Reviews (page 6 of 8)
So Scott Walker's early albums are Scott, Scott 2,Scott 3 and this imaginatively titled Scott 4. This level of creative ingenuity follows through to the album as a whole.
Giving this a 2 feels generous, however giving it a 1 feels wrong. You can hear the passion in Scott's voice, which only barely elevates this steaming pile of shit
Yechhh
Hmm jsp j'ai pas trop aimé dans l'ensemble mais en même temps il y a des sons qui m'ont fait bien kiffé. L'ensemble reste bof. J'arrive pas à y trouver des sonorités qui me parlent dans la plupart des sons. Et l'ambiance de l'album switch de fou à partir de "Hero of the War" donc j'ai du mal à y trouver une continuité. Par contre: 1) The world's strongest man 2) The old man's back again 3) Rhymes of goodbye
Ochestral Bowie? Vocals were good I guess but overall slow and was putting me to sleep.
On my first listen to Scott 4 by Scott Walker, my immediate reaction was: how on earth did this make the 1001 list? At first, the whole thing felt strangely theatrical. It reminded me of The Mike Flowers Pops, so much so that I half expected a lounge cover of Wonderwall to appear at any moment. My initial reaction was strong dislike. That said, because the album is relatively short, I ended up leaving it on for two or three listens while I worked, and something unexpected happened: its sheer cheesiness started to grow on me. Somewhere between the dramatic vocals, sweeping arrangements and over-the-top cabaret feel, I found myself weirdly enjoying parts of it. It might even be a bit of a guilty pleasure. Overall though, I still think this is pretty awful. There are occasional decent moments, but most of the album feels like cheap cabaret dressed up as something more profound. Favourite tracks: There were a few okay moments, particularly “Hero of the War” Least favourite tracks: Most of the album felt like cheap cabaret. “On Your Own Again” did absolutely nothing for me Album artwork: Perfectly fine, nothing special
Not really sure why this is on the list. It is very mediocre.
In 1969 I was listening to anything but this artist, never heard of him, but that's not to say that listening to him now, I'm okay with the vocals, the lyrics, the instrumentation that is reminiscent of the sounds of boring music of the status quo and mainstream america at the time, like something my parents would have listened to on TV. It's easy listening. 2 stars
To make this kind of music you have to be good at story telling
I liked the older Scott Walker album better. It was kind of weird which I liked.
This is better than Scott 2, but damn this guy sucks.
more like. sleep walker
I feel like I have just wandered into the wrong bar.
Lots of eye rolls with this one.
(3/7) didn't move me
Not for me
Album is a bit mediocre, but tell me how did they get Hero of the War to sound like evil Mumford and Sons in 1969??
Meh.
He make me sleepy
The Good: Scott has experience! The Bad: Looks like he didn’t learn much from the Scott 1 through 3 experience… The Ugly: Technically speaking he named his album after himself at factor 4 which, I just found out, is just called to the fourth power… Yes, that is the most interesting thing I can say about this album… it was just sound… nothing special. Nothing that made my head move to the side, while wondering what was that great experience… I refuse to give this album a 4… 2*
I had never heard of Scott Walker prior to receiving this album on the generator. This album is ok. Walker has an excellent voice and the music is well played. However there is not much variety and this vones off to me as a less poppy Neil Diamond, which is not a genre that i enjoy very much.
Didnt mind it but didn’t reallly like it either
It’s very difficult for me to imagine that this was once considered avant garde. How dull would music have to be that listening to this your reaction is: Wow! This dude is pushing the boundaries!
Not my thing.
No, nothing special, so only 2 stars...
It was hard to get into this one. Felt like a Reno lounge act with some random country elements.
This sounded like one long song to me, so I'm glad it ended after 32 minutes.
Did this guy seriously release 4 albums named after himself?
2 stars
I mean, he does have a lovely voice, and the arrangements are nice enough. It’s just kind of a slog. Felt way longer than its 32 minute runtime. I didn’t love ‘Scott 2’, but that at least had moments of true strangeness and willful deviation to be interesting. This was pretty and not much else to me.
