Scott 2 – SCOTT WALKER*****

Jackie/Best Of Both Worlds/Black Sheep Boy/The Amorous Humphrey Plugg/Next/The Girls From The Streets/ Plastic Palace People/Wait Until Dark/The Girls & The Dogs/Windows Of The World/The Bridge/Come Next Spring

Second of the four acclaimed solo albums from Scott Walker. Scott 2 includes the (for the time) daring single Jackie, banned by the BBC. Accept no substitutes on this one. (UK:1)

"Scott 2 is obviously the sequel to the debut and it shares so much in common that they can be played back to back without a detection of a change in sound or vocal style. The instrumentation is still like that of a Sinatra album or a musical and it's great but the highlight is, again, Walker's undeniably clear vocals."

"Beyond categorization, beyond genre, beyond description. Scott's music is powerful, whether at a joyful, smirking gallop, a brooding melancholy shuffle, or a dark and heavy embrace of doom. He does it all amazingly well. Extraordinary vocals, lush, sweeping arrangements by probably some of the best musicians in the world, and incredibly odd, entertaining, and touching lyrics."

"Scott's second album sees him slowly gaining confidence in his own material, with his compositions probably over-shadowing the covers, even the Brel tracks. But it's really the Walker compositions like Plastic Palace People and Girls From The Streets which make the album."

"This was Scott Walker's most successful solo release, reaching number one on the album charts and pushing him into the spotlight. It is easy to understand why this album had the effect it did. A combination of strong, varied material, rousing arrangements and the powerful instrument that is Walker's voice, makes for a minor classic. His choice of writers to cover is inspired. What is also pleasing is the way his own songs sit comfortably in this esteemed company. At this stage in his career, the future must have seemed very bright."

"Another great Walker album sung with great boisterousness. He had already found his voice, his own songwriting was improving, and on this album he was coming into his own and developing his identity."