Glen Campbell & The Green River Boys "Big Bluegrass Special" (Capitol Records, 1962)
Before hitting the bigtime, future countrypolitan star Glen Campbell cut this "bluegrass" album, with backing by Dale Fitzsimmons and Carl Tanberg of The Green River Boys. It's not really so much a bluegrass album as a bouncy set of country standards, delivered with a bland, unquashable cheerfulness reminiscent of the then-booming folk revival. Not a bad album, actually... For Glen, it was a positively rootsy outing.
Glen Campbell "Too Late To Worry, Too Blue To Cry" (Capitol Records, 1963)
Glen Campbell "The Astounding 12-String Guitar Of Glen Campbell" (Capitol Records, 1964)
Chiming in with the folk-scene sound of the time, Glen picks up the venerable 12-string guitar, a then-popular instrument that sounds great but is notoriously hard to play... He plays things pretty straight on this mostly-instrumental outing, performing one sweet, flawless song after another. It's a sedate, modest but perfectly pleasant record, with very little of the gooey over-poppification that dominated many of his '60s sets. Mostly its a showcase for his skills as a picker: it ain't easy to make a 12-string sound this clean, much less fingerpick it rather than strum. I'm impressed.
Glen Campbell "The Big Bad Rock Guitar Of Glen Campbell" (Capitol Records, 1965)
To be sure, Mr. Campbell was no stranger to the ways of real rock'n'roll: he was a member of the proto-surf instrumental band, The Champs, and he played a zillion rock and pop sessions as a member of the Wrecking Crew. But this instrumentals-with-vocal-chorus outing is strictly a cheesy, tongue-in-cheek easy listening send-up of a certain slice of the '60s rock scene. There's fun stuff on here, and Campbell gets in some impressive guitar licks, but the fun comes in a kitschy, nod-and-a-wink way... Since it was a Capitol release, they got dibs on some Beatles material -- his showy cover of "Ticket To Ride" was timely and kind of clever, but some tracks, like "King Of The Road" are a bit intolerable. And even on spy-jazzy songs like the James Bond theme, the over-the-top orchestrations are a bit much. Of course, that's the point: either you're into it or you're not.
Glen Campbell "Burning Bridges" (Capitol Records, 1967) (LP)
Glen Campbell "Gentle On My Mind" (Capitol Records, 1967)
Glen Campbell "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" (Capitol Records, 1967)
Glen Campbell "Hey Little One" (Capitol Records, 1968)
Glen Campbell "A New Place In The Sun" (Capitol Records, 1968)
Glen Campbell & Bobbie Gentry "Bobbie Gentry & Glen Campbell" (Capitol Records, 1968)
A collaboration with singer Bobbie Gentry...
Glen Campbell "That Christmas Feeling" (Capitol Records, 1968)
Glen Campbell "Wichita Lineman" (Capitol Records, 1968)
Glen Campbell "Galveston" (Capitol Records, 1969)
Glen Campbell/Elmer Bernstein "True Grit" (Soundtrack) (Capitol Records, 1969) (LP)
Glen Campbell "Glen Campbell Live" (Capitol, 1969)
Glen Campbell "Live In Japan" (Capitol Records, 1969)
Glen Campbell "Live At The Royal Festival Hall" (Capitol Records, 1969)
Glen Campbell "Try A Little Kindness" (Capitol Records, 1970)
Glen Campbell "Oh Happy Day" (Capitol Records, 1970)
An all-gospel album... The title track is a cover of the Edwin Hawkins gospel hit, albeit a very white cover version... Ah, Glen!
Glen Campbell "Norwood" (Soundtrack) (Capitol Records, 1970)
Glen Campbell "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Album" (Capitol Records, 1970)
Glen Campbell "The Last Time I Saw Her" (Capitol Records, 1971)
Glen Campbell & Anne Murray "Anne Murray/Glen Campbell" (Capitol Records, 1971)
Wait -- was Glen Campbell responsible for making Anne Murray a star in America? Well, the Canadian soft-pop songbird had already had several hits before pairing up with Campbell on this mellow outing... But she was a regular performer on his nationwide TV show, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, which, sadly, helped her build her career in the States. Oh, well. Nobody's perfect. We forgive you, Glen.
