Customer Reviews

Portrait

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Some of the most beautiful ballads I've ever heard are on this CD...lushly orchestrated and sung to perfection.

It's hard to believe that Scott was only 22 when this was recorded, there's so much depth and emotional maturity in his voice. "Where's the Girl", "Old Folks", and "The Gentle Rain" are extraordinary.

John's high and slightly gritty voice is great, and his interpretations of "Just for a Thrill" and "Come Rain or Come Shine" are terrific...of the duets (and their voices are a nifty blend), "Summertime" is heavenly...it's the best version I've ever heard of this popular Gershwin tune, with a jazzy sax solo adding to the superb arrangement.

With the exception of 2 bonus tracks (2 single "B" sides, "My Love is Growing" and "Saddest Night in the World"), which are a little weak, this is a gorgeous CD...and after 35 years, shines as brightly as ever.

I purchased this to replace an old album long gone. It has many of the same songs as my old album and I still enjoy their sound.

The Sixties were hesitation marks on the West's wrist, and yet some of the music was fascinating if only for its contrarian bent. Case in point: Portrait. If you ever wanted to hear mid-period Sinatra with a fine second vocalist and a misbegotten musical thrust at the hippie audience, this is it. Scott Walker's "Old Folks" and John Walker's "Just for a Thrill" are worth the price of admission. Why these two grand crooners are not making best selling records today I simply don't understand, but again we are talking about the Sixties.

I bought the CD based on the previous glowing reviews. Now I know why the Walker Brothers aren't well known in the U.S. Aside from their big hit, The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore, most of the rest of the songs are utterly forgettable. In My Room and the cover of Sunny aren't bad, but the melodies for the others don't even register. After a while, they all sort of blend in with each other. My advice: get one unbelievably wonderful song elsewhere and skip the rest.