Reviews (page 5 of 8)
I don't even know what genre to call this. The guy takes himself too seriously and the songs are just OK
Ganska många goa låtar. Men manboy eller vad fan den hette var typ den tråkigaste och sämsta låten jag har hört det här årtiondet så den drar ju ner betyget
Aight
It’s been awhile since I had an album this bad on the list. This dude’s singing is absolutely irritating. The first song started and 30 seconds in I hit skip. 2nd song started, again a skip. Then the 3rd, and I hit stop. Just abhorrent.
Just like “Scott 2” this was just boring and the same song over and over. Maybe a little better, but still not entertaining. 2/5
Lorsque l'on évoque les albums qui ont marqué une époque, non par leur succès commercial immédiat mais par leur audace et leur influence souterraine, "Scott 4" de Scott Walker s'impose comme une évidence. Paru en 1969, cet album représente un tournant radical dans la carrière de l'artiste américain exilé en Angleterre. Musicalement, "Scott 4" est une splendeur orchestrale sombre et introspective. Scott Walker, s'éloignant quelque peu des arrangements foisonnants de ses précédents albums, opte ici pour une production certes toujours ample et cinématographique, mais peut-être plus retenue, laissant davantage de place à sa voix de baryton, chaude et caverneuse, et à la puissance évocatrice de ses textes. Les influences sont multiples, allant de la musique de film européenne, notamment les westerns spaghetti d'Ennio Morricone que l'on croirait entendre sur l'ouverture épique "The Seventh Seal" (inspirée du film d'Ingmar Bergman), à une pop de chambre sophistiquée, en passant par des incursions surprenantes vers une country mélancolique comme sur "Duchess". Les arrangements sont d'une finesse inouïe, mêlant cordes somptueuses, cuivres discrets mais percutants, guitares acoustiques délicates et une section rythmique d'une grande subtilité. Chaque note semble pesée, chaque silence chargé de sens. On sent une maîtrise totale de la forme, une ambition de créer une pop adulte, loin des facilités de l'époque. Les thématiques abordées sont d'une noirceur et d'une complexité rares dans la musique populaire de la fin des années 60. Scott Walker se fait chroniqueur désenchanté des failles de l'âme humaine, des amours perdues, des illusions politiques et des spectres totalitaires. La force de "Scott 4" réside dans cette alchimie unique entre une sophistication musicale héritée de la tradition européenne et une âme américaine torturée, nourrie aux grands espaces et aux désillusions. La voix de Scott Walker, tour à tour caressante et impérieuse, porte ces récits avec une intensité dramatique qui ne laisse aucun auditeur indifférent. Il y a chez lui une gravité, une profondeur existentielle qui le distinguent de ses contemporains. Si l'album fut boudé à sa sortie, le temps lui a largement rendu justice. "Scott 4" est une oeuvre d'une beauté ténébreuse, portée par un artiste au sommet de son art, qui a osé, au risque de l'incompréhension, suivre sa propre voie. C'est le testament d'un crooner existentiel, d'un poète sonore dont la voix continue de résonner avec une pertinence et une puissance intactes. Un beau 4 sur 5
A troubadour sings his tunes. Not sure if there is more significance to be found here, but it was fine.
It was like a Nick Drake or Leonard Cohen. I wonder if this is will grow on me in the same way Nick Drake did, which got a 2 and then also got daily relistens after it had time to digest. But I doubt it.
This is such a dealers choice pick, knowing Scott 2 is already on this list like come on. Additions like this make me not wanna play ball - not because of this albums quality in a vacuum, but I yearn for variety and newer albums. “Boy Child” is very wondrous and tender all at once, it’s pretty good. “The Old Man’s Back Again” is my highlight of the record, as it encapsulates the clear direction Scott wanted to take this particular project in - it’s a bit of a western/classic/talltale ballad. Scott is still in galavanting, grandiose, slightly campy form; like he was for Scott 2, like I’m sure he was for Scott’s 1 and 3 as well. Take any of those albums for a spin, you’ll kinda get the point of all of them after you listen to just one of them
Känner på samma sätt som sist det var SW. Det är en behaglig röst, men ingen låt sticker iväg. Det saknas några riktigt bra låtar. Det är bara smånajs nu. Bäst är "The Old Man's Back Again...".
Bättre än förra skivan med honom (nr 2). Gillar Morricone-känslan i första låten parad med hans bombastiska röst. Därefter blir det lite tristare, fram till att det lyfter med The old man’s back again och avslutar på en lite högre nivå. Stabil trea.
great voice, not too sure about the songs
The opening track intrigued me, but what followed was a muddle of meandering, low-energy schlock. Standout track: The Seventh Seal
I’m not sure what I scored his other records on this list but they all seem to have elicited the same emotions - I’d like to like them but they are too overwrought and forgettable.
I don’t know this album was kind of confusing to me. I’m gonna chalk it up to a 5/10 Favorite track - get behind me
One of the best albums of all time!
This one was super solid, I loved the use of strings. Only reason why this isn't a 4 is because it didn't hold my attention the entire time, but still super solid.
Hyvää kamaa! Todella tasapainoinen! 4/5
Ihan kelvollista laulumusiikkia. 3/5
“Look at that, ‘My Way’ is popular! I can just copy Frank Sinatra, that’ll work for me!” “But wait, my voice isn’t nearly as good as his…” “Nah, nobody will notice the difference.”
Needs another listen, wasn't sure about it at the start and enjoyed it more as the album went, it may be something that grows on you, vocals are great, real cinematic feel to the songs.
Not a big fan of the first song, but the rest of the record made up for it!
Imagine going through this list and getting the entire plot of The Seventh Seal (1957) spoiled by Scott fucking Walker. Great opening track though, and a great album in general. Walker's vocals match perfectly the picturesque lyrics and fully-orchestrated instrumentation. 'The Old Man's Back Again' is a stellar song. Also: album number 1001!
