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The Walkers' second U.K. album was their most commercially successful, reaching number three, yet its quality was quite erratic. Like some other pop/rock LPs of its time, it suffered from an apparent strategy to appeal to a wider demographic than those that typically bought pop/rock records, adding a cover of Louis Armstrong's "Just for a Thrill," the moldy standard "Old Folks," and the pedestrian white-boy soul workout on Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready." On the other hand, this had the dramatic "In My Room," a fine antecedent of Scott Walker's moody late-'60s solo outings. The two songs Scott actually wrote or co-wrote, "Saturday's Child" (which sounds too close to "River Deep, Mountain High" for comfort) and the easygoing crooner pop of "I Can See It Now," are okay but nothing more. The LP was filled out by a decent reading of "Summertime," covers of a couple of obscure Leiber/Stoller tunes ("Take It Like a Man" is very much in the Drifters style), and the melodramatic "No Sad Songs for Me" (the best tune that doesn't show up on the After the Lights Go Out compilation). The 1998 CD reissue essentially makes this into a whole new product by doubling the length to 24 songs, adding a dozen cuts from singles and EPs of the era. Some of the bonus tracks are among the Walkers' best, such as "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore," "After the Lights Go Out," "Archangel," "Deadlier Than the Male," and "Mrs. Murphy." Yet all of these are available on After the Lights Go Out, and the rarer cuts aren't worthy of intense scrutiny. There's some excellent stuff on this disc, but as the best songs (from both the original Portrait LP and the extra tracks) are on After the Lights Go Out, it's only recommended to serious fans.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
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Joaquin Prieto, ComposerLyricist - Lee Pockriss, Translator - PAUL VANCE, Translator - John Franz, Producer - Reg Guest, Orchestra Contractor, AssociatedPerformer - The Walker Brothers, MainArtist
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
John Franz, Producer - Reg Guest, Orchestra Contractor, AssociatedPerformer - Scott Engel, ComposerLyricist - The Walker Brothers, MainArtist
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Don Raye, ComposerLyricist - John Franz, Producer - Lilian Hardin Armstrong, ComposerLyricist - Reg Guest, Orchestra Contractor, AssociatedPerformer - The Walker Brothers, MainArtist
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Ivor Raymonde, Orchestra Contractor, AssociatedPerformer - Gary Geld, ComposerLyricist - Peter Udell, ComposerLyricist - John Franz, Producer - The Walker Brothers, MainArtist
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Willard Robinson, ComposerLyricist - John Franz, Producer - Dedette Lee Hill, ComposerLyricist - Reg Guest, Orchestra Contractor, AssociatedPerformer - The Walker Brothers, MainArtist
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
George Gershwin, Composer - Ira Gershwin, Author - Dorothy Heyward, ComposerLyricist - John Franz, Producer - Reg Guest, Orchestra Contractor, AssociatedPerformer - The Walker Brothers, MainArtist - Dubose Edwin Heyward, Author
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Curtis Mayfield, ComposerLyricist - John Franz, Producer - Reg Guest, Orchestra Contractor, AssociatedPerformer - The Walker Brothers, MainArtist
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
John Franz, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Scott Walker, ComposerLyricist - Reg Guest, Orchestra Contractor, AssociatedPerformer - The Walker Brothers, MainArtist
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Ivor Raymonde, Orchestra Contractor, AssociatedPerformer - Jerry Leiber, ComposerLyricist - Mike Stoller, ComposerLyricist - John Franz, Producer - The Walker Brothers, MainArtist
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
John Franz, Producer - Kenny Vance, ComposerLyricist - Marty Sanders, ComposerLyricist - Jay Black, ComposerLyricist - Reg Guest, Orchestra Contractor, AssociatedPerformer - The Walker Brothers, MainArtist
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Ivor Raymonde, Orchestra Contractor, AssociatedPerformer - Jerry Leiber, ComposerLyricist - Mike Stoller, ComposerLyricist - John Franz, Producer - The Walker Brothers, MainArtist
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Tom Springfield, ComposerLyricist - John Franz, Producer - Reg Guest, Orchestra Contractor, AssociatedPerformer - The Walker Brothers, MainArtist
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
JOHN WALKER, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Bob Crewe, ComposerLyricist - Bob Gaudio, ComposerLyricist - John Franz, Producer - Scott Walker, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - The Walker Brothers, MainArtist - Gary Walker, Drums, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1966 The Island Def Jam Music Group
John Stewart, ComposerLyricist - John Franz, Producer - The Walker Brothers, MainArtist
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
John Franz, Producer - Reg Guest, Conductor - Pete Antel, ComposerLyricist - The Walker Brothers, MainArtist
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Robbie van Leeuwen, ComposerLyricist - John Stewart, ComposerLyricist - John Franz, Producer - The Walker Brothers, MainArtist
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Burt Bacharach, Composer - Hal David, Author - John Franz, Producer - The Walker Brothers, MainArtist
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
John Franz, Producer - John Maus, ComposerLyricist - The Walker Brothers, MainArtist
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
John Franz, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Scott Engel, ComposerLyricist - The Walker Brothers, MainArtist
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
John Franz, Producer - Scott Walker, ComposerLyricist - The Walker Brothers, MainArtist
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
JOHN WALKER, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Bobby Hebb, ComposerLyricist - John Franz, Producer
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
JOHN WALKER, MainArtist - Johnny Mercer, ComposerLyricist - Harold Arlen, ComposerLyricist - John Franz, Producer
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Luiz Bonfa, ComposerLyricist - John Franz, Producer - Scott Walker, MainArtist - Matt Dubey, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
John Franz, Producer - Scott Walker, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
The Walkers' second U.K. album was their most commercially successful, reaching number three, yet its quality was quite erratic. Like some other pop/rock LPs of its time, it suffered from an apparent strategy to appeal to a wider demographic than those that typically bought pop/rock records, adding a cover of Louis Armstrong's "Just for a Thrill," the moldy standard "Old Folks," and the pedestrian white-boy soul workout on Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready." On the other hand, this had the dramatic "In My Room," a fine antecedent of Scott Walker's moody late-'60s solo outings. The two songs Scott actually wrote or co-wrote, "Saturday's Child" (which sounds too close to "River Deep, Mountain High" for comfort) and the easygoing crooner pop of "I Can See It Now," are okay but nothing more. The LP was filled out by a decent reading of "Summertime," covers of a couple of obscure Leiber/Stoller tunes ("Take It Like a Man" is very much in the Drifters style), and the melodramatic "No Sad Songs for Me" (the best tune that doesn't show up on the After the Lights Go Out compilation). The 1998 CD reissue essentially makes this into a whole new product by doubling the length to 24 songs, adding a dozen cuts from singles and EPs of the era. Some of the bonus tracks are among the Walkers' best, such as "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore," "After the Lights Go Out," "Archangel," "Deadlier Than the Male," and "Mrs. Murphy." Yet all of these are available on After the Lights Go Out, and the rarer cuts aren't worthy of intense scrutiny. There's some excellent stuff on this disc, but as the best songs (from both the original Portrait LP and the extra tracks) are on After the Lights Go Out, it's only recommended to serious fans.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 24 track(s)
- Total length: 01:11:45
- Main artists: The Walker Brothers
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Mercury Records
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
© 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc. ℗ 1998 UMG Recordings, Inc.
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