Blehhhh 2/5
This is quite earnest, but it's also quite bad. I didn't like the other album from this artist on the 1001 either. I think I gave it a three, but I'm kind of appalled at how milquetoast this is. Not at all surprised that I had never heard of this artist until the 1001 LOL
“It was released in late 1969 under his birth name, Scott Engel, and failed to chart“ Why is this here? It’s giving lame and dated (especially compared to other 1969 albums)
A bit dour and a bit dry
What the fuck? Why? No! This has no place near my stereo.
Begon ijzersterk, maar daarna niet mijn muziek
Really only a couple good songs, just decent
i don't really get ittttt i'm sorry. i fail to hear anything enjoyable to me personally here. this is my bias against folk music talking again isn't? i'm so sorry. i promised i wouldn't do this again. uhhh i didn't totally dislike it! i liked the atmosphere for some of the songs! fave track: the old man's back again
Pleasant enough; hardly life-changing.
זה היה חמוד, לא הכרתי אותו בכלל! אהבתי את רוב השירים
I don't get the appeal of this album. If this man's voice is supposed to be pleasant and beautiful, I don't think it is, and there are some occasions where I think it sounds forced, specially when he sings in a lower register, like in the song "On You Own", just to name an example. In addition, it makes these moments more frustrating when in tracks like "Hero of the War" he shows how natural and fluent his voice can be. In general, I am not able to feel any type of true emotion behind his voice. If the lyrics are what makes the album interesting, I only like the story told in "The Seventh Seal", which is based in the film with the same name. Apart from that, I don't find anything else appealing or specially moving. What I do appreciate the most about this album is the instrumentation. The album is labeled as Baroque Pop, but instead of sounding as happy as a The Beach Boys' record, it is way more serious and well orchestrated. However, as beautiful as some arrangements can get, I can't say I am specially moved by it. So in the end, while it may seems like I hate the record, I don't dislike it as much. Basically, I don't have any notably positive or negative opinions, yet, I have to tend to the negative side just for the aspects of the voices I mentioned I can't enjoy.
Nice to know they were overproducing records in the late 60s too.
144. ok
Det er godt nok en hård omgang at skulle trækkes igennem for at der lige ligger et par enkelte perler på vejen..
Puha det var kedeligt. Undtagen det neo-stalinistiske, point for det
Un álbum que seguramente mañana olvide. Llevadero, pero realmente nada especial. 4/10
It’s aggressively ok. Like, the most extremely “it’s fine” album I’ve heard from the list yet. First track is easily the best. The rest of it is just regular ass 60s pop with some neat tricks hidden in the background. I don’t really like it but I can’t be bothered to pin down why.
There's aspects of Scott Walker that sound so timeless and even modern, I can't believe it was recorded in the 60s. In other ways, it sounds like any run of the mill international chamber pop artist. I can see why it's worth listening, but i've never quite understood why it's so impactful. Is it just the combination of traditional song structures with left field lyrics and bravado? Not my cup of tea to be honest.
2nd Scott album from the generator. Was excited because I liked his other album but this one quickly turned boring sadly 2/5
Okay, first things first, Scott 4 is one of those albums that splits people. The production is super lush orchestral stuff, especially the bass on "The Old Man's Back Again", it's got a cool vibe. There's a real sense of trying to tell a story, like "The Seventh Seal" is this high concept art thing. But, as someone who isn't into this kind of dramatic crooning, it's a bit of a struggle to get through. I get that some people think his voice is majestic, but it just sounds kind of... blah to me. And the slow pace? Yeah, it feels a bit like nap time. It's cool that he influenced people like Nick Cave and Bowie, but this whole vibe isn't really my thing.
didn't we already listen to this Divine Comedy album
I’ve got maybe 150 albums to go on this thing and I’m starting to think about Life After. One thing I won’t miss is listening to an album of this quality about 1.75 times a week and being like “Yea ok fine.”
Cool sings, unique voice and not too bad.
I can tell that this is on here because it influenced other meh albums on this list. He can sing though, so credit for that. 2.4.
Didn't really love this or understand its significance. I think if I read the lyrics one by one, I might connect more with their poetry.