A slight improvement over Scott 2 - the instrumentation works better for me and his voice matches the, at times, grand compositions well.
Low expectations were wildly exceeded. What a voice. Some drama, some theater, some unexpected scatting. This guy fucks.
Feels very much like Quentin Tarantino would use these in a Western
On a pas eu Scott 2 la semaine dernière? Décidément, ils nous donneront pas les Scott impaires de sitôt.
Ok, but nothing wowed me.
Well it's Scott 4. It's the best Scott Walker album, and it's an absolute classic. So much of this is reminiscent of John Barry scores also, which does it no harm whatsoever.
Kind of sleepy. Good for a rainy day when nothing to do. Good voice.
A couple of good songs like the intro, the rest is quite boring. I did copy afew to playlists but will not listen to the whole album again.
Lyrically and musically strong. In parts sweeping baccarach type tunes in others a bit more of an edge, ver accessible with that great baritone voice. Excellent.
Þetta var mjög fín plata þó svo að lögin væru öll keimlík og ekkert þeirra standi sérstaklega upp úr. Fín bakgrunnsplata myndi ég segja en samt plata sem ég mun fljótt gleyma og aldrei spila aftur
Correcto
I'm a bit disappointed that I was digging this. It feels pretentious but I was in the mood for something weird and over the top the day it got me. Not awful but I feel like if I came back to this in a month I may wonder what I was finding in it. Who knows.
Some alright instrumentation and some thick compositions. His voice causes me anxiety. This is too schmaltzy for me. I'm not convinced this guy should be singing scat.
3.5 stars
This guy is whiny in the creepiest of ways. I don't like it.
opening brass line was goated. kinda zoned out for this one tbh. i remember thinking “oh, this is good” but not much else. no standouts but also nothing offensive to my ears. 3/5.
Hell yeah! I got so excited when this album popped up. I love Scott Walker. From Scott I-IV to his avant garde work on Tilt, The Drift, and Bish Bosch this man has the voice of an angel (or devil), his melodies are things of beauty, andhis instrumentals are masterclasses in arranging. I already knew I loved this album and I'm happy to have heard it again once more today. There is no one else like the 30 Century Man.
ngl, this album is really boring 2/5
Completely fine background music in a bar or at a cook-out. Won't skip if it is on the radio, but it's not really my style of music. 5/10
I discovered Scott Walker’s solo work a few years ago with the release of The Drift, a meat slapping, duck quacking wonder. Scott 4, released prior, is the last of the his pop albums, popular in France, Scott released before his experimental phase. Filled with dramatic, grandiose songs like The Seventh Seal and The Old Man’s Back Again, it’s my favorite Walker album.
Not really my type of music. It felt a too cinematic (in the wrong way) and grandiose, and a bit pompous and pretentious at times as well with the strings. Very much focus is put on his lyrical work, but Scott's depictions of his love life and heartaches is of very little interest to me.
First thought was that "Scott 4" sounds like a pretentious album unless it's jazz. Then I saw the first track was called "The Seventh Sail" which might take the prize for most pretentious title of the month. Anyway, it wasn't jazz but a bunch of ballads. Learning it wasn't from the 80s like I thought made it a bit better, but it still just felt kind of bland. The ballads are nice and all, but nothing really hooked me. He obviously has a nice voice but other than "Duchess" not much stuck with me.
Scott Walker is considered "avant garde" but this was dated when it was released. Crooner vocals with mediocre non nondescript music but at least it's over produced
there is only so much Scott Walker a person needs. Probably could have called it a day after 3.
Dramatic cinematic music and baritone crooning. Opens with a fun noir cowboy jazz track but then gets bogged down in a bunch of tedious slow-paced orchestral schmaltz. But the only way out is through: when the schmaltzy strings really slow down it becomes something interesting again, an ambient textural bedding for the vocals' existential anguish. Favorites: Seventh Seal, Old Man's Back
More music I would expect to hear on a Quentin Tarantino movie soundtrack. Overly dramatic and oozes late 60s.
I didn’t really vibe with this
Pretty cool music, this guy sounded a lot like the moody blues singer, and this came out around the same time as them so I’d have to imagine they probs influenced each other. It was cool hearing an old pop album but with meaningful lyrics. 4.1/5 Fav song: the Old man is back again
Really really strong start with The Seventh Seal but I never enjoyed another song to the same degree. Easy on the ears but I don't think this is one that will stay in my memory for long. Favorite Song: The Seventh Seal
Scott Walker proved to me he's a very good musician. In a display that can be described as swooning and operatic, Walker delivers a short and sweet LP of ballads. For whatever reason, I just don't feel he puts the ball over the goal line, so to speak. It may just be I wasn't thrilled with the performance of songs I enjoyed. Regardless, partial marks to Mr. Walker 7.5/10 Favorite Song: Seventh Seal
6/10 This was fine. I don’t know if I’ll return to this but it was perfectly fine. I couldn’t decide if I liked his voice or if it grated on me. But I liked the instrumentation a lot. Favorite Song: Duchess
I’m not in on the joke. Too cheesy for me
This is one of the few artists I had never heard of before listening to this. Even reading the Apple Music summary or the Wikipedia summary still had no idea who this guy was. I do like his voice. I think he’s got a very good voice. It’s some parts. He actually reminds me of Arthur Lee and love, which may sound a little weird. But I didn’t find anything really remarkable about it.
The orchestration and lyrics were a bit busy, clunky and disjointed. Nothing seemed to flow. A very talented artist, but this was disappointing effort.
Much better than Scott 2. Still not big into this style, but this one had songs I liked and the lyrics were good. Favorites were The Seventh Seal, Hero Of The War, and The Old Man’s Back Again.
