Search - Scott Walker :: Stretch/We Had It All

Jacques Brel's protege goes "Country-Mad"

Jason Young | Dublin, Ohio United States | 07/14/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Caught betwixt the feuding camps of "old Scott" vs. "recent Scott", I found this lovely and perverted mid-70s 'two-fer' used in a local shop. While having none of the existenstial angst of the first five solo albums, and not at all a trace of the 80's and 90's recordings (of which there are only two), I was frightened at first. Our beloved 'God-like Genius' was resorting to string-laden AOR & country tunes, and who knows if it was a bid for commercial acceptance or rather just an "I'll do whatever I wish" move, you can be certain that it wasn't a deliberate "Self Portrait/Metal Machine Music" that was tossed out, because oddly enough, after a few listens you (or at least I) became as drawn to this album(s) as any other I've heard from Scott Walker. Some critic at one point said negatively that it was totally "white-bread country", which is puzzling since country often invokes images of redneck Dukes of Hazzard-watchin' white hillbillies. (At least it did until the digital age). But it wasn't Scott trying to do country music...it was almost like country music was trying to do Scott Walker. Many of the tracks (sadly no Walker originals) invoked the same mood of his first few albums. "Where Does Brown Begin", "No Easy Way Down" (also recorded earlier by Dusty Springfield), "Sunshine" (which, if attention is paid to the lyrics, may be the saddest lyrics Scott had sang since "In My Room"), and "Someone Who Cared", a bleak and very non-country song. (Not all on this is country, i.e. his laid back version of Bill Wither's "Use Me". But it veers heavily toward the "Reuben James" sound of Scott on "'Til The Band Comes In".) For the Trent Reznor fan, don't hold your breath. There's no 'Tilt' here, except for describing what your head might do when you hear the first 30 seconds. But for those who love Scott's vocals, and don't mind embracing sentimentality, there's plenty to love. Lots of Shaver covers here, and many (guilty) pleasures like hearing Scott do "Delta Dawn" and Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown". At this point in his career, Scott was the male version of Olivia Newton-John, who was doing similar material. (Sorry, but I feel she's one hell of a singer). In three years time, Scott was heading forward with songs like "The Electrician", and thus killing any chance of being case alongside Olivia in "Grease". One more note: For "what could have been": What if Scott had chosen more strictly country material, songs like "Folsom Prison Blues"...(The "I shot a man in Reno" would then be seen as a precurser to "Farmer In The City"), or "Ruby Don't Take Your Love To Town" (which I'd love to hear). Sadly, there are no Johnny Cash songs here, nor Hank Williams. But as I stated earlier, this record is perverted--not in language, not in any innuendo, but just in terms of Scott going "country-mad" for a brief period. If you're a Scott fan you've heard the phrase "he could sing the word of a resteraunt menu and it would break your heart". Well, on these two albums, Scott sang country...and made it break your heart..."

Even Scott Walker Couldn't Resist the 70s

Randall E. Adams | Los Angeles, CA United States | 11/13/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"If you are a Scott Walker fan, you will definitely find things on this disc worth having. But you will not find any Scott Walker classics here.Inexplicably, Walker abdicated his role as songwriter. And, sadly, his talents as an interpreter fell flat in places too. Those of you who love "Dusty in Memphis" will eagerly look forward to Scott's versions of "Just One Smile" and "No Easy Way Down." But his versions of these songs are positively turgid. Fine as both of these songs are, Scott Walker could not wrap himself around them at all. His cover of "Use Me" is excellent but too close to the original hit. On the other hand, "How I Got to Memphis" and "Low Down Freedom" hit that pop country groove Walker traditionally visited with tunes like "Reuben James" and "The Lady Came From Baltimore." And a few of the country ballads work well, such as "The House Song." Thank god there are a few proper Scott Walker vehicles to be found here, such as "Someone Who Cared" and "Where Does Brown Begin." He does a fine stripped-down version of Randy Newman's "I'll Be Home." But, please, a version of "Delta Dawn?" You won't be converted by it.These albums suffer from being produced in the U.K.. The players just didn't have the necessary chops for the brand of country that dominates the program here. And I can still hardly believe that Walker could do such a bad job on "No Easy Way Down," but listening is believing. This set is only for completists."