Lines

Following the success of No Regrets, the Walker Brothers put together Lines, an album that was first attempted in Nashville and one that sounds like it has more of the country-rock vibe to it than anything else in the Walker Brothers’ catalog. However, Nashville turned out to be the wrong place for the trio and they recorded in London instead. It’s one of the more underappreciated Walker Brothers albums, coming in 1977 when punk and new wave were taking over the critical raves. Its relatively conservative arrangements are startling coming from a band that always found its own cutting edge. However, Scott Walker is a first-class singer and his work on the title track, “Inside of You” and Boz Scaggs’ “We’re All Alone” are worth the price of admission. John Walker pulls out the sensitive “Taking It All In Stride” and covers of Jimmy Cliff’s “Many Rivers to Cross,” Jesse Winchester’s “The Brand New Tennessee Waltz” and Randy Newman’s “Have You Seen My Baby” complete a much underrated album.