So as we reach the last of Scott Walker’s (largely) original material albums that I own, maybe a brief summary of Scott’s journey is called for as we haven’t really done that…a former heart-throb idol breaks up his pop group (The Walker Brothers) then sets about releasing four albums (Scott and Scott’s 2-4 if you weren’t paying attention) of challenging baroque pop, album by album placing greater importance and focus on his own songs. When the fourth of these records (Scott 4, the first to feature only his songs) fails to chart, he disappers into a land of cover versions, country & western and MOR before returning as a songwriter in 1978 and spending the next three decades releasing infrequent but increasingly challenging (some might say unlistenable) records. That is, he disappeared into a land of cover versions etc., except in December of 1970, leaving us with “ ’Til the Band Comes In”.

“Scott 4” had been a commercial disappointment. As a result Scott had to make some concessions to management and record company for this album. He reverted to his stage name, Scott Walker, rather than his real name, Scott Engel as “Scott 4” had been credited. Also, alongside his 10 original songs which start the album, it finishes on 5 MOR standards and pop songs, including “Stormy”, “What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life” and the utterly terrible “Reuben James”, at the record company’s insistence. If they were trying to recast him as an MOR crooner they had judged him completely wrong and this is the last we’ll speak of those 5 songs.

Scott wrote the songs for what would become his 6th album while on holiday in Greece in September 1970. The recordings were made by November and the album released in December. It received something of a thumping from the critics of the day and as a result was left to die by the wayside. It was unavailable for 25 years until it was re-assessed by latter day critics and finally re-issued in 1996.

The opening 10 songs represent a loose concept based around the residents of a single tenement block (remember “Montague Terrace (In Blue)” back on “Scott” ?). It starts well with the “Prologue” segueing into the bouncy “Little Things (That Keep Us Together)", one of Scott’s livelier originals. "Thanks For Chicago Mr. James” is archetypal Scott Walker (it's VERY Walker Brothers), a lush orchestrated arrangement swells to a big chorus with Scott’s baritone sounding supremely confident throughout. “Long About Now” was written by Walker but is sung by Israeli singer Esther Ofarim, one of the folk duo Esther & Abi Ofarim. My particular favourite is the last of Scott’s 10 songs, the lush ballad “The War Is Over (Sleepers)”, the war referred to actually being the previous night.

Following “‘Til The Band Comes In” Scott Walker didn’t make another album of original material until 1978’s “Night Flights” with the Walker Brothers”. It never quite reaches the heights of his first 4 “Scott #” albums and there are some trite and throwaway songs included. But if you concentrate only on Scott’s 10 original songs and in particular “Little Things (That Keep Us Together)”, "Thanks For Chicago Mr. James” and the sublime “The War Is Over (Sleepers)” Scott delivered an album that sits comfortably alongside those earlier records.

The War Is Over (Sleepers) - https://youtu.be/70Uhwkpr88I?si=Q3eVjhct6Igcw_ms