Search - John Walker :: If You Go Away

Bucking the trend of the day......

collegemoney | 10/22/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"John "Walker" was originally a member of the very successful "Walker Brothers" ("The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore") who achieved mid-60's fame by being British Invaders in reverse. That is, they were three Californians who moved to the UK to invigorate their musical careers. "Walker" being a nom-de-plume, their actual names were Scott Engel, John Maus and Gary Leeds. All three went on to solo careers as the style evoked by the "Brothers" gave way to the psychedelic scene. While Gary and Scott more or less followed the trend in their own unique ways, John went in a rather retro direction, recording some heart-stopping and lavishly produced crooners, "If You Go Away" being the most typical example here. "Good Day" is also a good example of his leanings and is a much sought after 45 rpm record on auction circuits. (You can hear it a lot cheaper here!) He did go "up-tempo" with some of his songs, though, and his cover of "Kentucky Woman" is first rate. We also have here two Dylan covers. If you are looking for some atypical stylings from this particular musical period, this is a good place to look...high quality well-produced ballads abound."