your own again, hero of the war, the old man's back again, duchess

More hippies

++: On Your Own Again, Angels of Ashes, Boy Child, The Old Man's Back Again (Dedicated to the Neo-Stalinist Regime), Get Behind Me +: The World's Strongest Man, Duchess, Rhymes of Goodbye +-: The Seventh Seal, Hero of the War 7,3/10

Inoffensive music. Smooth voice. Some nice ballads. The World's Strongest Man, Angel of Ashes, Get Behind Me, Perfect for background music on a Sunday afternoon

Bastante disfrutable, se puede ver por que inspiró a la música que vino después, no parece un álbum de los 60s

My first time hearing Scott Walker. His music was pleasant enough- he has a powerful voice and the songs are emotional (if not bordering on maudlin at times). Overall- decent album

Day787 - scott walker is well represented on the list for some reason. it’s just strange enough to be tolerable. he was probably pretty influential cause he does give nick cave vibes

Art pop, baroque pop, avant-garde.

Rating: 7/10 Now this Scott Walker album is definitely a lot more accessible and simultaneously a good amount better than the last one I got, Scott 2. It actually made me go back and listen to a few Scott 2 songs which I thought were both interesting and strange in its theatrics, that is one that will be due a re-evaluation down the line. As far as Scott 4 goes, it's a good collection of nicely composed traditional pop songs. Not much to complain about at all, and honestly feels very influential to a lot of modern stuff of this variety.

I kind of like it. Pretty interesting and unconventional. The Seventh Seal best song 5.9/10

The first song is great with its Spanish guitar and lyrics that scream I want to sound intelligent and wistful but the rest doesn’t carry that same energy

Decent but I think the influence is better than the material itself

Interesting music but doesn't necessarily grab me

This album goes from really interesting proto-butt rock/hard rock stuff (The Old Man's Back Again - like its not those at all, but its got the chutzpah. Reminds me of 80's hard rock bands that do a dark ballad), to some really "its perfectly fine" songs. One of those albums where I don't really know where I stand with it. But I think I'll settle on a 3.

I like the first track and I thought it was a Spanish flamenco album at first. I like his vocals very soothing and the guitar licks were nice 3.5/5

Scott Cooper: 30th Century Man is a documentary that I saw a decade ago. I've finally found a reason to listen to one of his albums.

Somewhere between Nick Cave and Cohen. The first half is very calm while the second feels a bit more alive. Might enjoy this more in 20 years or so !

Good album and he seems to be quite an interesting artist to delve into. Didn't fall in love with any of this album though.

First song got me excited. Next one lost my interest. There were good songs and there were songs. Too many albums set the bar way too high with the first track. This is one of them.

There is nothing really exceptional about this album. I don't hate it, it's just not what I would choose to listen to ever.

2 or a 3, I dunno

I just don’t know what to make of this. Good voice though, so maybe I liked it.

His voice isn't suited to this sort of music. Can't deny strong good voice. More suited to stage musicals.

All hail the dark lord.

Scott loves a scat. I enjoyed the random scatting in some songs halfway through the album, it was almost as if he got bored of the ballads and thought 'fuck it let's show the people what I can do' which you have to respect. Quite a nice voice to listen to overall, first half was a bit bland but I enjoyed the rest, particularly hero of the war, the old man's back again and get behind me.

Amazing voice...not sure about the lyrics

I'm not sure we really needed more than one Scott Walker album, although I suppose it's nice to get some of his original compositions rather than just Jacques Brel covers. I don't particularly enjoy his style, so there wasn't all that much that grabbed me, although the political critiques in "Hero of the war" and "The old man's back again" were surprisingly interesting. And a shame that the album was "deleted" from the label's catalog a few weeks after it was released, due to abysmal sales, sending him into a reclusive life for many years; it didn't seem *that* bad of an album....

Mixed feelings on this. Had similarities to Leonard Cohen and to Stephin Merritt but I just couldn't quite love it

Too deep for me to have any idea what he's talking about, but I dig it.

A little too crooner for my tastes but I like the production and the songwriting. A record I always knew about but had never listened to. Overall a good discovery

Man had a sound

The Seventh Seal 3.8 On Your Own Again 3.7 The World's Strongest Man 3.5 Angels of Ashes 3.5 Boy Child 3 Hero of the War 3.2 The Old Man's Back Again (Dedicated to the Neo-Stalinist Regime) 3.8 Duchess 3.4 Get Behind Me 3.5 Rhymes of Goodbye 3.3 Score: 3.47

This album was kind of forgettable, but it also wasn’t that bad. The album also moved fast since it was barely a half an hour.

First I’ve heard of this guy. Feeling really quite dramatic and over earnest as I start it (the album cover doesn’t too much to make me think otherwise either!!) let’s go… Oh I’m finding it a bit sickly. A bit too much and a bit too heartfelt. Just chill man, it’s all good. Go have some fun. Maybe the first song (outside of the country) dedicated to the neo-Stalinist regime?! This guy sounds like a hoot. Can’t wait for this to finish and not even half way through. It’s like a personal musical and I don’t often care for them as it is. Good riddance, won’t be listening again

Pretty chill. Sensual. Sort of nostalgic.

This was a pretty nice album! He has a great 'crooner' voice and has put together some lovely instrumentation. Not sure I'd go out of my way to seek out more, but happy to have listened to it once before I died :) 7/10

No. 339/1001 The Seventh Seal 3/5 On Your Own Again 3/5 The World's Strongest Man 4/5 Angels of Ashes 3/5 Boy Child 3/5 Hero Of The War 3/5 The Old Man‘s Back Again 3/5 Duchess 3/5 Get Behind Me 3/5 Rhymes of Goodbye 3/5 Average: 3,1 Nice arrangements & voice. Aside from that not much more on this record. Overall mediocre album.