5,50/10 Bueno para tener de fondo, pero hasta ahi, medio sosas las canciones, les falta algo, es un ritmo tranquilo que no distrae, pero no me termina de cerrar
This was okay. Enjoyed his voice, but was pretty repetitive and sounds dated.
The best part about this album was making fun of how pretentious and self important one has to be to name his first 5 albums “Scott”, as well as his BBC TV Series. I mean seriously. He deleted this album after it released because he released it under his real name and not his stage name?? Even the background context of this album is boring. I think you can make the case that true indifference is worse than just being outright bad with this album. Sure, it’s fine. He sings fine. I don't particularly love his voice, so it was always going to be tough getting into this on a personal level, but my God am I bored to death with this album. I won’t be remembering anything from Scott 4 after today, what is often cited as his “best album”, and Scott 2 is also lurking somewhere on the bot and has an even lower rating. This is Day 2 in a row of criticizing the creators of this book for making terrible additions. When an albums biggest accolade on Wikipedia is that it’s featured in this book and that it was a commercial failure, you know you’ve likely rolled some Grade A traaaaaaaash. This is definitely one of those times. After a mound of exceptionally mid British albums, this is the representation America gets?? Quite frankly I feel cheated and somewhat offended even. I suppose I have to give a favorite out, so I'll give it to "The Old Man's Back Again", the chanting in the background of that one is kind of cool, I guess. Not much more to say about this album. It really just wasn't very good. Never been a big fan of the crooning type, but I wasn't in misery listening to this one, so it's at least a 2. I would never return to it though under any circumstance, so it's for sure not getting a 3 either. Sorry Scott, can't really say I'm a fan. Maybe next time, but I doubt it, especially if this is the best of what he had to offer. Oh well, after a long streak of fantastic albums, rolling something like this just makes me more critical as a whole. Maybe if I didn't just roll a bunch of heat I'd give this a 3. Hoping to break this new trend of mediocrity before I start another streak of bad albums. We're on 2 in a row now where I just didn't care for them. Let's see if the weekend album can fix that.
I liked the first 3 songs a lot, but didn't care for the middle. I'm gonna have to come up with what I call this lazy mopey 60s lyrical style
Ik heb hier zo goed als niks over te zeggen. Als ik m'n rating van Scott 2 teruglees vond ik deze minder irritant. De eerste keer dat ik dacht 'Hey, dit nummer klinkt wel leuk' bleek dat het album al was afgelopen en dat Spotify zelf met een Captain Beefheart track aan kwam zetten, dus aan dit album zelf is me echt helemaal niks opgevallen wat ik kan navertellen. Ik ga hem ietwat zuur op 2 sterren zetten omdat dit echt de overtreffende trap van vergeetbaar is.
A bit boring. A lot of the songs sounded the same. However I did like one song. Get Behind Me.
This album gives off major "washed-up lounge singer" vibes. Some songs verge on okay, but then there's "Hero of the War". Holy crap that one tries so hard to be emotional, but just comes off as laughable.
The only thing I took away from this ... was that his fifth album is called Scott 4?
Yeh, not for me at all. Sounds like a wdding singer doing an impression of a Vegas crooner
I didn't expect much at all. It's not astounding, but it's alright. Some songs are really good, like 'The Seventh Seal' (I haven't seen it mentioned that much) and 'The Old Man's Back Again,' while others are lacking. Well, that's my impression at least. I assumed I was going to enjoy this more after the first track, but it wasn't meant to be. There is some really forgettable stuff on here; the voice is good, though. The album is clearly not half as bad as some people make it seem in the reviews. My opinion, by the way.
He might have a great voice, but when the songs are as dull and uninteresting as these, it doesn’t matter. Boring, even though he songs with emotion. The Old Man’s Back Again and Duchess bring some quality and variation to the album, but on the while, it can’t be saved
es 0 mi rollo, ya lo siento
I love the seventh seal. Gothic like baroque pop, unfortunately the rest of the album drops off without the same epic sound and goes more easy listening.
this wasnt bad, but like alot of other reviewers mention, i don't see it standing out amongst artists like Nick Cave or Chris Issac
I know I'm supposed to like this. But I find it dull. No soul, no excitement. It's self-indulgent with lyrics that pass right over me. It's the sound of eating offal.
