Scott Walker is without parallel as an artist, acclaimed as an influence by Bowie, Julian Cope, Marc Almond, Nick Cave and Jarvis Cocker. As lead vocalist of the Walker Brothers, his soulful baritone made him a major interpreter of heartbroken ballads. As a solo artist, the influence of balladeer Jacques Brel and existentialist literature took him to new depths of emotional expression on the albums Scott 1–4.

Then came years of obscurity as a covers artist, before his career took off on a unique trajectory — witnessed by his extreme contributions to the Walkers' 1978 reunion album, Nite Flights, the opaque tone poems of 1984's Climate of Hunter, the bewildering brilliant 1995 Tilt, and the unrelenting psychic assault of 2006's The Drift.

In this comprehensive illustrated volume, lifelong fan Lewis Williams charts this unique and enigmatic career song by song. From his 1960s heyday and beyond, every classic, every rarity and every obscurity ever recorded by Scott Walker is detailed with an obsessive enthusiasm that only he can inspire.