Scott Walker – Scott 2

Like the first, his self-penned tracks are where the real interest is. I prefer the mono mix of this LP, particularly on Plastic Palace People, where the plunky bass is much more dominant and underpins the whole song in a very satisfying way in the choruses. On the stereo mix the bass is on the far edge of one side of the stereo spectrum, obscured by the horns, almost like an afterthought. In a song attempting to contrast dreamy weightlessness with grim solid reality, that intent is much less effective in the stereo mix.

Plastic Palace People is also often misinterpreted I feel, and available lyrics on google are wrong. Clearly a song about an unnamed child and Billy is his balloon, which flies through the sky and bursts at the end. The choruses are almost like a separate narrative within the song that I think is far more autobiographical and personal for Scott, reflecting his real life at that time which he really wasn't enjoying. But I think the contrast and connections between the 2 narratives both lyrically and musically are where the real genius in this song lies and it is just opaque enough to make sure you can never quite fully grasp it on a logical level, even if emotionally it feels very direct and complete.

Relatively under-rated Scott LP compared to the two that followed - but if you're in-tune with Scott's weird whoring string-soaked chanteur vibe, there's a lot to love here. Tracks like The Amorous Humphrey Plugg and The Girls From The Streets are strange meditations that completely belie their syrupy production with bizarrely introspective lyrics and structure - they create their own worlds and if you like it, you can live there a while.