Not that great - I tried.
#876. Yep, that sure is music. 2/5: meh
True story I was listening to this on full blast when someone walked into the room and I had to explain to them that a website is making me listen to this bad music and it's not actually what I listen to for fun
Fairly basic stuff. Favorite Track: Get Behind Me
Apologies Mr. Walker but this is booooooooooring Best Song: The 7th Seal Rating: 4.5/10 Stars: 2/5
It's Scott.
Sounds a lot like he's doing a Nick Cave impersonation. Or maybe Nick Cave is doing an impersonation of Scott Walker? Either way, this album wasn't good. It was boring and weird (in the bad way) and mostly annoying in how stupid the guy sounds. 2/5
brodie needs to stop naming albums after himself
Pretty average
Okay.
No. 108 No strong feelings about this one, not bad tho.
Didn’t care much for his style of singing but it was a fine album.
It got better towards the end, but I didn't love it.
Hmmm... Ok ...
Track one: Bergman! Bergman! Bergmaaaan! Track two: It’s the mythical quest of captain Jack Sparrow, la la la la, sail the seven seas! It’s a mythical quest to the isle of Tortuga! This whole town’s a pussy just waiting to get fucked! Man, that Scott Walker sure is a cinephile.
Scott 4 < 3
2.5 The old man is back again is a bit of burner, rest of it meh
NFM
No private session used for Spotify. I was listening to this thinking this would have been more pertinent in the 60's then checked and it came out in 69. Overly dramatic. I listened to this album twice, the first time it was playing in the background and I forgot about it. The second time I make more of an effort to listen to it and it annoyed me. The chess analogy in the first track kind of intrigued me, but not enough to dig into.
Wasn't offensively bad, but in my opinion really didn't have anything going for it.
I get that he’s a great crooner, and I think if I’d have grown up with the Walker brothers, I might’ve liked him more, I did listen to it all.
Some had a nice backing, But his voice didn't fit, This album was lacking, A little bit shit. Not fully shit though. It's just doesn't work especially well. Some tracks, like Get Behind Me, would be good if they were better. I know what I mean... Interesting that the songs after on Spotify were a really random mix of 60s and 70s. I think he broke the algorithm.
Self indulgent music.
He's got a good voice but the songs just weren't right for him.
No strong positive feelings about this one, not bad tho
What Jan would listen to at a dinner party, when no one else is dancing. A poor mans Hunter Album
I don't know why we're getting any Scott Walker
He's got a great voice, just don't like his songs.
This was so boring up until the last part when they remembered that it was the 60s
Sure were some songs that I sure did experience.
Achei que ia gostar mais
Just not a Scott Walker guy
Kinda sick of baroque pop overall...
Very strange. Weird vocal. Couldn't really get in to it.
nope
This is like a deranged cross between Neil Diamond, David Bowie, and Jacques Brel...but a lot less interesting than that sounds. His vocal delivery is very formal and is a powerful instrument...but the lyrics and music just aren't that interesting. The first song is just a plot synopsis of "The Seventh Seal " Other songs are better and some quite beautiful...but his vocal delivery and dramatic persona leave me cold
Not sure what to make of this one.. that Glenn Campbell/Elvis act grows tiring pretty quickly. And whats up with the first song, literally just describing the plot of The Seventh Seal? Did he think he was making like a Bond theme? Lyrically unique but just didnt enjoy at all really
Pretty monotone and samey through. The Old Man’s Back Again was the only highlight.
I made it through the whole album. I wouldn't listen again but I can't say I hated it, so I'll be generous.
So not my thing. A depressed existential crooner - perfect for the beatniks in smoky coffeehouses, but did not age well.
Just as boring as the last Scott Walker album on this list.
I can understand why this didn't chart. It's fine enough musically and his voice is fine, but this kind of music wasn't super popular in 1969
Unremarkable in my opinion.
Eh. It's a high 2, but can't get it up to 3 in my world. Music meant for a dentist's office.
Richard hawleyesque in parts. A little melodramatic and sweeping for my taste
This album is what happens when a 40s crooner makes a 60s folk album with cinematic, Old Western overtones.