Glen Campbell "The Artistry Of Glen Campbell" (Capitol Records, 1972) (LP)
Glen Campbell "Glen Travis Campbell" (Capitol Records, 1972)
Glen Campbell "I Knew Jesus (Before He Was A Star)" (Capitol Records, 1973)
Glen Campbell "I Remember Hank Williams" (Capitol Records, 1973)
Glen Campbell "Houston (I'm Comin' To See You)" (Capitol Records, 1974)
Glen Campbell "Reunion: The Songs Of Jimmy Webb" (Capitol Records, 1974)
Glen Campbell & Tennessee Ernie Ford "Ernie Sings & Glen Picks" (Capitol Records, 1975)
Glen Campbell "Rhinestone Cowboy" (Capitol Records, 1975)
Glen Campbell "Bloodline" (Capitol Records, 1976)
Glen Campbell "Southern Nights" (Capitol Records, 1977)
Glen Campbell "Basic" (Capitol Records, 1978)
Glen Campbell "Highwayman" (Capitol Records, 1979)
Glen Campbell "Somethin' 'Bout You Baby I Like" (Capitol Records, 1980) (LP)
Glen Campbell "It's The World Gone Crazy" (Capitol Records, 1981) (LP)
Glen Campbell "Glen Campbell Live" (RCA, 1981)
Glen Campbell "Old Home Town" (Atlantic Records, 1982)
Glen Campbell "Letter To Home" (Atlantic Records, 1984)
Glen Campbell "No More Night" (Word Records, 1985) (LP)
Glen Campbell "It's Just A Matter Of Time" (Atlantic Records, 1985) (LP)
Glen Campbell "Still Within The Sound Of My Voice" (MCA Records, 1987)
Glen Campbell "Light Years" (MCA Records, 1988)
An entire album of Jimmy Webb songs...
Glen Campbell "Favorite Hymns" (Word Records, 1989)
Glen Campbell "Walkin' In The Sun" (Liberty Records, 1990)
Glen Campbell "Unconditional Love" (Liberty Records, 1991)
Glen Campbell "Show Me Your Way" (New Haven Records, 1991)
Glen Campbell/Various Artists "Rock-A-Doodle" (Soundtrack) (Liberty Records, 1992)
Glen Campbell "Wings Of Victory" (New Haven Records, 1992)
Glen Campbell "Somebody Like That" (Liberty Records, 1993)
Glen Campbell "Home For The Holidays" (New Haven Records, 1993)
Glen Campbell "The Boy In Me" (New Haven Records, 1994)
Glen Campbell "Glen Campbell Live! His Greatest Hits" (Laserlight Records, 1994)
Glen Campbell "Christmas With Glen Campbell" (Laserlight Records, 1995)
Glen Campbell "A Glen Campbell Christmas" (TNN Classic Sessions, 1998)
Glen Campbell "My Hits And Love Songs" (Capitol Records, 1999)
Glen Campbell "In Concert With The South Dakota Symphony" (Columbia River Records, 2001)
Glen Campbell "Love Is The Answer: 24 Songs Of Faith, Hope And Love" (Universal South, 2004)
Glen Campbell "Meet Glen Campbell" (Capitol Records, 2008)
Glen Campbell "Ghost On The Canvas" (Surf Dog Records, 2011)
(Produced by Julian Raymond)
An amazing album -- powerful, profound, and very human -- and a work of true artistic depth. In 2011, Mr. Campbell, an international star for over four decades, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, in which his mind -- indeed his very self -- had begun to slip away. This album is remarkable in that it wasn't created merely in spite of Alzheimer's, but because of Alzheimer's: it is an internal exploration of what it's like to have the disease, and to have one's life erode out from under you. Campbell approaches his decline with stunning equanimity, if not exactly good cheer. Several songs are messages to loved ones, to people who anchor his life and to whom he expresses his profound thankfulness: when Campbell says he's nothing without their love, he means it literally, since the further his sense of self slips away, the more they become his only source of memory and reflection. Campbell sounds amazingly mellow about his situation -- he accepts that he can't control it and decides to put a good face on things. I've had a good life, he says, a blessed life, and certainly that is true -- the man is, literally, a rock star, and he accepts the implacable embrace of a disease that makes his world fuzzy and indistinct. The record's most radio-ready song is a catchy, bouncy surf-rockabilly-powerpop gem called "In My Arms," in which he puts forth a happiness plan for Alzheimer's survivors and their helpers: "Keep it on the recent/keep it on the now/give me an easy way/out..." And as Campbell bounds his way through a brilliant guitar solo, it's hard to imagine a man with such vitality is also living with such decline.
