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Music : Meet Glen Campbell
page 1 of 3
Rating: 
- Biggest surprise of 2008
I am another who was fortunate enough to see one of his recent live concerts. Of course we were treated to all of his classics, plus a few tracks from this latest new album. These tracks were very pleasant and memorable. Infact, an exceptional set of songs that amount to an exceptional album.
This remakable return to form is acheived with songs written by other artists including John Lennon, U2, Tom Petty and Jackson Brown. Some of these tracks are quite addictive.
So, there it is. Not typical Glen Campbell perhaps, but certainly classical Glan Campbell. If this is your scene, then this album is a must.
Rating:
- I love this so much, I have to listen to it twice !
I bought two albums at the same time a week or so ago - and I must have been inspired. One was Sia's fantastic 'Some People Have Real Problems' (I must do a review on that!) and this beauty.
One of the other reviewers suggested that this is the best album of 2008 - it is right up there as a contender. The ten tracks are covers of some very fine songs, some I knew and some I didn't. The thing about Glen Campbell is that, at 72, his singing is still as good as ever. I've always liked him, but have nothing more than a compilation which features one or two of his songs.
One reviewer has criticised the production, but I think it just adds to the quality of the tracks on the album. It starts off with 'Sing', written by Fran Healey of Travis who, I must admit, I find extremely boring. However, this is a great song and a wonderful version, beautiful in it's full (as opposed to paired-down) production - a great opening track, which got me involved in the album. From there, the music just flows and the other nine tracks include a couple by Tom Petty, Jackson Browne, Billy Joe Armstrong (of Green Day), Lou Reed and John Lennon. It leaves me wanting to play the album again and again.
Yes, Glen is singing as well as ever and there are some lovely backing singers here. Instrumentally, there is a superb set of musicians, including GC himself - a great guitarist - and the arrangements are perfect.
This is Glen Campbell and friends, putting together an album in the Glen Campbell mould, but brought up to date. The length of the album is only 33:46, which is short. I would have like a couple more tracks, but if you want to listen to it a couple of times, you've only spent just over an hour doing so.
So, a brilliant album, a fantastic return from Glen Campbell which, I for one, hope will be followed up in a similar vein - I would welcome a second album of covers, a la 'Meet Glen Campbell Again'.
Rating: - This is the way to do a covers album
Cash, Diamond, and now Campbell. Old pros finding new audiences with a combination of new material or new approaches to the craft of singing. Meet Glen Campbell works like a dream from start to finish. You can't really go wrong with songs written by the likes of Tom Petty and Jackson Browne can you? Even the vastly over-rated John Lennon can sound good when one of his songs is done well, and middle-order songsmith Fran Healy from Travis gets one of his dusted down for this album as well.
So, strong material sets the scene, and Campbell does them all justice, without sounding like he's trying too hard to please or prove a point. Slightly spoiled by a tad over-bright production in places that smothers Campbell's voice, the album is however, a sure-fire winner.
Rating: - Classic Campbell
Glen Campbell is, quite simply, a master interpreter of other people's songs. In Jimmy Webb he found a songwriter whose lyrics and melodies were perfect pickings for him. They were made for each other. No one should need reminding that Wichita Lineman, Galveston, By The Time I Get To Phoenix and Where's The Playground Suzie were evocative, melodic counterpoints to the emerging hard rock sounds of the late 60s and early 70s.
Pitched somewhere in peoples' minds between Elton John and John Denver, Glen Campbell became largely irrelevant for the next three decades. Although he recorded during this period, with occasional success, the songs were generally bland, pointless and poorly produced. What he needed was a decent set of songs and a sympathetic producer who would recognise the strengths Glen possessed, someone who would recognise what made those earlier classics work.
Enter Julian Raymond and Howard Willing. Their arrangements and production are beautifully evocative of Campbell's greatest period. The Foo Fighter's Times Like These and Tom Petty's "Walls" echo Galveston with low tuned guitars and strings reminiscent of Al de Lory's original arrangements.
Using the Webb classics as a cornerstone the ten selections draw upon the literate work of John Lennon, Jackson Browne, Lou Reed, Tom Petty, Paul Westerberg, U2, The Foo's and Billie Joe. Raymond and Willing let Glen's voice take centre stage and with his sensitive interpretations and their evocative arrangements a hauntingly, beautiful album has emerged.
Simple really. Take a great singer, give him some great songs, mix in some sympathetic arrangements for strings and horns, throw in steel guitar, drums and keyboards and you have a classic record.
Highly recommended. Not a dud track to be heard.
Rating: - Huge surprise
I saw Glen Campbell perform live on 'Jools' and was really impressed with the new song. I'd always loved Wichita Lineman but hadn't taken much notice of anything else. I went on to Amazon to order AC/DC's Black Ice and thought 'why not' and ordered 'Meet Glen Campbell' as well. I've always been a guitar group lover - Floyd, Rory Gallagher, AC/DC etc but Glens album has outplayed Black Ice easily so far (except for that 'Jesus' track, which I skip).
Well done Glen and what a good guitar player you are too. This album is up there with other country favouries I have and nearly as good as Jimmy Buffett to - no higher praise can I give than that.
