If You Could Hear Me Now

This “Greatest Hits” collection of the later phase of the Walker Brothers’ career includes tracks from their ‘70s albums, No Regrets, Lines and Nite Flights, and quite a few notable unreleased tracks. It’s a schizophrenic collection since the band began in mid-decade as part of the singer-songwriter movement, performing songs by Tom Rush (“No Regrets”), Kris Kristofferson (“I’ve Got To Have You”) and Jesse Winchester (“Brand New Tennessee Waltz”), that floated between MOR and country music, and ended it with brilliant originals from Scott Walker that took the disco age into striking new territory. The addition of songs like Randy Newman’s “Marie,” Rodney Crowell’s “Til I Gain Control Again” and Jimmy Webb’s “The Moon’s a Harsh Mistress” makes this a must-have for fans. The band’s versatility and their idiosyncratic approach towards everything they sing make them one of the few groups who will continue to sound ahead of their time for decades to come.