Latter-day fans of Scott Walker, the enigmatic pop auteur, are unlikely to take great interest in his early recordings as Scott Engel, the paint-by-numbers teen idol. Comparable to the mild pop/rock of Ricky Nelson, Walker's early efforts produced no hits and are remembered mainly because of his later fame as a solo artist and a member of the Walker Brothers. His best-known cuts from this era come from his debut Orbit single, "The Livin' End" b/w "Good for Nothin'," which have appeared on a few anthologies of early rock & roll. Exhibiting a tougher approach than most of his subsequent Orbit singles, "The Livin' End" also boasts a curious composer credit: Rod McKuen and Henry Mancini. Collectors of '50s rock & roll will be much more interested in Walker's Scott Engel sides since he recorded a few Johnny Burnette songs and performed ably in the teen idol vein. The Early Years compiles 18 of Walker/Engel's Orbit recordings, encompassing a few rockers, some ballads, and some straight pop music. A few months after Acrobat released The Early Years in England, Empire Musicwerks issued an identical collection in the United States under the title Humble Beginnings: The Scott Engel Sessions, although the import is slightly less expensive from most retailers. Also in existence are a pair of bootleg anthologies, Hits and Rarities, Vols. 1-2, that collect a total of 64 recordings Walker/Engel made in the '50s and '60s, dubbed from vinyl rather than original master tapes. ~ Greg Adams