This really surprised me. My uncle had several Scott Walker albums but I never listened to them. I did know the Walker Brothers’ The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore, Make It Easy On Yourself, and No Regrets, a couple of Scott’s Brel covers but this is excellent. Apparently unsuccessful on release, probably because it was originally released under Walker’s real name of Scott Engels. The opening The Seventh Seal is based on Bergman’s film but sounds like Morricone and Bacharach. Many of the songs have a Bacharach feel but are Scott originals. The music is lush, the lyrics sometimes have a stream of consciousness feel. The record sounds like Andy Williams tackling the avant-garde. I loved it. In researching the background to the album I came across my favourite quotation from The Guardian - "Now recognised as one of his greatest recordings, it sold poorly. The world was not ready for the existentialist musings of a pop singer whose touchstones were the films of Kurosawa and Bergman and the novels of Kafka and Camus." Fantastic. I can feel a deep dive coming on. And there is a collaboration with Sunn O))) which might be right up my street.
Feels like a 50’s Sinatra style album but this is from 69 so don’t know what he’s playing at here. Other than that, most of the songs are generic ballads, he has good vocals but most of the songs are just quite boring musically and lyrically. However, I did really like hero of the war and the bass on his most popular song (old man’s back again) slaps, get behind me was good as well. Was originally gonna give this a high 2 but those songs are good enough to lift it up to a low 3(5/10).
Ayyy it's my ex governor. I had to look up who the hell this guy is and after a quick wiki search I think I might actually like this guys later stuff. This is still pretty early though. It's just not exciting. It doesn't do the thing I want music to do. There are a few little weird moments that make me think I'll like the Avante gaurde stuff he does later but scott 17 or whatever this one is ain't that. It's simple and not too hard to digest
Well, I can't say this one did much for me. Nothing objectionable. Just uninspiring in general. 2/5 Album 16/1001
old and basic becky. IDK. 2
7/10
Soundtrack album. Probably works for any movie.
I had a Scott walker record before on the Generator and didn’t like it. But this is completely different! The music is awesome and his voice blends in perfectly.
Fantastic strange album - The Old Man's Back Again was my favourite track. I'll definitely come back to this one.
Pleasant voice, but seemingly recorded this borefest standing in a railway tunnel? Clearly of its time. Added a point for writing all his own songs. Took one away for sounding like an American Cliff Richard. 2
Late 60s singer songwriter pop. Good instrumentation and vocal. Pretty boring.
not a fan.... who likes this???
okay
Pretty cool low 4/5
Insert ‘Faceplanr Emoji’ here.
bard
То ок, то скучно. Под настроение.
Quite the unique sound for the age, I do like some of his other songs too.
Pretty good stuff
I couldn’t hang with this one. He sounds as if he’s doing a Vegas-styled Tom Jones act for the middle America crowd. Not that that’s inherently bad, but not for me.
I just don’t get the appeal
2/5. Who TF listens to this music?
I don't think this really knows what it wants to be. It's croonery and corny at the beginning, then it sounds like it belongs in a James Bond film, but in the Roger Moore era. It's quite impressive from an instrumental, production standpoint and he has a good voice if you like that sort of thing. The last couple of tracks were surprisingly great but nowhere near good enough to rescue this as an album, for me.
4.5/5
Tempted to give this four stars on account of The Old Man’s Back Again. But no. (The Boy Child retrospective of 60’s Scott Walker is very good, and neatly reins in his prolix instincts. That deserves at least four stars.£
АЙ ЭМ Э МОДЕРН СКОТТ УОКЕР АЙ ЭМ Э СУРПРАЙЗИНГЛИ СМУЗ ТОКЕР Лучшая песня - Duchess.
Super bland and forgettable. In fact this album is so forgettable, that I literally have nothing else to say about it, because it was that uninteresting.
4/5
Scott Walker grew up in Ohio, but became a British pop star in the 60s. He was a member of the Walker Brothers - not brothers, or really named Walker - that had a few successful singles and albums. Scott 4 is Walker's fifth solo album. It was originally released under "Scott Engel," and this is one of the reasons given to suggest why it was a commercial failure. The album is filled with original songs, and was celebrated for it. This was a departure from much of Walker's career, who most frequently recorded covers and songs for soundtracks. These songs all sound like they belong in a musical theater production: overly orchestrated and histrionic. "This morning I played chess with death" is hard to take seriously.
Not sure how I feel about this album. It's pleasant but not really engaging for me.
Most eh album I’ve ever heard before haha. Nice strings and backing instruments but his vocals are hella annoying
Just a mediocre album, doesn't go anywhere. Is nothing.
every album that's been removed from the book is from 1997 or later, usually removed in the next edition after its initial inclusion. somebody needs to work up the courage to go back and excise some of these boring, generic piles of bones cluttering up the early years of the book
It was alright
Scott wished this album was a 4
His voice is extremely annoying. This is horrible. The second half saves it from a 1 by having more "rock" vibes.
This guy is an annoying crooner.
I've apparently listened to an album from this guy already. Would've never known. Anyway, this guy definitely has a knack for belting some melodic ballads. Interesting songwriting and production too. Starts a little slow, but slowly picks up in quality as the album progresses.
Good voice and more interesting music than just pure background filler.
So call me crazy, but I liked it. I thought I was tripping when it started.
Scott Walker < The Beatles
Solid 60’s baroque pop, will return to it.
If this is Scott Walker's most praised album, I'm glad I don't even know the others. I started with this album. After 1.5 tracks, I was sick of this junk. Also an album that I definitely don't need to listen to. 1/5
26/1089 - It's alright. Voice has too much vibrato for my liking.
3.5
Not my bag
Not good.
