Scott Walker: The Rhymes of Goodbye

Scott arrived in the UK in 1965 with 2 American friends and formed The Walker Brothers. Their second release 'Make It Easy On Yourself' went to Number 1 in the British Charts and Number 16 in the US. Responsible for some of the biggest hits of the 60s, Scott Walker was once more popular than The Beatles and his music influenced the likes of Radiohead, Leonard Cohen and David Bowie. The Rhymes of Goodbye tells the amazing story of Scott Walker’s life and work through his songs – a track by track commentary in the tradition of Revolution In The Head that encompasses his entire career from the first Walker Brothers single up to his final work before his death in March 2019. Featuring an informed guide to Walker’s exceptional and esoteric lyricism and providing an insightful analysis that will delight his legions of fans, lifelong fan Lewis Williams presents a wealth of engaging information about an artist who has been described as the most enigmatic singer of modern times.
By examining Walker’s unique catalogue of songs, from classics like ‘The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore’ to the most sought after of rarities, The Rhymes of Goodbye approaches its subject with obsessive enthusiasm to create a definitive portrait of the artist. Divided into sections that correspond to the distinct phases of Walker’s recording career, this book covers the Walker Brothers’ glory years – when Scott, John and Gary Walker enjoyed the same level of popularity as the Beatles, Scott’s return to the public eye as a solo artists during 1967-70, his ‘lost albums’ of the early 1970s, the Walker Brothers reunion and the success of ‘No Regrets’, and his eighties forays into experimentalism and soundtracks. Additionally, obscurities such as rare live tracks by the Walker Brothers and recordings from the Scott Walker BBC TV show are explored in an insightful and fascinating manner.