Cute cute - in a stupid-ass way
Continuing my trip back through the 1968 album charts.
07/07/68 : Scott 2 - Scott Walker
I always think I like Scott Walker, but I don't really know anything of his except "Jackie" which is just brilliantly bonkers - so I'm hoping for more of that, but I do worry a whole album might prove to be a bit too much.
And, speak of the devil, the opening track is "Jackie" - and it's always a pleasure to hear it. Fortunately the rest of the album isn't all as madly frenetic as that - although it certainly has its moments, with "Next" and "Plastic Palace People" being particularly odd. Even when he's being odd though, it's a very inventive kind of odd - there's some very interesting sonic effects on this. He brings to mind a 60s Jarvis Cocker crossed with Phil Spector, but more ballad-y - I particularly liked "Come Next Spring" which closes the album in a pleasantly langourous manner. It's certainly an interesting album and I enjoyed bits of it and just stood staring open-mouthed at the rest of it.
We're at #9 in the charts this week on his thirteenth week of an eighteen week run with it having peaked at #1 in his fifth week - the public rewarded a strange mix of albums with the top spot in this year. The top five this week are The Small Faces, TSOM, Andy, Otis and a Supremes best-of, the highest new entry was the fantastically named My People Were Fair And Had Sky In Their Hair But Now They're Content To Wear Stars On Their Brows from Tyrannosaurus Rex (note - they're not at all the same as T Rex) (#22) - closely followed by Pink Floyd's Saucerful Of Secrets (#23), which is one I've thankfully managed to avoid. And there were no new women in the charts this week.
Wikipedia has less on the album than I was expecting for someone who is often claimed as an inspiration - apparently it's a mix of contemporary covers (everyone was at it, but at least he didn't do "Can't Take My Eyes Off You"), Jacques Brel songs (Scott was very into Jacques) and some original self-penned numbers. "Jackie" (a Jacques Brel number) was released as a single in the UK but banned by the BBC because of "lyrics like "authentic queers and phony virgins" and drug references". How dare he?!? The album was also released in the US, but didn't do a thing over there.
"Customers also listened to" Georgie Fame, Colin Blunstone, Robert Wyatt and Tim Buckley - which is an odd selection to say the least. I don't quite know what the right word for my experience of this album is - it's not quite "enjoyment", but I have to say I did quite enjoy it. It was certainly an intriguing listen and exactly the sort of thing I wanted to hear from 1968 - cheers, Scott!
Comments
Post a Comment