- gefiel mir echt gut, obwohl es nichts ist, was ich mir mal so anmachen würde - war kurzweilig und entspannt 2,75 / 5
I do not really enjoy this character the 'man with microphone' that is. This one is like Niel Diamond on acid, not uninteresting, but not worth more than a glanceing listen. Think Tim Buckley meets Nick Cave, yeah its a little cringe, but this record boasts great writting and excellent production
По мнению А: 3/5 По мнению С: 3/5 ИТОГОВАЯ ОЦЕНКА: 3/5 (10.02.2025)
First 3 or 4 pretty slow but when Scott picks it up later on the album it gets fun. He has a really good voice and for some reason on some tracks bass came on strong. 3.5 gonna round down.
While I feel there are a couple of standout tracks I believe it's really a standout album.
The Captain Scott 4. Chilled.
scott free? or thour
Some nice orchestral arrangements. Couple decent songs but nothing amazing
Gets better as the album goes on. I appreciate the songwriting and his voice, but ultimately this over dramatic style just isn't for me (and probably actually detracts from what I'd imagine are decent lyrics and interesting subject matters). Interesting to see where the Arctic Monkeys took inspiration from their last couple of albums, though. BTW what's with the photo used on the cover - was that really the best shot they could get of him?
I liked this a lot more than "Scott 2", but I still have reservations about Walker's voice which is too rich/smooth for me. I liked the instrumentation a fair bit though.
BEST SONGS: - The Seventh Seal - Angels of Ashes - Duchess
Tortured soul, always trying different ways to approach music. If you're 55+ and didn't recognize the name but thought the voice was familiar, take it easy on yourself. ;-)
Walker is a solid balladeer. I do like several songs on here.
Instrument sounds are fullfilling the soul with melancholy, love, hope and sadness
Absolutely beautiful set of tunes here.
The album was ok. Nothing really stood out, but it was pleasant enough to listen to. Do I want to delver into his back catalogue? no. Will I listen to this again? probably not, but It was fine to listen to 3 stars
Not for me
great news for people who like Syd Barett and Leonard Cohen
His albums are ok - but I do think a bit overrated at times...
Ah, nothing personal Scott but HOW THE FUCK have you got two albums on this list? Sorry Smokey Robinson, Lional Richie and Diana Ross: there’s no room for you but this guy gets on twice?
Album 664 of 1001 Scott Walker - Scott 4 (1969) Rating : 3 / 5 Consisting of baroque pop, folk, and avant-garde influences along with Walker's deep, baritone voice and poetic lyrics, and rich instrumentation, this creates a "haunting and evocative listening experience". A nice listen but very lowkey.
Great voice, crap songs.
Scott 4 is what happens when a baritone crooner reads too much philosophy, watches Bergman films on repeat, and decides to make a baroque pop masterpiece. It’s grand, cerebral, occasionally pretentious—but in Scott Walker’s hands, even pretension feels profound. Come for the hypnotic vocals, stay for the sweeping strings, funky basslines, and a cinematic dive into mortality, politics, and poetry. Not everything lands, but the tracks that do are oustanding.
The orchestral arrangements here are truly great and seem very ahead of their time. The song writing here is also very good. Last year Beck did a tour with an orchestra and he played 2 or 3 songs from Scott Walker, and this was my first exposure to him. I'm glad to have finally listened to one of his albums. Low 4.
Lyrics have so much emotion but I can't hear it in his voice. Dull.
I bought the box set of all his albums after hearing how he was such an influence on so many artists as was disappointed at first to be honest. But after a few listens I really started to enjoy the music and his weird take on life etc. The other great thing is it’s short and to the point no rambling remixes or alternate versions, they knew how to make albums back then!
Dull, melodic, smooth Art Pop.
He has a great voice but this whole thing is a bit underwhelming. The song structure just isn’t there, there is no hook to grab on to with most of the tracks. Also, I know that ‘Duchess’ song but I have no clue where from
good enough is NEVER good enough -rivera
6/10 - it’s like Scott 2 but newer
Hard to understand without the context of Scott 3
Put me to sleep
Bit too heavy on the ernestness for me
La prossima volta che picchio Arianna sarà con questo in sottofondo E sarà bellissimo
Something my grandpa would listen to. Made me feel like a 60's astronaut dancing among the stars so that's pretty cool but overall the music was mid
I liked it.
I like this quite a lot actually! I feel like Nick Cave got some of his style from Scott Walker. I am 'modern-Scott Walker' - BCNR
A masterful songwriting performance that exudes a feeling of the sun shining through on a grey day. This is Walker’s fourth album (could you tell?) so I’m not sure of the ‘sonic evolution’ that I’m told of, but this first helping of his musicality is incredibly inviting and indeed exciting for the remainder of his catalogue. At just over half an hour, I think it can be said that Walker can stand alongside other short singer-songwriter records such as Pink Moon in its soft impact. Whether I can definitively describe that impact is another matter; I’ll need many more subsequent listens, which I’m sure will be occurring.
Worlds strongest man I enjoyed. I really liked the strings backing throughout the album. But overall just a bit boring. Feels like not much progression in the songs idk. Also there’s no way I’m gonna write this much for every album that would be absurd.
Some very powerful songs, I like the vocals and the strings - some tracks perhaps a bit too dramatic for my taste, will definitely re-listen to this album.
Straight up not having a good time
Groovy, man!
One of my favorites
The first Scott Walker record containing all original tracks, and while it’s an album that took a long time to grow on me, it’s up with my favorites in the Scott Walker canon. Just immaculate recordings, with the second half being genuinely perfect.
Scott Walker had one of my favorite voices in music. It was beautiful, and I'm glad albums exist that captured it for everyone to keep listening to. His lyrics are always interesting and thought-provoking. The musical arrangements here are pretty decent, definitely well suited to his voice and words. The closing song feels like it ends the album sooner than it should, is my only (minor) complaint. It ends and I expect another song to follow it, but nothing. Overall it's good, but it's not The Drift.