- Biggest surprise of 2008I am another who was fortunate enough to see one of his recent live concerts. Of course we were treated to all of his classics, plus a few tracks from this latest new album. These tracks were very pleasant and memorable. Infact, an exceptional set of songs that amount to an exceptional album.
This remakable return to form is acheived with songs written by other artists including John Lennon, U2, Tom Petty and Jackson Brown. Some of these tracks are quite addictive.
So, there it is. Not typical Glen Campbell perhaps, but certainly classical Glan Campbell. If this is your scene, then this album is a must.
Rating:
- I love this so much, I have to listen to it twice !I bought two albums at the same time a week or so ago - and I must have been inspired. One was Sia's fantastic 'Some People Have Real Problems' (I must do a review on that!) and this beauty.
One of the other reviewers suggested that this is the best album of 2008 - it is right up there as a contender. The ten tracks are covers of some very fine songs, some I knew and some I didn't. The thing about Glen Campbell is that, at 72, his singing is still as good as ever. I've always liked him, but have nothing more than a compilation which features one or two of his songs.
One reviewer has criticised the production, but I think it just adds to the quality of the tracks on the album. It starts off with 'Sing', written by Fran Healey of Travis who, I must admit, I find extremely boring. However, this is a great song and a wonderful version, beautiful in it's full (as opposed to paired-down) production - a great opening track, which got me involved in the album. From there, the music just flows and the other nine tracks include a couple by Tom Petty, Jackson Browne, Billy Joe Armstrong (of Green Day), Lou Reed and John Lennon. It leaves me wanting to play the album again and again.
Yes, Glen is singing as well as ever and there are some lovely backing singers here. Instrumentally, there is a superb set of musicians, including GC himself - a great guitarist - and the arrangements are perfect.
This is Glen Campbell and friends, putting together an album in the Glen Campbell mould, but brought up to date. The length of the album is only 33:46, which is short. I would have like a couple more tracks, but if you want to listen to it a couple of times, you've only spent just over an hour doing so.
So, a brilliant album, a fantastic return from Glen Campbell which, I for one, hope will be followed up in a similar vein - I would welcome a second album of covers, a la 'Meet Glen Campbell Again'.
Rating:
- This is the way to do a covers albumCash, Diamond, and now Campbell. Old pros finding new audiences with a combination of new material or new approaches to the craft of singing. Meet Glen Campbell works like a dream from start to finish. You can't really go wrong with songs written by the likes of Tom Petty and Jackson Browne can you? Even the vastly over-rated John Lennon can sound good when one of his songs is done well, and middle-order songsmith Fran Healy from Travis gets one of his dusted down for this album as well.
So, strong material sets the scene, and Campbell does them all justice, without sounding like he's trying too hard to please or prove a point. Slightly spoiled by a tad over-bright production in places that smothers Campbell's voice, the album is however, a sure-fire winner.
Rating:
- Classic Campbell Glen Campbell is, quite simply, a master interpreter of other people's songs. In Jimmy Webb he found a songwriter whose lyrics and melodies were perfect pickings for him. They were made for each other. No one should need reminding that Wichita Lineman, Galveston, By The Time I Get To Phoenix and Where's The Playground Suzie were evocative, melodic counterpoints to the emerging hard rock sounds of the late 60s and early 70s.
Pitched somewhere in peoples' minds between Elton John and John Denver, Glen Campbell became largely irrelevant for the next three decades. Although he recorded during this period, with occasional success, the songs were generally bland, pointless and poorly produced. What he needed was a decent set of songs and a sympathetic producer who would recognise the strengths Glen possessed, someone who would recognise what made those earlier classics work.
Enter Julian Raymond and Howard Willing. Their arrangements and production are beautifully evocative of Campbell's greatest period. The Foo Fighter's Times Like These and Tom Petty's "Walls" echo Galveston with low tuned guitars and strings reminiscent of Al de Lory's original arrangements.
Using the Webb classics as a cornerstone the ten selections draw upon the literate work of John Lennon, Jackson Browne, Lou Reed, Tom Petty, Paul Westerberg, U2, The Foo's and Billie Joe. Raymond and Willing let Glen's voice take centre stage and with his sensitive interpretations and their evocative arrangements a hauntingly, beautiful album has emerged.
Simple really. Take a great singer, give him some great songs, mix in some sympathetic arrangements for strings and horns, throw in steel guitar, drums and keyboards and you have a classic record.
Highly recommended. Not a dud track to be heard.
Rating:
- Huge surpriseI saw Glen Campbell perform live on 'Jools' and was really impressed with the new song. I'd always loved Wichita Lineman but hadn't taken much notice of anything else. I went on to Amazon to order AC/DC's Black Ice and thought 'why not' and ordered 'Meet Glen Campbell' as well. I've always been a guitar group lover - Floyd, Rory Gallagher, AC/DC etc but Glens album has outplayed Black Ice easily so far (except for that 'Jesus' track, which I skip).
Well done Glen and what a good guitar player you are too. This album is up there with other country favouries I have and nearly as good as Jimmy Buffett to - no higher praise can I give than that.
