Fire Escape in the Sky: The Godlike Genius of Scott Walker

This compilation is not merely a 'best of' but a radical re-contextualization of Scott Walker's early solo career.

Curated by Julian Cope in 1981, it was designed to rescue Walker from the bargain bins of easy-listening and present him as the patron saint of post-punk gloom. The sound is a staggering juxtaposition: a rich, velvet baritone that suggests a traditional crooner, set against orchestral arrangements that frequently veer into avant-garde dissonance and cinematic dread. It feels like a black-and-white film from the 1960s that has been left out in the rain, its edges blurred and its themes of isolation and existential despair sharpened by time.