This isn't the sort of thing I would normally listen to - it almost reminds me of a swanky lounge singer sort of music. I suppose that it is good for what it is, but I'm not a big fan.
If Nick Cave and Elvis Costello teamed up to make something that sucks. Ahead of its time...
It's very dramatic - leaning quite a long way into the melodramatic. There's lots of musical swells and exaggerated crooning going on, which I do like sometimes, it's just that it's not always very exciting here. Some of the songs kind of merged into another and passed me by, but there were some nice ones in here too. 2.5 rounded up.
Not sure I can take a note of this after yesterday. Add strings ( when were swelling strings ever acceptable?) and then aaargghh I'm out.
Interesting that he opens with a song version of an Ingmar Bergman film. The dulcet tones are everything you’d expect from SW. Full of passion and depth.
So... if we hadn't already had a Scott Walker album, this would be a 3 without a lot of thought. I like his voice, there's an obvious sincerity to the proceedings, but it's on the other side of schlocky for my tastes. Which feels unfair to say, but it encapsulates my general regard for this muisc. Like, how is this so different from a Donny Osmond record (he asks with no intention of finding out)? But as I rated the first Scott Walker entry (Scott 2) with a 3, I liked this one more. Does it deserve a 4? I'm overthinking it. This is a 3.5, but it's tethered to the 3...
I like the idea of Scott Walker more than the reality. The music was often quite good, but just like yesterday's album, American Gothic, the lyrics were pretentious and un-poetic. Like, the first song, he's just recounting the plot of a Bergman movie.
Man I listen to this and my biggest thought is what a genius Bob Dylan is. It's probably not fair to compare the two but when "Hero of the War" came on all I could think is Dylan's "Master of War" (6 years earlier than Scott) and "John Brown" (7 years earlier) was way more profound lyrically and musically. But why compare? (B/C I can't stop thinking about A Complete Unknown) I just can't relate to this sound.
Love his voice and the orchestrations.
Scott Walker was better known as one of the Walker Brothers (who weren’t brothers or called Walker), so when he released Scott 4 (actually his 5th album) under his own name of Scott Engel it didn’t trouble the charts, which is a shame because it’s really rather good. The songs range from the opening about the film The Seventh Seal as a Morriconesque western theme, to a song about the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia, all sung in a gorgeous baritone.
The guy has a great voice, the intro is pretty OK with its western/Morricone influence, then the first half of the album is pretty boring with dull background music. The second half is a bit more upbeat and better.
Not my thing He whines to much
Surprisingly good! Walker had a smooth crooner voice, but his subject matter was surprisingly edgy. I'll be looking for more from this guy since he seems completely overlooked these days.
J'ai bien aimé cet album, mais je m'attendais à être un peu plus impressionné. Peut-être ça mérite une autre écoute, mais j'ai un tantinet préféré Scott 2. Reste que c'est de l'excellent pop baroque. 8/10
not moving baroque pop
Was ok
Offensively boring.
Nice voice, atmospheric, emotive and very pretty at times
I don't know if I'm missing out on valuable context by not experiencing the original Scott trilogy, but this was not my thing. There's some parts that definitely approached a good song, but every time I started enjoying it he returned to the whitest White-Man scatting I've ever heard, and I was immediately brought out of it again. This is the sort of thing that might have been progressive sixty years ago, but now it's just... Bad. Also, I can't stop thinking that, especially the first traco, that Nick Cave probably really likes this album.
It was ok, no tracks jumped out and grabbed me.
It wasn't bad at all. Musically it was ok and he has a nice singing voice and style. I just couldn't get into it. It sounded a bit like all the songs were made up on the spot. At times his voice veered into Vic Reeves doing his club singer, or Neil Hannnon and The Divine Comedy.
Surprisingly cool, like nothing else yet
II think this was ahead of it’s time. The singing style is more 80s and this thing came out in 69 damn. I dont like the singing style tho. Instrumentals sound crisp and beautiful tho wow
3.5
p188. 1969. 4 stars. Possibly the most subversive album of the 60s - a collection of seemingly middle of the road arrangements disguising sharp observations on society, the Cold War and emotional fragility. And of course it has THAT voice. 1 star deducted for the lack of standout songs.
It's ok. It's nice and calm, but some of the text maybe is not what I tend to listen to.
Forgot to write. It was a good singer songwriter kind of album. Felt very theatric for the late 60s. Standouts: The Seventh Seal, On Your Own Again, The World’s Strongest Man, and Hero Of The War.
6/10. It's an interesting and dramatic album. However, it's not really my vibe, and it gets somewhat boring over time. :)
Wow. I dont even know how to describe this one. It was pleasant but not sure id listen to again
Not for me
So awful. An album that starts with a song based on Bergman’s “The Seventh Seal” is an immediate 2 with not much room to go up. Never heard of this guy.
I’ve never listened to Scott Walker before and my impression of him was that his music was cheesy, ornate, ostentatious, over the top. This is . . . close to that. But I’ve mostly thought it stays on the right side of the line (not “angels of ashes,” though). I like it.
This kind of reminded me of Engelbert Humperdink or Tom Jones but maybe less commercialized? His music feels maybe more... indie?? than the music by Tom Jones and Engelbert. It's funny, I just googled "Scott Walker Tom Jones" and apparently Scott Walker hated being compared to Tom Jones. That checks out. Scott Walker has an excellent voice and I love the latin jazz influence. It was lacking in bangers though IMO. I appreciated it but since it was so close to the artists I mentioned I was hoping for one song where he just belts loud.
This is a pretty cool record. Definitely unique and weird. Its not really rock, its not really jazz or soul. It's kind of all of those things under the guise of the "singer-songwriter." Really cool strings and keyboards. It has a bit of "big band" influence. Also, really really cool and driving bass lines throughout. His voice is haunting and kind of creepy but also has that touch sensuality, which I think is what creates such a cool atmosphere with this record. Get Behind Me is the coolest song on the record.
