Scott Walker - 5 Easy Pieces (92 tracks) +Album Reviews

Why did they bother?

David | Australia | 11/08/2004

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This box-set is pretty much a waste of everyone's time. The compilers have put far too much of their own (lack of) personality into the song selection and packaging for it to be of any lasting interest or worth to Scott Walker fans, whether of the casual or obsessive persuasion.

The compilers treat this box-set as five separate compilations, all leading "into the heart of Scott Walker", or some such pretentious blather. Much of Scott Walker's output does lend itself to the idea of compiling along thematic or stylistic lines, as opposed to strict chronological order, since he was often producing music in different styles or genres at the same time, often to the confusion of the listening public. These five "thematic" compilations, however, are far too personal and incomplete to cater for anyone other than the compiler themself. The themes themselves are generally infantile and the song selections are arbitrary; songs are most often grouped together on the basis of lyrical content or song titles. A more musically literate approach is necessary in compiling Scott Walker, no matter what the thematic decisions may be. Entire aspects of Scott Walker's recording career are disregarded (eg. most of the Walker Brothers, non-Brel covers from Scotts 1&2, the TV Series, early 70s albums) presumably in the interests of stressing the "cooler" and more fashionable aspects. There's a spare hour or so of unused space over the five discs which should have been put to use.

The booklet is a bit of an embarrassment, offering only sparse, generally idiotic quotes from celebrities, collected in an apparent attempt to convince us (or for the compiler to convince themself?) that it's cool to be into Scott Walker. Apart from that there's a short "Compiler's Note", comprising a lecture that goes on about how completists wear anoraks and don't listen to music, and rarities are rare because they're not worth hearing - no wonder no-one put their name to it. Never mind rarities (of which you won't find many on this box-set), what about (for example) some of the best tracks from Scott 4? And surely part of the point of a box-set is some sort of analysis, perspective, even information about the artist and the recordings? The booklet is a waste of paper, and the packaging overall is cheap and impractical.

The sound quality seems fine, but with no marked improvement over previous releases containing this same material.

The strangest thing about this box-set is that presumably it received approval from Scott Walker himself for its release. As he's apparently vetoed the release of other unavailable Scott Walker albums on CD, making fans go in search of old vinyl copies or bootlegs, and many CD releases are now out of print, it seems strange to be approving pointless releases like this. Just make the original recordings available - we can make our own compilations!

Unlike Scott Walker's music, this box-set seems to be going for style over substance. Even that wouldn't be so bad if the compilers had any..."

AVOID. Go with the individual albums.

Ferrara Brain Pan | 02/19/2004

(2 out of 5 stars)

"OK, so, i adore Scott Walker but i have to say that this piece of crap was a complete let-down. The only reason i gave it two stars is because of the remastered versions of the tracks off "Climate of Hunter" and "Nite Flites" and some of the b-sides and soundtrack work. "Pola X" in particular is virtually impossible to find.BUT WHAT on earth were they thinking? It's so weird, the way they pass off these quotes from contemporary artists as "liner notes." Is a casual fan going to shell out upwards of a hundred bucks for an artist they are unfamiliar with because Thom Yorke says to? Doubtful. So why are they trying to talk-up and sell us on the music that we obviously already love? I couldn't give a rats ***!I thought the testimonials adorning the recent american NEU! reissues were very effective in "selling" the music to "the kiddies," but those were single discs and not such a big investment. The track listing is also terrible. The set eschews chronological or any other sensible order in favor of some random guy's tastes. My copy does not have the manufacturing error some have reported on disc 3. I wish it did because I could copy the 6 tracks I need and return the thing.Two other box sets I own, Velvet Underground and Burt Bacharach, are beautifully put together with extensive liner notes and tons of great photographs. I still spend time just looking at and listening to them. Scott is definitely on par with Burt and Lou in terms of influence and strange brilliance, so why is this set so skimpy and stupid? i'd like to smack the idiots who ILL-conceived it."

There are many flawed sets

Anthony Stagno | Chicago, IL United States | 01/14/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There is a confirmed problem with Disc Three. Virgin and Tower Records have both contacted Mercury about the one-channel only Disc Three. Be warned."

