Features Disc of the day
Scott Walker
SCOTT
(Philips, 1967)
First solo joint from the high priest of art-difficulty.
In the strange career of Scott Walker, there is something of a contrast between his poptastic early fame days and his later nerve-shredding exercises in "beautiful hellishness". But somewhere in the middle is the '67-'69 run of magnificent solo records that began here. In some respects here is music unlikely to make mum and dad kick the TV in, made by a crack orchestra and arrangers, with covers of Sinatra and Dean Martin tunes and an effortless, sonorous voice that should have knocked them dead in Vegas. But more uncomfortably, and presented in the same immaculate style, there's versions of Jacques Brel's seamy playlets of death, vice and masochism - opener Mathilde thunders like doom - and the singer's own songs of shimmering, heartsick gloom, like Montague Terrace (In Blue). It's a sublimely schizoid experience - whose idea was it to follow Tony Bennett hit When Joanna Loved Me with Brel's terror-stricken My Death? - with a swelling version of The Big Hurt managing to sound swinging and desperate at once. Though Scott's fraught take on Brel's Amsterdam caused consternation with its references to brothels and public urination, Scott still got to number three and all was rosy until Scott 4 tanked in '69. Then, the singer went into a tailspin of MOR that was only checked by the most drastic left turn in rock history.
Ian Harrison
Posted by Ross_Bennett at 6:00 AM GMT 15/07/2009
Further Listening
Scott Walker - Scott 2 (Philips, 1968)
Jacques Brel - Olympia 64 (Barclay, 1964)
Tim Hardin - Tim Hardin 2 (Verve, 1967)
Previous Disc of the day
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Boo Hooray - Haunted
Rumpled velvet pop from weary Scots romantics. Out on Monday!
6:00 AM GMT 04/02/2010
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The Pernice Brothers - Overcome By Happiness
"Prince Valium" leavens the badness with Bacharach/Fanclub tune gold.
6:00 AM GMT 03/02/2010
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The Walker Brothers - Nite Flights
Former pin-ups' last-gasp reinvention as art rock phantasms.
6:00 AM GMT 02/02/2010
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Chet Baker - Deep In A Dream
"The ultimate Chet Baker collection", they called it.
6:00 AM GMT 01/02/2010
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