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Glen Campbell's searing, soaring send-off, 'Ghost On The Canvas' (Final Album is Superb)
HitFix ^ | 09/06/2011 | Melinda Newman

Posted on 09/06/2011 9:48:28 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

Glen Campbell, who has Alzheimer’s, has released a superb 'final' album at the age of 75.

“Ghost on the Canvas” is Glen Campbell’s album of a lifetime...literally.

The stunning set, out Aug. 30, reflects on the multiple Grammy winner’s career and times often through the prism of his life-altering diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease. The 75-year old announced he had the disease earlier this year and that “Ghost on the Canvas” would be his final album. He starts a goodbye tour later this fall.

Without ever skirting the dire future he now faces, Campbell and producer/co-writer Julian Raymond, have made a poignant, often breathtakingly vulnerable album that never wallows in pity, and despite its very strong profession of faith, never seems pollyanna-ish. It’s Campbell’s equivalent of Johnny Cash/Rick Rubin’s “American Recordings.” Even if you’re too young to have ever given Glen Campbell a second thought, “Ghost On the Canvas” is worth every repeated listen and, in fact, should be a Grammy contender for album of the year.

On album opener “A Better Place” Campbell sings “Sometimes I’m so confused Lord, my past gets in my way. I need the ones I love, Lord, more and more each day.”

On “Strong,” he accepts his fate. “This is not the road I wanted for us, but now that it’s here, I want to make one thing perfectly clear. All I want to be for you is strong,” he sings to his wife, calling himself a “broken prize.”

The album’s most autobiographical track, “A Thousand Lifetimes,” he sings, “I’ve held onto coal in my bare hands, praying for diamonds/I trusted in the words that to my face turned out were lying...each breath I take is a gift that I will never take for granted.”

Though Campbell disappeared from pop radio decades ago—his last hit was 1977‘s massively successful “Southern Nights,” penned by Allen Toussaint, there was a time when he ruled the TV and radio airwaves. In the late ‘60s, he was one of music’s biggest superstars at both pop and country, churning out hit after hit, including such priceless Jimmy Webb-penned tunes as “Wichita Lineman,” “By the Time I Get To Phoenix,” and “Galveston.”

The solo success came after Campbell’s turn as a member of the legendary band of studio musicians known as the Wrecking Crew. Among the tunes he played guitar on —in and out of that star-studded assemblage—were Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers In the Night,” Elvis Presley’s “Viva Las Vegas,” The Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Loving Feelin’,” and The Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds.” He even toured with the Beach Boys, filling in for Brian Wilson.

After “Southern Night’s” success, his career began to fall off and he very publicly battled alcoholic and drug addictions, but, like Cash, returned again and again to his faith to sustain him. In 2008, he released “Meet Glen Campbell,” his first album in 15 years. Produced by Raymond, the critically acclaimed album included covers of tunes from U2, Tom Petty and Green Day among others.

Just as “Ghost on the Canvas” reflects on Campbell’s life lyrically, Raymond has cleverly, but not overly cutely, referenced past Campbell songs, such as “Wichita Lineman” on “A Thousand Lifetimes,” or even “Gentle On My Mind” on the title track. Sonically throughout the album falls straight down the pop-country line that made Campbell so appealing to millions originally. Its simple production, appealingly bolstered by the occasional strings, places the focus squarely on Campbell’s still resonant voice and his astonishingly vibrant finger-picking guitar style.

Though Campbell and Raymond wrote the bulk of the set, Raymond collected a few from some of his songwriting buddies, including The Replacements' Paul Westerberg, who penned the title track. Campbell makes these tunes completely his own, perhaps none more so than Teddy Thompson’s rollicking “In My Arms,” and with the help of fellow guitar slingers Chris Isaak, Dick Dale and Brian Seltzer, turns it into an irrepressibly catchy surf-flavored shoot out.

On Jakob Dylan’s simple, gorgeous “Nothing But The Whole Wide World,” Campbell canvases his life and his faith, plainly singing “God wants us busy, never giving up/He wants nothing but the whole world for us” with the faith of a child. (Dylan wrote the track for Campbell, but since “Ghost” took more than two years to make, Dylan recorded it for his 2010 album, “Women & Country”— in fact, his album’s title comes from this song). Guided By Voice’s Robert Pollard contributed "Hold On Hope," a tune that first appeared on GBV's 1999 album, "Do The Collapse."