Not for me
W-what time is it? Did I fall asleep? The album is over and I don't think I missed anything
Goofy ass voice. These are the albums that make this whole thing so tedious sometimes. There are far better, more deserving albums that should be here instead.
Meh
I’m not against sweeping and swooning velvet, dramatic tones, but in the end this was just all too boring for me
It dawned on me about two or three songs from the end of this album, I don’t think any of the lyrics rhyme. Even the song with the word rhyme in its title didn’t rhyme. I’ve no desire to listen to this album again to confirm. As a member of the Walker Brothers he had some hits I appreciated…nothing on this album. One of the other “brothers” must not have been rhyming challenged. Or could at least recognize a song written by others that contained some rhymes.
No more Scott please
Not this guy again. Marginally better than his other album. I can appreciate an artist in their genre but I’m not into this kind of stuff.
One time is funny, two times is fucking annoying - Vaas Montenegro
Same comments as last time….album very similar.
Scott has struck again
Best Song: Get Behind Me This was better than Scott 2 but not as good as 90% of albums that are on this list in the 60s. This would have gotten a 1 if it weren't for Get Behind Me which isn't a bad song. 2/5.
I only heard of him by Radiohead saying Creep was their Scott Walker song. I can sort of hear that here. It was ok but I didn't find it very interesting.
If anybody's music was desperately in need of some cocaine, it was this guy. A bit of urgency and tempo, just for a change periodically, wouldn't have killed him, would it? This is fine, but there’s better examples in the genre. Dig the orchestral performances, and the album is well produced and recorded, but it as dull and boring as it gets. An even worse version of Nick Cave and I didn't think that was possible. At many times it doesn't even feel like Scott Walker is connecting with his own material. As if he is just going through the motions. I can hear why I wasn't familiar with his work. Love pop, particularly from this era, but this was not my cup of tea. Now I am going to go listen to some Tom Jones THE LEAD AND HOW TO SWING IT or maybe even some Lawrence Welk to cleanse my palette of Scott Walker. Having heard both of his albums on this list, I am convinced that he doesn't belong on this list.
ah, ok, mal was ruhiges! aber wie werde ich heute wach?
I can see why it didn’t chart
Bored me.
I remember little of this. It wasn't bad but it did nothing to grab me.
His voice is a little too nasally for my liking
I fully expected to hear, "I gave my love a cherry..." 32 minutes that felt like 32 hours. Where is Bluto when you need him?
1.8
Okay
slightly better than the other scott walker album i heard, but still pretty boring imo
I went into this with zero expectations as I'd never heard of Scott Walker. But I definitely didn't expect the Seventh Seal opening - what an interesting ballad. But overall, this feels meh. I don't dislike it. But I feel like the songs aren't doing justice to his voice. I don't know...maybe its the singing style which feels dated. It just feels like the songs are only taking him half way to where he could truly push himself vocally.
This was an easy listen, but only because it’s so boring it fades into the background almost immediately. The worst part? Every time it blended itself into audio wallpaper, I had to rewind and try to pay attention again—like rereading a paragraph you knew you didn’t absorb. Moody and artsy, sure… but incredibly dull. A real “wait, is this still playing?” album.
mid
Hmm, this seems like a mid-range crooner to me. Admittedly, I don't have a great ear for this genre. Scott is certainly talented, and this album was soothing, but I don't understand why this is on the list.
Against my better judgement listened to the whole thing
A little too dark and abstract for me. Maybe in a better/different mood this would hit differently. 2 stars.
What in the proto Nick Cave is this
Selv efter 2 lyt over weekenden så må jeg bare erkende at jeg har glemt alt om dette album... Ikke skidt nok til at jeg kan huske det.
Opulent på den kedelige måde. Der kommer en enkel sang med lidt bid der får mig til at spidse øre. Men resten er alt for flødet.
He has a nice voice but I found this incredibly boring.
This is the most generic music I’ve ever heard, There’s just nothing with this music that stands out to me. It’s kinda boring, it’s very forgettable. I couldn’t even recall a single melody directly after listening to it. The only thing I can recall is his voice. The tone of his voice was good.
interesting not my cup of tea, but interesting
I'm not a huge fan of crooners. For some reason the songs didn't land for me.
