The Walker Brothers - Nite Flights (GTO 1978) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

Every once in a while, an album comes along that doesn't simply surprise you, it takes you down an alleyway, rips off all your clothes, then hares away with your socks on its head, singing selections from South Pacific. And just before it disappears from view, you notice that David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and Brian Eno are cavorting alongside it, sharing the spoils and plotting further misdeeds. The fact that the original miscreant then shrugs them aside and tears off on its own is neither here nor there. What matters is, when Scott Walker set to work (somewhat reluctantly, one feels) on the third post-comeback Walker Brothers album, that was the impression which he had in mind. Of course it wouldn't quite work out like that.

Whatever else they may have been, as their rebirth accelerated towards its gory end, the Walkers remained a democracy, splitting vocals and songs between the three non-siblings, and only occasionally allowing anyone the upper hand. But whereas John was still locked into the art country balladeering which had always been his forte, and Gary was having trouble completing his allotment, Scott had finally realized that he had more to offer than another Kris Kristofferson outtake. As a writer, he had been all but silent since the late 1960s, when his peculiarly twisted post-pop visions sent solo album after solo album hurtling into a commercial void. Now, however, he was reaching back into that abyss, and emerged with four songs – "Nite Flights," "The Electrician," "Shutout," and "Fat Mama Kick" – which not only realigned his entire future career, they also twisted the on-going landscape of rock music itself. Electro-pumping soundscapes of grandiose synth, all four were clearly inspired by Bowie's recent work with Iggy and Eno. But they took that role model so much further that within the year, they themselves were delineating much of what Bowie himself would accomplish on his own next two albums (Lodger and Scary Monsters). Elsewhere, Midge Ure later confessed that "The Electrician" inspired him to write Ultravox's "Vienna," and, from there, one can project the entire new romantic/synth-pop movement from Walker's presumably unwitting role models.

In a perfect world, Scott would have completed the entire album himself, or at least been given an EP to himself. But of course that was not to be, and so Nite Flights appeared with the rest of the boys, the rest of the baggage, and, though both John and Gary at least tried to keep up with their bandmate, their failure was as painful as it was inevitable. Gary's "Death of Romance" and John's "Disciples of Death" are at least vindicated by their titles, but the songs are as thin as their composers voices and could be outtakes from another album entirely. They're certainly from another planet. Dave Thompson AMG

Track listing:
A1. Shutout

A2. Fat Mama Kick

A3. Nite Flights

A4. The Electrician

A5. Death of Romance

B1. Den Haague

B2. Rhythms of Vision

B3. Disciples of Death

B4. Fury and The Fire

B5. Child of Flames

Personnel:
Scott Walker (Scott Engel): writer A1-A4. Vocals on all tracks except A5, B1, B2.
Bass A3, keyboards A5, B1.
John Walker (J.J. Maus): writer B2-B5. Vocals on all tracks except A5, B1.
Gary Leeds: writer A5, B1. Vocals A5, B1. Percussion B1.
Jim Sullivan: guitar A1, A2, A4, B2-B5.
Les Davidson: lead guitar A1, guitar A5.
Peter Van Hook: drums A1, B1, B3.
Frank Gibson: drums A2-A5, B2, B4, B5.
Mo Foster: bass A1-A3, A5, B1-B5.
Dill Katz: bass A4.
Dave Macrae: keyboards A2, A3, B1-B5
Alan Skidmore: tenor sax A2.
Ronnie Ross: soprano sax A5.
Chris Mercer: sax solo B5.
Morris Pert: percussion A4.
Dennis Weinreich: background vocals B1.
Joy Yates, Katie Kissoon: background vocals B2, B3, B5.
Arranged by the Walker Brothers.
Orchestrated and Conducted by Dave Macrae
Produced by Scott Walker & Dave Macrae
Recorded by Dennis Weinreich
Mixed by Scott Walker, Dave Macrae & Dennis Weinreich
All at Scorpio Sound, London, February 1978.