Scott Walker, great voice
It probably should not but Scott 4 reminds me of some of the Leonard Cohen albums I have heard. I enjoyed this one more than I enjoyed most of the other Leonard Cohen albums though. Maybe it is Scott Walker's voice that sounds like late period Cohen. Good album and I am interested in hearing Scott 2 that we get on this list as well. That one apparently has a lot of covers and so I'm a little more skeptical that I will enjoy it as much. We shall see.
It’s cool
2.5 rounded down his voice is very nice, but otherwise this was unremarkable highlights: on your own again, the world’s strongest man, rhymes of goodbye (mar 27 2026)
got more into it as the album went on, where did the bassline in The old Man's Back come from?!?
Eh. Fine 60s music, but nothing special. Would be interesting to know why it's on the list.
Hey it’s not every day you hear a song about a man playing chess with Death. I appreciate the poet/songwriter genre inhabited by others like Leonard Cohen… but unfortunately this album didn’t take me very far.
Not my cup of tea, but dude's voice is amazing.
This album felt like listening to 30 straight minutes of every worst Disney song. Boring as hell.
Verging on the edge of cheesy, Scott 4 is a strange, orchestrated over-the-top album that is at least interesting, with some decent songs from a decent singer. I don't feel a connection what so ever, I'm not a fan, but for the most part I enjoyed the songs despite the nostalgic sound, though they are not memorable in any way. Can't wait for Scott 5, not!
This is reminiscent of Orville Peck (or the other way around, I guess). Right up my alley. — 4/5 Highlights: The Old Man’s Back Again Get Behind Me
Voice and acoustics are very 1960's protest-y.
Weird…all I can say
At first I was skeptical. Another crooner, bigger than life, the most important thing to happen to music. Those are the vibes the cover puts out. But I was immediately convinced. This is a delicate work of deep emotive power. This is one I'll be listening to more – so many layers.
The cult and mystery of Scott Walker are probably clouding judgement. The songwriting may not even be particularly memorable, but there's just something about the delivery and atmosphere that's undeniable, but impossible to pinpoint.
1. zeventh - 2.5 2. again - 1.5 3. man - 1 4. angelz - 1.5 5. boy - 1 6. hero - 1 7. old man - 1 8. duchezz - 1.5 9. behind - 1 10. goodbye - 0
Boring
Okay vocals, unusual lyrics
Author favourite genre
I was thinking I hated this at first as it sounded as pretentious as a man who names 4 albums after him. But. His deep booming voice, the general sadness of it grew on me. I think it was actually solid maybe.
This guys out here typing to teach UK history 101
A strange and cheesy but still hauntig record.
hey all! scott here!
Awesome songs I didnt know about
Wasn't a fan when this started. But it did grow on me a bit
The birth of adult contemporary? Dead on arrival, no pulse detected. My word was this dreary. I like a good slow song but my God I need something with a spark of life. It's like music you listen to at brunch..... And I never eat brunch.
Crap
1.6 2x not sure why i listened twice, but it was short
Enjoyable surprise, though no individual songs stood out to me.
Good
Well, this is an improvement over Scott 2, but it's still very much not something I'm super into. This seemed closer to someone like Neil Diamond. Probably won't ever choose to listen to it again. 2.4/5
Liked this more than Scott 2. I would say I like this ok. 3.25/5
3.75
4.5
Better than I thought it would be, not as good as I'd have liked.
Listened to this while playing Isofarian Guard. I knew from the opening orchestration that I would enjoy this album, and sure enough, the whole thing was great. I couldn't tell if it was a concept album...it kinda felt like it...but I wasn't really following the story. I hope some of his other albums will appear on this list!
JC what a bore
Buenísimo. Tiene una epicidad en sus coros y arreglos que no me esperaba. Si a eso le añadimos su onda setentera es un álbum súper ganador. Gran sorpresa. Música de fondo que suena mientras se llega a un pueblo del oeste a batirse a un duelo de vida o muerte.
This didn't do much for me, a sort of croony folk rock, reminded me a lot of Elvis even if the wiki doesn't appear to think so. The song about being a war hero was alright, a bit wry, but in general not a fan.
Very decent. Liked the guy's voice. Simple instrumentation, but very catchy songs and very of the time. The Seventh Seal, Angels of Ashes, and The Old Man's Back Again were my favourites. Planning to listen to more of his stuff.
Didn't know of Scott Walker before this and this hasn't inspired me to want to hear more. All a bit dull and dated sounding. Not terrible though. Sorry Scott
This is #day70 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... could this be where Radiohead's orchestral strings find their roots? I can hear echoes of "How To Disappear Completely," "Spectre," and much of "A Moon-Shaped Pool" woven in. No surprise, as the band has praised this album themselves. The music is interesting for its time, though I'm not particularly moved by the vocals. What pulled me away was that last verse of "The Old Man's Back Again," seemingly told from the perspective of an invading russian soldier... With my homeland invaded by russia for almost three years now, I don't give a fuck about that perspective. Invaders must die. It's a 2 out of 5 this time. Looking forward to #day71.
One album from this guy would have been more than enough. Two Albums on a list of 1000 great albums is fucking excessive.
We should be grateful that Scott beamed down to this planet to give us his combined oeuvre, of which this is one charming fragment. Beautiful ballads, tender and touching torch songs, mellifluous melodies. Really quite excellent. Now to check out the rest...
15/10/24 I appreciate the voice but my God this album was boring.
