Scott 4

An all-time classic and essential listen, Scott 4 is the only album released under Walker’s birth name Scott Engel, which may have actually led to its initial poor reception and failure to chart. Released in 1969, the album marked another step forward in Walker’s development as an artist as it was the first of his albums to include entirely original songs.

Walker’s songwriting chops and keen sense for storytelling are on full display here, though with a notable change. On Scott 4, Walker’s songwriting influences start to show a depth beyond the musical allusions of his past albums to reach cinema, politics and literature. “The Seventh Seal” is a tribute to Ingmar Bergman’s historical fantasy film of the same title; “The Old Man’s Back Again” refers to the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia; and an Albert Camus quote appears on the back of the album sleeve. “On Your Own Again” is of particular note: nostalgic, beautiful, painfully brief perfection from a master of the form.

– Phil Cho

Recommended – A1 The Seventh Seal, A2 On Your Own Again, B2 The Old Man’s Back Again