4/10, just too old
Not sure why this is on the list, he’s a British version of John Denver.
Yet again another boring album
Bleh. Did not like. Didn't like his voice, the lyrics were boring and kinda just whatever. Really mid and not special at all.
can you be bland/boring, and over styled at the same time? why. is. this. on. the. list.
Não me encheu as medidas
I try really hard not to employ mono syllabic reviews for the albums on this site, but this was.... Bland.
Not my jam
A big orchestral sound from the late 60's which is fun to hear, but I can t get onboard with Scott's singing voice or choice of lyrics I can imagine this playing at a senior retirement home, so he's probably going for an older demographic than me
Some of the reviews compare him as superior to folks like Nick Drake and Leonard Cohen. Their views are worthy, but it doesn't work for me. Despite the terrific songs, his vocal style and the production is more Neil Diamond, and that's kind of a deal breaker.
This wasn't bad. Reminded me of something I would have loved when I was in high school. Scott's voice tends to get annoying after too long. Probably wouldn't return to this Liked Songs: "The Seventh Seal" , "Angels Of Ashes" , "Hero Of The War" , "The Old Man's Back Again (Dedicated To The Neo-Stalinist Regime)" , "Rhymes Of Goodbye"
Scott Walker could sing, and write a song. He and his brother made some massive hits. Solo albums showcased his craft, unique nature and vision. But by 4, I feel like the shooting star was burning out. Just not quite as good. This one is a solo album that remained obscure for a reason.
Ret whatever. Men okay. Kan godt lide at hans første album hedder hhv Scott 1, 2, 3, 4 og alle er udgivet på den 1.
The Old Man's Back Again is a great song, can't say the same for the album. At least now i know baroque pop exists and it's NOT for me
Onneksi tämä albumi on lyhyt. Ei aivan hirveää mutta jotenkin rasittavaa. Ehkä johtui lauluäänestä tai siitä kuinka yhtä asiaa toistettiin sanoituksissa sata kertaa.
I didn't NOT like it, I just don't remember it the next day.
Interesting for sure. It almost sounds like a fake album in the sense that it’s trying to hard to be a period piece. This album is not something I would listen to again
Rätt trist men inte hemskt
Måste sätta lägre på något nån gång, det här var inte så spännande.
It was OK, no de mi gusto.
Sounds like the soundtrack to a movie even your Boomer mom doesn't remember because it didn't star anyone famous and is so mediocre and dated that it was never even released on VHS.
Kind of fascinating just because I can't imagine anyone unironically releasing anything that sounds remotely like the first five tracks after 1980.
Why is Scott Walker making his music our problem?? He and his music are so pretentious. I suffered through Scott 2, and I was scared this album would, too, be filled with tortured baroque pop. No! Walker still created baroque pop music but without the morose vibe. Scott 4 has personality, a beat, and interesting lyrics. Thank goodness this album wasn't the garbage that was Scott 2, but that doesn't mean I wasn't eagerly waiting for the end of the album. Like, why did he make the choice to scat?
When forced to endure "Scott 2", I worried that the day would come when I had to listen to another "Scott" album. And here we are. While I did find this one a bit more tolerable, it was really only just so; the problem was ultimately the same: it was a lot of baroque crooning and droning.
Listening to this album made me feel like I was trapped in the car with my dad doing mundane errands on an otherwise glorious afternoon. Not horrible, but my mind kept drifting off to better things.
I kinda forgot about it now, was ok? Will I listen to again: 1%
Scotin neljäs oma nimikkoalbumi on pöhkeää pöyhkeää...
Not for me
2,5
This sounds like the soundtrack to a forgotten movie from the 60s. This guy can barely hold a tune and all the songs are super generic.
Not my favorite. I had never heard of Scott Walker or the Walker Brothers. Had to google them. Scott Walker has a great voice and the music is nice and relaxing but it’s not for me.
I almost didn't bother to listen to the whole album and i am glad I ifishd it since from "hero of war" and "the old man", it was easier to listen to for me. I guess I was annoyed by the constant vioalins ? I had a look at the lyric and they're very poetic. I guess that where the value of this record is.