Near the album's end, he ups the ante on the sombre "Strong," is which he bluntly assesses his predicament and resolves to be strong for his loved ones, which in reality may be hard to maintain, but in a song like this comes like a blow to the gut... Campbell's honesty and dignity in facing his end is a powerful thing, as is the completion of such a meaningful, coherent album even as all coherence and meaning slowly slips out of his mind. In America's pop culture, where death and illness are routinely pushed out of sight, no one else in pop music today even approaches Campbell's depth in creating such a meaningful work of art... Definitely worth checking out.
Glen Campbell "See You There" (Surfdog Records, 2013)
Glen Campbell "The Glen Campbell Collection: 1962-1989" (Razor & Tie Records, 1997)
This generously-programmed 2-CD set has wa-a-a-a-ay more of Glen's work than I need... but it's probably perfect for the devoted fan! Includes "Southern Nights" and "Rhinestone Cowboy," so this son of the Seventies is happy. Also branches back to his early country-folk/countrypolitan hits -- "Gentle On My Mind," "Wichita Lineman," et. al. -- and fast forwards to his later, less-well known work in the 1980s. If you really wanna check Campbell's career out, this collection is a great option.
Glen Campbell "The Capitol Years: 65-77" (EMI-Europe, 1999)
Glen Campbell "The Legacy: 1961-2002" (Capitol Records, 2002)
From early soft country to country-folk smashes like "Galveston," "Gentle On My Mind" and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix," and onto his fab '70s hits such as "Rhinestone Cowboy," "Country Boy" and "Southern Nights..." One thing you can say about Glen Campbell: he sure had range and longevity! This 4-CD set covers a lot of ground, including an entire disc of live material. The song selection -- drawn from folk, pop and gospel -- is pretty ambitious, but it should be mentioned that the string sections are often rather intrusive and unsubtle. Okay, so maybe it doesn't have "Tequila" or "Record Collector's Dream," but as a representative portrait of this old countrypolitan superstar, this is a pretty good set.
Glen Campbell "Greatest Hits" (Capitol Nashville, 2009)
Glen Campbell "Hey Little One/A New Place In The Sun" (BGO Records, 2009)
Glen Campbell "Rhinestone Cowboy/Bloodline" (Raven Records, 2002)
Glen Campbell "Southern Nights/Basic" (Raven Records, 2003)
Glen Campbell "Merry Christmas" (Capitol Records, 1991)
Glen Campbell "Christmas With Glen Campbell" (Delta Records, 1995)
All standards, some with kinda jazzy, swinging arrangements... Not bad for this brand of commercial holiday records, and Glen is in fairly fine fettle as well. A fan would not be disappointed. (For more Christmas music, see my Hillbilly Holiday section...)
Glen Campbell "Jesus And Me: The Collection" (KTel Records, 1998)
Glen Campbell "Good Times Again" (Time-Life, 2007) (DVD)
A selection of performances from Campbell's TV show, which ran from 1969-72...
Glen Campbell (1936-2017) is best remembered for his chart-topping hits of two decades: the sedate countrypolitan ballads such as "Wichita Lineman" and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" in the 1960s and radiant pop smashes like "Southern Nights" and "Rhinestone Cowboy" in the '70s. Campbell worked his way up from a highly-regarded session guitarist to a full-fledged star -- in the early 1960s he was part of the notorious LA studio musicians known as the Wrecking Crew, who backed countless recording artists on countless sessions. This included the Beach Boys, who Campbell toured with as a bassist and harmony singer. Campbell's first real solo chart success came with his hit version of John Hartford's "Gentle On My Mind," a 1967 single that propelled him towards the top of the Pop charts and made him an icon of the nascent "countrypolitan" sound. Here's a quick look at his work...