Get this and you'll be done

Ian Mccausland | Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada | 01/15/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I know many fans, some who have reviewed here, aren't completely happy with this set. I certainly agree with the packaging quality. I just purchased Zombie Heaven, the complete Zombie collection, who were contemporaries of the Walker Bros. That set raises the standard for box sets of obscure artists.
But I still give this a five outta five. Considering just how uncommerical this guy's music is these days, (regardless of what era of Walker career you pick!) and how many strange looks I get when I play it, the fact that we have a new box set at all is a wonderful thing.Fans of Dvine Comedy, Pulp, Suede, Bowie,Tricky,Tom Jones, Bjork,The Zombies, should check this guy out he influenced them all. The sound is great on my set."

A Brilliantly Conceived Compilation...

Rick | Sydney Australia | 07/04/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"...I regret letting earlier reviewers turn me away from acquiring "In 5 Easy Pieces": it's an enduring and breathtaking masterpiece.

Packaging issues aside - and it's highly questionable that anybody who loves or understands or "gets" Scott Walker would greatly concern themselves with glossy packaging, chronology and studio trivia - this is a wondrous way to access Walker. It's a stunningly welcome way to visit him in the context of his most apparent musical themes.

"In 5 Easy Pieces" succeeds where any five individual Scott Walker albums ultimately fail: none of them ever pretended to be concept albums. But the years have amassed such a catalog of amazing tracks that highly satisfying hour-long concept albums are possible in the hands of an intelligent compiler who know's exactly what he's doing. While many recording artists would undoubtedly like to be seen as "multi-faceted", very few could come up with five facets which could each stand the scrutiny of a compilation covering three decades of singing, writing and producing.

Disc One ("In My Room") is the most obvious aspect of the Scott Walker personae: the moody observer who relates so well to the fragments of other lives. As if filling the void within himself, loneliness and voyeurism are but fleeting givens for the introvert. Or just a song perhaps.

Disc Two's women ("Where's The Girl?") don't suffer a shallow heterosexual male deconstruct of women along the lines of mystery and contempt, virginitity and whoredom; but instead are somewhat dignified parties in the hopes and disappointments and melodramas that romance brings. The disc's evolution eventually let's the women sing, if not have, the last word: Esther O'Farim and Ute Lemper sing the words of Scott Walker to close out the disc.

Disc Three "An American In Europe" is a two-parter which firstly presents the cream of Walker's Brel-iana, and his salacious delight in its decay and debauchery. But the other side of that Eurotrash vacation - as if to annoy the hipsters - is the American revisiting Americana, albeit with a decidedly obtuse and unsentimental edge.

Disc Four ("This Is How You Disappear") is cheekily subtitled "The Darkest Hour Is Just before Dawn: 15 Big Hits" and features the career-spanning "progressive" post-'67 favorites. It's the fast-track from the first solo period to "Tilt" via "Nite Flights", and a brilliant ride it is. Chronologically programmed, Disc Four pulls the listener in with its musical conviction and an assuredness which wasn't quite so tangible in the songs' original configurations.

Disc Five ("Scott On Screen") successfully tackles Scott Walker's association with film, from opening credit songs to integrated cinematic sound design. Probably the most artistically broad and rich disc of the set, it's the realization of what most artists who are musicians aspire to but rarely succeed at. It is what is: an original soundtrack recording which succeeds as a stand-alone listening experience.

The mastering by Gary Moore is an astonishing feat inasmuch as the tracks cover decades of changing recording technology, but each disc is absolutely seamless. No tracks betray their origin in time: a tribute perhaps to superb sixties productions as well as an artistic vision which is usually incorrectly judged as directionless or confounding.

"In 5 Easy Pieces" actually challenges notions of musical "progress" and "direction", just as it bravely challenges foolish critical assumptions about what is important in a musical assemblage. What is important is that the lines of love and communication are kept open, and few musical collections serve both artist and listener as perfecty as does "Scott Walker In Five Easy Pieces". Ignore the nay-sayers and get into it.

"

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