Didn’t really like
Salvado después de vencido David Bowie, Jarvis Cocker, Thom Yorke y Bat for Lashes entran a una catedral abandonada y se proponen convertirla en el nuevo atractivo turístico para que los hipsters y existencialistas tengan dónde conversar con efectos de eco dramáticos naturales. Después de tres álbumes solistas sin pena ni gloria, Scott Walker decide tirar una moneda más al aire. El azar no le da ni cara ni cruz, pero sí un futuro David Bowie que le va a sonreír. Él no lo sabe, pero su disco Scott 4, publicado bajo su verdadero nombre, Scott Engel, y retirado por falta de ventas, se convertirá en una obra de culto del folk barroco. Los latinoamericanos pensarán que Camilo Sesto es mejor, pero es porque no nos gusta movernos mucho de nuestras raíces. A Scott lo aceptamos porque, al menos, tiene una canción crítica al estalinismo. Walker se convierte en un bibliotecario que, con arreglos orquestales, existencialismo y crítica ácida, te guía por las estanterías de sus introspecciones. Como alguien que pasa la vida recomendando lo indicado a otros, pero necesita una invitación para dar rienda suelta a su propia historia. "The Seventh Seal" te va a hacer putear porque, por su culpa, se te derritieron los rocks del whisky mientras te distraías con la decadencia de la muerte anunciada sobre una guitarra folk. "The Old Man's Back Again" es el “acá nos deprimimos, bailamos, nos divertimos y aprendemos de geopolítica” del álbum. "Boy Child" es la excusa musical de Scott para que lo acompañes a tomar la decisión de empezar terapia. Y como gente comprensiva que somos, lo acompañamos. Scott va a ser ese conocido con el que, por h o por b, terminaste compartiendo cosas, y se transformó en el amigo que te manda audios sobre sus fijaciones medievalistas. Y vos estás bien con eso. Es el proceso de sentarte en una catedral vacía a ver cómo la luz se va moviendo por los vitrales. Este álbum se va a convertir en tu alma vieja amiga. Pero no alardees tanto de la amistad… que siga siendo algo de culto.
Ikke helt for mig
I almost got whiplash listening to this after Korn. And at first I was very pleased, but this is a bit dull of an album in itself, maybe too much of a course correct. I did like Duchess, it was compelling in its own quiet way.
Pleasant, but all in all forgettable and probably not one I'd go back to
like a parody of obnoxious 60s singer-songwriters
Reminds me a lot of Leonard Cohen... I don't like Leonard Cohen.
Lounge singer shoegaze
There was nothing for me on this one.
Some weird stuff starting to come through in the lyrics, but the music is still saccharine crooner shlock. Later albums much better.
There are many good folk albums not on this list, but somehow this is? 2 stars or D-.
j'ai retenu 2 bonnes chansons mais en vrai pas mon truc dsl
Why does this guy have ( at least) 2 albums on this list. It was indistinguishable from Scott 1 since I didn't notice when Spotify just played on after the album. There was nothing wrong with the music but Scott walker doesn't deserve multiple spots on this list
Reminds me of Marty Robbin’s era western but no where near as good. Not a fan of the soupy production.
This reminds me of Kirk Van Houten's breakout album "Can I Borrow a Feeling?" I definitely can say anything strongly worded about this album. It just doesn't invoke any sort of passionate response from me. Groovy bass in The Old Man is Back Again 2.49
Nearly 3 years ago, album #251 for me was Scott 2. I absolutely hated it and looking back at my review, I was in a very cutting emotional state. Whether I've mellowed since (this is album #824 for context) or not, I felt less violently/aggressively disinclined to Scott Walker. It's still bland tripe, and I still think it's incredibly narcissistic to name your first four albums after yourself (once is OK, two speaks to a lack of imagination, and four, well...) but the first track was alright, so that's something right? I'm feeling generous, so 2 stars it is
I didn't mind The Seventh Seal but after that, let's just say baroque pop isn't my jam. I get and I do hear how it influenced Bowie and Radiohead but it just doesn't work for me.
pass
Didn’t realise this guy had more than one album on this list. Why?