An earlier Hozier

A truth seeker with a golden voice. Interesting lyrical themes that reflect the alternative narratives of the late 60s, at times fantastical and at other times filled with longing for what seems out of reach

Didn’t know what to expect, but actually enjoyed this quite a bit!

Wow; That was weird Like a British Glenn Campbell.

I don’t hate the music at all, but the voice is a little hard to take seriously. This isn’t awful, but it’s inclusion here is a real head scratcher. 3/5

The Seventh Seal The Old Man's Back Again (Dedicated to the Neo-Stalinist Regime) Duchess

Certainly an interesting vibe, at times slow.

Nothing exciting.

Um disco interessante, com canções bonitas. Destaque para "Get Behind Me" que traz uma proposta do som eletrificado, mais interessante do que o conteúdo acústico predominante.

This was good I guess. It's just such a weird album to be on the list. I see where Bryan Ferry's signing style came from.

Ballad-y folk take on avante garde pop but with lots of string orchestral arrangements that add to the sound without being distracting. Standouts are the back to back "Hero of War" and "The Old Man's Back Again".

Interesting history about this guy, but this one falls into the category of many that would have been more interesting to me at the time of their release.

Maybe there was a time and place for this music at some point. For me, that time is not now.

New listen for me & quite enjoyable 🎶

Love Scott's voice and the epic tone of the record. Favorite track: The Seventh Seal

Nice background as I read The Bean Trees

Started off strong, and Scott has a wonderful voice, but the album quickly faded into something I probably wouldn't listen to again

Surprisingly chilled and easy listening, perfect for listening to while doing tasks or working but undeserving of a place in too 1001 5/10

Scott be Walkin

I know this is one of those 'cult' albums: ignored at the time but rediscovered and endlessly praised and mentioned as influence by more recent artists. I don't immediately see what's so special about it. It's very European - Morriccone, Brel etc - with lots of dramatic strings. I guess it's supposed to sweep me away but it doesn't. It feels a bit too studied and detached. My favourite bits of the album are probably the songs where the bass player gets to do his/her thing, like on The Old Man's Back Again and Get Behind Me. Actually, the second half is quite nice in general. It all gets a bit 'sexier' towards the end...

It's not bad...dude has a good voice, and I like the orchestra (orchestration?). Also you can listen to the track "The Seventh Seal" for a pretty good summary of the flick. Go that route and save yourself 96 boob-less minutes.

These whiny strings annoy me a bit, but other than that, this albums is pretty good. Better instruments than most pop, and the atmosphere is decent. Nothing really out of the ordinary, but enjoyable nonetheless. 7/10

Interesting sort of dramatic work, some highs, some duller moments, the best songs are the ones where he busts out the full backing choir and it takes on its own unique feeling, but otherwise there's a lot to the album that doesn't quite sound fresh enough to inspire me too much

Schöne Lieder

Fine. Not much else to say. Simpsons: No

It was an alright album to listen to on a Saturday morning.

This is a new album for me. I'm familiar with a few Scott Walker songs, but none from this album. This album isn't bad, but it makes me wonder why it had to be included on the 1001 albums list.

Songs are nice, but toooo mellow for my taste :(

He's got a good voice and the music is performed well. As a whole it is a thing of its time, but you can hear the influence it has had on others in this list. Unfortunately its just not for me, but wirth a 3 any day.

It was fine nothing groundbreaking

Not really my cup of tea but it sounds alright.

I quite liked Scott 4. I was honestly expecting not to like this album very much especially considering that the users of this site don't seem to be all too kind to him but against all odds, this album turned out to be pretty enjoyable. I do enjoy the art pop style this album seems to go for with some of the songs (Primarily The Old Man's Back Again) kinda giving me a bit of a Leonard Cohen vibe. I also think that Scott's songwriting style is pretty interesting and each song here works well with said songwriting style. The album is a short one but i'm not all too sure if that is a good or bad thing as part of me is glad this didn't get repetitive but another part of me wishes there was a bit more. Regardless, I did enjoy this album. Best Song: The Old Man's Back Again Worst Song: The World's Strongest Man

4 Alben nach sich selbst benennen ist schon wild. Finds besser als der Durchschnitt scheinbar, aber 4 sterne wär n bisschen viel :D

The longer I listened to his album, the less I liked it. The production’s pretty but I just don’t like this guy’s voice. The lyrics felt like they had no substance despite there being a lot of them. 5/10.

intriguing but not my taste

carino dai per essere del '69, ma niente di speciale

Dude has a solid voice and the music is fine. Not really what I'm into, but I can see people enjoying it.

Este disco está bastante bueno y puedo aceptar que ya tengamos dos de Scott Walker.

Þessi er fín, en ekki mikið meira en það. Undantekningin er The Old man's back again, sem er súpertöff og afar gott. Nær samt ekki að lyfta plötunni í fjarka.

I only know Scott Walker from Bish Bosch so this was a REAL shock to me. 2.5/5

At first I thought this guy is too much, then it sort of grew on me. He sang with A LOT of emotion

Musically this was interesting. I know Scott Walker is generally known for some wild musical exploration but this must be before that. Lyrically it is dark. I’m looking for a little more sunshine in my life these days so this doesn’t hit where I’d like it to.

Check out the pipes on this one! Positive surprise.

It's definitely a mood. He's got a great voice. The bass player hits some real grooves. It's not necessarily something I'd play often, but I could find myself listening to some of these tunes again.

Pleasant, easy-going orchestral arrangements underneath a suave but dated voice. Production and mixing were very well done. I don’t really see its place in the list besides being quoted as an inspiration for Bowie and Radiohead. Probably won’t return to this, but didn’t hate it.