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Scott Walker

Finnegan

Finnegan

I like a bit of a cavort
I like to take my Scott Walker at least semi-listenable. By the time he‘d started punching donkeys on the streets of Galway, he’d lost me. I listened to Scott I-IV over the weekend and decided I didn’t much care for I and II (other than Plastic Palace People on II). III is my favourite and IV isn’t bad. His rendition of If You Go Away is described on Amazon as overblown: isn’t that the point with Scott?

How do folks rate him and his albums?
 
My most played is the cuspy Climate of Hunter but I also have a soft spot for Tilt.

Of the early records, I like III and IV more than the two earlier ones.

I remember seeing this when it was broadcast. Everyone else had headed for the kitchen a minute into the song : I was transfixed.


Jules at his worst, Scott at his finest.
 
kjb said:
My most played is the cuspy Climate of Hunter but I also have a soft spot for Tilt.

Of the early records, I like III and IV more than the earlier ones.

I remember seeing this when it was broadcast. Everyone else was in the kitchen a minute in: I was transfixed


Jules at his worst, Scott at his finest.
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Yeah I remember that appearance. As I recall, Scott scooted off straight afterwards and didn’t hang around to indulge in any cheery banter
 
I love all his solo material, Scott 4 being my favourite of the sixties releases. Climate of Hunter was a real return to form I think.
There is an interesting compilation called Boy Child that was released in 1990 that marked a resurgence of interest in the sixties solo material, I think Marc Almond ( and Jarvis Cocker?) were somehow involved in its release. It was reissued for Record Shop Day in 2021, some copies seem to be still available.
"Tilt" I can listen to,"The Drift" only just, and"Bish Bosch", too much man!
The subsequent Sun O))) colaboration is a bit dark too.
 
Night Flights is a bit of a "curate's egg". I think it was a last attempt to roll the Walker Brothers dice and try to recapture the heady days of The Sun Aint Gonna Shine Anymore.
Scott was willing to give it another throw because of the failure of his solo career. Scott 4 was a commercial failure, it sold less than Scott3, which sold less than Scott2. By 1970 we had Led Zep 2, Deep Purple in Rock, Black Sabbath etc etc, the world was a different place.
Some of the tracks on Night Flights point toward the discord and darkness of Scotts later work, but it didnt sell either!
 
I'll probably take any Scott Walker album over 80 percent of mine or anyone else's record collection. With Tilt, Bisch Bosch, and Scott 4 and 3 (in that order) as the highlights.
 
Interestingly Fire Escape In The Sky was compiled by Julian Cope and released on the Liverpool Zoo label (owned by Bill Drummond (KLF))
Julian Cope was instrumental in creating a new audience for Scott Walkers sixties solo material.
 
Chris Metcalf said:
Interestingly Fire Escape In The Sky was compiled by Julian Cope and released on the Liverpool Zoo label (owned by Bill Drummond (KLF))
Julian Cope was instrumental in creating a new audience for Scott Walkers sixties solo material.
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Scott was huge amongst that generation of Liverpool vocalists - I think you can clearly hear the influence in Julian, Ian McCulloch from Echo & the Bunnymen, Pete Wylie of Wah! and Ian McNabb of The Icicle Works.
 
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