Un álbum de pop barroco (probablemente el primero que puede ser llamado como tal) bastante influyente por lo que leo. Muchas canciones parecen la banda sonora de una película de los 60, con instrumentación simple pero muy apasionada y orquestal, llena de cuerdas, que a ratos casi recuerda a Morricone. La voz de barítono es casi operística, pero cercana al folk. Las letras, poéticas y algo crípticas, son pesimistas y tristes en su mayoría, muy buenas. Pero la verdad es que me ha aburrido bastante. Me ha sonado anticuado y me he cansado bastante rápido de él. Scott Walker promete, pero en otra ocasión será.
Definitely hear the influence he had on Bowie but I just don’t like this as much as what Bowie did. The singing and songwriting is good but it just lacks that weirdness and fun that I need to draw me in, just some crooning.
I think someone summed it up perfectly: "The guy is a little bitch and let's it be known with his singing". Seriously though, there are a bit of cool parts in this one and I love the bass line on the track I listed as a stand out. 4/10.
This guy has strong "insufferable at parties" vibes. "Get Behind Me" wasn't bad though.
Scott Walker is boring.
The first song is kinda cunty wtf And his voice sounds different I dont love it but compared to some of the other stuff it’s alright The most random lyrics though
I was super excited with the Spanish guitar intro and then that excitement faded as the album went on. It’s really an ok album, but a lot of the songs sound extremely similar. It could do with a lot less string sections as well.
boo
This album has passion and production that sounds ahead of it's time, but honestly I couldn't get over the singing style.
I don't really get it. 'Get Behind Me' was the only track I remotely enjoyed. Hard for me to see where this fits in to what else was going on in 1969. Maybe there's more or better elsewhere in his catalog? Sounds like he was a pretty wild guy.
Woof. That was a hard listen. "It's like Vegas if it was run by Ned Flanders." "I didn't think he was going to do Moon River, but BAM! 2nd encore!"
Was ok, crooner type of thing. Very studio. Enjoyed the bass on The Old man’s Back Again. Some of the songs felt like they’d be at home in. Tarantino movie, but just weren’t quite cool enough to get there.
There’s a reason why Scott Walker is not a household name in this day & age
lmao no
Scott Walker’s music is really odd. I’m coming to realise this. It’s very film-score, whilst having lyrics that tell stories more than express feelings. When I put this album on in the car, my partner said it sounded like he was singing about Dungeons and Dragons. Maybe he was, who knows? Either way, I can appreciate the talent on display here, but it’s not really the music for me.
There is nothing to hate and nothing to love on this album. Just an o.k. listen. 2,5
Funnily enough, I have one song saved by Scott Walker so I thought I’d like this album. Unfortunately I couldn’t really take his voice seriously here, and it was tough to get through
Depressing and self indulgent cheese
Started out ok, but was a bit bland.
DNF.
Kinda boring, couldn't get through it. The main single was ok. 2/5
I don't even know what genre to call this. The guy takes himself too seriously and the songs are just OK
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
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
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
“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.”
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.
This guy is whiny in the creepiest of ways. I don't like it.
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
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.
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
I didn’t really vibe with this
The orchestration and lyrics were a bit busy, clunky and disjointed. Nothing seemed to flow. A very talented artist, but this was disappointing effort.
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
Soundtrack album. Probably works for any movie.
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
bard
I just don’t get the appeal
2/5. Who TF listens to this music?
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.
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.
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.
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.
Scott Walker < The Beatles
Some nice orchestral arrangements. Couple decent songs but nothing amazing
His albums are ok - but I do think a bit overrated at times...
Dull, melodic, smooth Art Pop.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Was ok
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.
Not for me
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)
Eh. Fine 60s music, but nothing special. Would be interesting to know why it's on the list.
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.
Weird…all I can say
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
Crap
1.6 2x not sure why i listened twice, but it was short
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
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.
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.
15/10/24 I appreciate the voice but my God this album was boring.
All a bit too meh really
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Oh. Mir etwas zu schnulzig.
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.
Not so much fun
It was okay I guess. Didn't really resonate with me.
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.
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......
Why? There were about 2 songs that were bearable which gets it to 1.6 stars. Rounded up.