Never heard of this guy before. This first song is cool sounding has that latin sound. I like his voice. HAHA the more I hear his voice the more it reminds me of that sad clown from PMJB Puddles Pitty Party? something like that. Meh not crazy abou this. I mean it's nice but meh. Good thing it's only 32 min long. Hm I guess this The Old Man's Back Again sounds familiar
Scott Walker has a lovely voice. His career trajectory was pretty weird, from the Walker Brothers through a series of increasingly respected solo albums to some pretty experimental work. I love Bish-Bosch and Soused, his collaboration with Sunn O))). This album has pretty lush orchestration, and is said to have been influential on other artists. Personally, I'm in a bit of a quandary as to how I should rate this. At times it's a bit too smooth for my taste, but Walker's voice just comes through it all.
I don’t know why, but I really like this one. He doesn’t sing that well. In fact, he doesn’t really even sing. Still, there is something about it that I like. Maybe because it’s unique, but not like Captain Beefheart unique? Idk. I’ll keep listening, though.
All a bit too meh really
Love it! The Old Mans Back Again, Seventh Seal, Hero Of The War, Duchess and Get Behind Me are all gorgeous. Such beautiful orchestration and song construction with a voice that has to be one of the finest of a generation. Inventive and unpredictable. Hard to listen to without absolute attention on lyrics too as you much so much of the detail. Deep listen 5*
It’s different than most 60s records you get on these sorta lists, but didn’t do anything particular for me. Fine.
This is fart smelling at its highest. What the fuck is this even about? Why do I have to get through 9 tracks before there’s an actual chorus? Why are there 4 fucking albums from this guy?
Not really bad, but just nothing that caught my interest
It felt a bit like Sinatra but without the "it" factor. Didn't really do much for me.
This is absolutely awful. Will Farrell doing his Robert Goulet impersonation in real life.
For some reason I love his vocals and the general vibe of the album. It lacks good songs and fades a bit.
Ooh no, this is not good at all. His vocals are really weird, somewhere just above talk singing and with grating pitch changes all over the shop, it ain’t pretty. Just to add to the confusion it’s kinda croonery over the top of Ennio Morriconi style western music. That really doesn’t work either. The blurb says this didn’t sell because he used his real non Walker name. I’m going to beg to differ and just say it was because it was an experiment that went horribly wrong.
Mixed bag. Some absolute classics like old man's back again and enjoyed the opener, seventh seal. Scott is a tad pretentious and would be very surprised if he hasn't been punched often.
Scott Walker is an artist who’s always intrigued me, especially because of how long he’s been pushing musical boundaries. Scott 4 stands out for its unique blend of orchestral arrangements, strings, and folk, with a subtle experimental edge. It’s one of the best early examples of chamber pop, even before that genre really existed. There’s a baroque pop foundation here, but what makes this album so special is its deep, introspective feel, which really highlights Walker’s talent for creating music that’s both rich and personal.
Sounds like John Hartford doing a little bit of Marty Robbins with a hint of Bob Dylan or Pink Floyd. Didn't strike me that hard as something I will want to revisit, but I can see it being influential at the time. Feels like Charlie Chaplin movies, I think people have built on the stuff so it's no longer funny to me, but its kinda wild to think they pioneered it back then.
How Scott Walker got two albums on this list is beyond me, but good for him.
Really great album - atmospheric, strong lyrics and well structured
I can’t remember where I read it, but recently I saw someone talking about the relative dearth of deep male vocals in Pop music. As a joke, I’ve always blamed Smokey Robinson, making the tenor and falsetto so incredibly sexy is certainly the reason why a lot of male Pop stars have used their higher register to great effect. Scott Walker is supposedly the reason why Bowie started utilising the lower end of his register in later albums, and I appreciate him for that. But, there’s something about his vocals that I’m still not sold on. There’s an inflection that I find a bit irritating. On the other hand, I’m enjoying the music a lot and the lyrics a lot. The darker themes suit this sort of orchestrated style, give it a melancholy that elevates some of the poetry. ‘He’s not a shadow of shadows like you, you see’ is a line that just cuts me. This is an album that I’m going to explore more, for certain. There are elements of styles that I know I enjoy, and I’d like to get to know the lyrics better
Meh. Not my thing.
I’m giving this a 3, but I have a feeling I’ll be revisiting soon, and I might regret this rating. It didn’t quite work for me, but something definitely peaked my interest, so there is that.
This guy had some cool 50s/60s crooner vibes. I also heard some Glenn Campbell and some Harry Nilsson in there. I’m fond of all three of these things! This albums was really good!
It felt a lot like Neil Diamond to me, but with less groove to it. The first half of the album, it felt like there was no BRIDGE to any of the songs. It was just A-A-A-A. Very repetitive and tiring. I read that Walker does a lot of experimental stuff later on in his career. I don't know if that is the thing that should have been on this list. Either way, it just did not interest me. NEXT.
And another one for Scott Walker? Virtually ignored by everyone upon release, but not completely terrible, is that why it's on the list? Or because it was the first album he wrote all the songs for instead of covering a bunch of Jacques Brel? It wasn't as fun as Scott Walker 2, so maybe Brel is the superior songwriter. It felt like a lot of songs you hear as the credits roll in old Westerns. I didn't hate it but I did find it boring. He's still got a nice, booming voice. It's either a 2 or a 3. Coin flip.
I thought you’d have to be in mood to enjoy these literate, lavish songs, but they put you in the mood!
There cannot be a bad Scott Walker
What was it about the late ‘60s vocal jazz sounding like a Bond Movie? Scott Walker had a good voice made for Broadway (respect) but this album started intriguing and got old, buried under a 6’ layer of sodden melodrama. Key track was the Old Man’s Back Again (Dedicated to the Neo-Stalinist regime). I don’t regret listening to this one but will be relegating this to the history books and not the personal collection.
Weird, lounge-y, ahead of its time. Scott Walker sounds like how alternative artists do 60s homages now - see Arctic Monkeys’ Tranquility Bae Hotel & Casino. “The Old Man’s Back Again” was an enjoyable track. I liked the opening track too. With the trumpets it reminded me a bit of Mexican flair and also Father John Misty. I doubt I’ll come back to this but I’m glad I heard it.