There are a number of interstitial short instrumentals that tie the songs together, such as the sensational, “riding-off-into the-sunset” coda “Valley of the Son,” that link “Hold On Hope” and Westerberg’s other contribution “Any Trouble” together or the calliope in “Second Street North” that bridges “It’s Your Amazing Grace” and “In My Arms.”

The album closes with “There’s No Me... Without You.” Almost four minutes of the six-minute plus track are instrumental, as Campbell and Billy Corgan, Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen, Marty Rifkin and Brian Setzer twist and gently bring the musical trip to an end, as Campbell lets his guitar get the last word.


TOPICS: Music/Entertainment; Society
KEYWORDS: alzheimers; campbell; cdreview; glencampbell
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To: Free Vulcan

Contrast that with his song “Fate Of A Man”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRawHdrdQ5U


21 posted on 09/06/2011 11:20:24 AM PDT by Revel
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To: taxcontrol

compelling.

Yes, there is much in Scottish history like that.

Some of my ancestors claimed Scott/Irish origin, but we have no evidence of that. Prior to Texas they were in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.

Other of my ancestors were born in TX during the Republic.


22 posted on 09/06/2011 11:20:35 AM PDT by Texas Fossil (Government, even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one)
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To: Maverick68
“Witchita Lineman” is one of my all time favorite songs...

I like that one, too. It's a great football song.

23 posted on 09/06/2011 11:22:29 AM PDT by Fiji Hill
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To: taildragger

Thank you, I’ve never seen that before!
Here’s the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDPuK_tqG-Y


24 posted on 09/06/2011 11:24:12 AM PDT by Maverick68
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To: SeekAndFind; nikos1121

Glen is playing up here soon at the local Indian casino... i have a friend who is helping to coordinate with the show who said the tour may be in doubt. Glen’s wife called to report he is having difficulties in doing the basics in life, like finding the bathroom... Sad.

I hope he is able to do the tour as I would really love to see him do his goodbye show.


25 posted on 09/06/2011 11:29:20 AM PDT by JDoutrider
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To: JDoutrider
Glen Campbell Goodbye Tour

Campbell will be supported on tour by the roots band Instant People, which includes all three of his children with current wife Kim—sons Cal on drums and Shannon on guitar, and daughter Ashley on banjo and keyboards—as well as daughter Debbie from a previous marriage. His eldest daughter Debbie sings harmony. Prior to the tour, they played a show in Biloxi, Mississippi previewing the line-up. Campbell intends to tour as long as his health allows, covering the world.

Date Location Venue
02011-08-31 August 31, 2011 Toronto, Ontario, Canada CNE Bandshell
02011-09-02 September 2, 2011 Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada Casino New Brunswick
02011-09-09 September 9, 2011 St. Charles, Missouri, United States The Bezemes Family Theatre
02011-09-10 September 10, 2011 Forrest City, Arkansas, United States East Arkansas Community College
02011-09-15 September 15, 2011 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States University of Pennsylvania, Irvine Auditorium
02011-09-17 September 17, 2011 Renfro Valley, Kentucky, United States Renfro Valley Entertainment Center
02011-10-13 October 13, 2011 Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, United States Kewadin Casino, Dreammaker Theatre
02011-10-15 October 15, 2011 Carlton, Minnesota, United States Black Bear Casino Resort
02011-10-21 October 21, 2011 Salford, England, United Kingdom The Lowry
02011-10-22 October 22, 2011 London, England, United Kingdom Royal Festival Hall
02011-10-23 October 23, 2011 Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom St. David's Hall
02011-10-24 October 24, 2011 Northampton, England, United Kingdom Royal Derngate Theatre
02011-10-25 October 25, 2011 Liverpool, England, United Kingdom Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
02011-10-26 October 26, 2011 Nottingham, England, United Kingdom Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
02011-10-28 October 28, 2011 York, England, United Kingdom York Barbican
02011-10-29 October 29, 2011 Newcastle, England, United Kingdom Newcastle City Hall
02011-10-30 October 30, 2011 Basingstoke, England, United Kingdom The Anvil
02011-11-01 November 1, 2011 Plymouth, England, United Kingdom Plymouth Pavilions
02011-11-02 November 2, 2011 Bristol, England, United Kingdom Colston Hall
02011-11-03 November 3, 2011 Brighton, England, United Kingdom Brighton Dome
02011-11-04 November 4, 2011 Guildford, England, United Kingdom G-Live
02011-11-05 November 5, 2011 Southend-on-Sea, England, United Kingdom Cliffs Pavilion
02011-11-06 November 6, 2011 Birmingham, England, United Kingdom Birmingham Symphony Hall
02011-11-11 November 11, 2011 Dublin, Ireland Convention Centre Dublin
02011-11-12 November 12, 2011 Killarney, Ireland The INEC
02011-11-13 November 13, 2011 Castlebar, Ireland The Royal Theatre and Events Center
02011-12-02 December 2, 2011 Branson, Missouri, United States Tri Lakes Center
02011-12-03 December 3, 2011 Branson, Missouri, United States Tri Lakes Center
02011-12-08 December 8, 2011 Wausau, Wisconsin, United States Grand Theater
02011-12-11 December 11, 2011 Huntington, West Virginia, United States Keith Albee Performing Arts Center
02011-12-16 December 16, 2011 French Lick, Indiana, United States French Lick Resort Casino

26 posted on 09/06/2011 11:33:20 AM PDT by SeekAndFind (u)
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To: SeekAndFind

Check out the venues Glen is playing in the U.S. and those overseas. Looks like a bit of a disparity to me.


27 posted on 09/06/2011 11:51:02 AM PDT by Charles Martel (Endeavor to persevere...)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

In the summer of ‘09 while heading to see Crater of Diamonds State Park in rural Arkansas, we passed through tiny little Delight.....complete with it’s weathered “Birthplace of Glen Campbell” signage.


28 posted on 09/06/2011 11:54:54 AM PDT by ErnBatavia (Obama Voters: Jose Baez wants YOU for his next jury pool.......)
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To: SeekAndFind

It seems unfair to me that his family has set up this tour when he is in such poor condition. Just because he may want to do it does not mean he should do it.


29 posted on 09/06/2011 12:07:08 PM PDT by LongWayHome
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To: SeekAndFind

“Show Me Your Way” from 1991 was a great CD from Mr. Campbell. Lots of good songs and help from Russ Taff, Ann Murray and Kelly Nelon Thompson. Although it may not have been a big seller, I am surprised the author of the article did not mention this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eOHy678Pro


30 posted on 09/06/2011 12:11:25 PM PDT by Principle Over Politics (Even the hapless Joe Biden would harm the country less than 0bozo. Impeach NOW)
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To: ErnBatavia

How was your trip to the diamond mine? I’ve always wanted to do that.


31 posted on 09/06/2011 2:47:01 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (I'll raise $2million for Gov. Sarah Palin. What'll you do?)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
It was a hoot.....we booked a room in little Murfreesboro and drove to the park, not really knowing what to expect.

Wifey was wearing white pants and white flip-flops, so when we got to the very muddy (rain the previous night) diamond field our excavation plans got pretty much aborted.


32 posted on 09/07/2011 7:24:14 AM PDT by ErnBatavia (Obama Voters: Jose Baez wants YOU for his next jury pool.......)
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To: Stevenc131

Yesterday I sent this link to my brother....he came back with the comment that as-yet unknown Glen Campbell had been the entertainer at their 1963 high school graduation banquet in the Los Angeles area......it was shortly thereafter that he started getting recognition and “real” gigs.


33 posted on 09/07/2011 7:26:58 AM PDT by ErnBatavia (Obama Voters: Jose Baez wants YOU for his next jury pool.......)
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To: freedomlover

Late response on my part, but Campbell also plays the banjo — he played the banjo part of the banjo/bass harmonica solo on “I Know There’s an Answer” off of “Pet Sounds.”


34 posted on 10/18/2011 3:51:41 PM PDT by MikeD (We live in a world where babies are like velveteen rabbits that only become real if they are loved.)
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To: Maverick68
“Witchita Lineman” is one of my all time favorite songs...

That is a beautiful song.

And "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" was one of the first songs I learned to play on the guitar.

35 posted on 10/18/2011 3:55:20 PM PDT by Allegra (Hey! Stop looking at my tagline like that.)
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