De nuevo me pasa lo mismo, no me termina de gustar como canta. Y el algún es demasiado edulcorado para mi gusto. Lo escuché todo, pero gracias
There is great (sometimes cheesy) production here, but this is not the kind of music I dig.
I mean, the guy has a smooth voice, and that’s not going unappreciated. But this record doesn’t do much for me.
I really liked his voice. Cool album.
I hope Mr Walker has a day job.
Is this a parody? The production value is high, so was whoever signed this dude.
Ambitious. I respect the hell out of making a weird polished pop album with bergman references, and many wilder topics. I like the spanish guitar, the horns. Songs don't land that hard though.
Moody cool, but also moody lame.
It was nice, not my usual taste in music. But it was short and simple
I liked the atmosphere on this album. I could listen to this for ages.
Artiste inconnu. Que je n'apprécie pas du tout. J'ai trouvé le 1er morceau pénible, avec ses cordes et ses coeurs. Le reste est du même acabit : aucun intérêt pour moi. Même sa courte durée ne remonte pas sa note, j'ai fini par sauter d'un morceau à l'autre pour finir plus vite. =>1/5
Não gostei
Oh. Mir etwas zu schnulzig.
ik weet het niet goed... goeie muziek, stem past er niet altijd bij, goeie teksten meestal... twijfelgeval
The Old Man's Back Again is fucking amazing
I had never heard of Scott Walker but I really like this album. So very good! Favorite song is The Seventh Seal.
somewhat dramatic 4/5
Album releases and fails to chart, radar goes off at 1001 HQ “looks like we found another contender”. Not quite Tom Waits but close enough. We are so close to the end of this list and yet we keep getting stinkers. I can’t wait till this is done to math out the percentage of this list that shouldn’t be on here.
Was bracing myself for some BS, after his second self-titled I get a little triggered when I see the name "Scott Walker." But honestly, this one was pretty good. It seems like he took that cabaret-style from the earlier work and transfigured it a bit into something darker. The word that came to mind for me on a few was "desperado." This was a good listen overall. Favorite tracks: The Seventh Seal, Hero of the War, The Old Man's Back Again. Album art: Just a headshot of Scott (I assume), but the pose is more brooding, more indicative perhaps of the darkness. Color grading is good. 3.5/5
How did this get made? I'd like to talk to someone who enjoys listening to Scott Walker croon. I don't get it.
Not so much fun
I mean, the voice is nice. But you’d be kidding yourself if you think this should’ve gotten bigger. While it’s better than any Tim Buckley sad times and miserable tunes, it still falls short of being exciting: being new, interesting, or even just enjoyable. It’s for the background and should probably remain that way.
Sleepy 60's singer/sonwriter stuff that is pretty okay if you can stay conscious through it. tbh I didn't do a very thorough job of going through the album because I needed something with more pep in the step, and this wasn't it, though from the songs I did listen to there's certainly something to Walkers work. He's got a interesting voice, almost like a crooner, that makes his stuff stand out a bit.
Literally what is this. I’ve never needed a song that just recounts the movie the 7th Seal. Because why. That’s so pretentious. But this guy can’t pull it off. It’s like Tom Waits could probably do that. But he’d call it like, Ingmar, and it wouldn’t literally be a plot synopsis. But instead like, metaphor for heroin or something. And it would be good. This is so awful. It’s like if Tom Jones started singing Barry Manilow, and then got no pussy as a result. Who put this on here it’s so empty. Like I know people shit on the Limp Bizkit and Kid Rock albums but at least those are interesting. This is so fucking boring. Literally anyone could do this. It sucks. Easy 1 star
It was okay I guess. Didn't really resonate with me.
Nostalgic 60s/70s acoustic with strings vive for the entire album. Nice for fans of acoustic music from that time period.
Don't think this one has stood the test of time. Really didn't enjoy it at all - was glad when it ended. Praying there's no Scott 1,2 or 3 on the list!
For some reason, I thought it sounded like he is trying to copy Sir Tom Jones in a way. I don't know if that makes any sense, it's just my thought. And I didn't like it.
I just really don't like these slow ballad guys. None of them, and this was no exception
Not my thing at all. While I can appreciate the musical talent I'm not captured by the stories or the overall mood. This one on the list doesn't inspire me to investigate Scott Walker. I'd rather listen to David Silvian in this space......
Nick Cave papa
The guy is THE little bitch and let's it be known with his singing
Great album! I don't normally enjoy this type of singing, but Scott Walker is an exception. I think I slightly prefer Scott 3 to this, but both are excellent. I don't really connect with all of the songs on here, but the high points (Seventh Seal, On Your Own Again, World's Strongest Man, The Old Man's Back Again) are very high. Love the Ennio Morricone style arrangements as well.
Scott Walker is an interesting dude, you guys.
There's a hint of ham to this collection - subtlety isn't one of the tools that Walker deploys regularly - but as far as grand guignol baroque pop goes this is about as fun as it gets. "I've seen a woman / Standing in the SNEEWWWW!"
It's a slog at 32 mins.. Angels of Ashes and Boy Child are unbearable.
Why? There were about 2 songs that were bearable which gets it to 1.6 stars. Rounded up.
Just wasn't for me.
Cool, another Scott Walker album. And like my last review, it's a chore to get through. I don't understand this pick at all.
Singer songwriter with a folksy feel. A perfectly acceptable album.
Some good songs, but wasn't very consistent throughout
This was a slog to get through but mercifully short. I can't stand Scott Walker's voice or singing style. Blegh.
2/5
I almost like The Seventh Seal, Angel of Ashes, Hero of the War, The Old Man’s Back Again