Meet Glen Campbell

It was on this past Sunday morning that Air America's Johnny Wendell broke my heart. We never met, but that didn't matter. Our relationship was built on his on-air straight talk covering a gamut of political and local concerns, and my occasionally calling the station in hopes of one day weaseling past his screeners. Sure, there were those Air America babes, Stephanie Miller, Rachel Maddow, and my future wife, Randi Rhodes. And it wasn't like my man crush on Keith Olbermann would amount to much, especially with Jason Bateman and Richard Lewis in the picture. Restraining orders aside, Wendell was just a better fit, our platonic co-dependency of his needing listeners and my needing to listen disfunctioning along just fine. But this Sunday, an event occurred that has forever changed that dynamic, one that will haunt me 'til the day I stop being a lefty which is never.

I was driving along the 110 fielding an endless call, my muted cell phone shoved against one ear, the radio kind of blasting in the other. It was now around 9:30 with Johnny Wendell on the air and Frangelica waiting in the wings. I had to cut the call short when I heard Wendell enlightening his audience on the true definition of "schmaltz" which then segued into a rant on the Rick Rubinization of Neil Diamond. Initially, it appeared to be a conversation starter for an overdue deflating of the godlike Rick Rubin. But my jaw dropped into my lap as the conversation then shifted to the imminent release of the Meet Glen Campbell album, a progressive project with many alternative "cover" songs for which I suggested tracks and helped sequence while at my former label. I thought, "This is amazing! Johnny Wendell's gonna talk-up...no, wait." I suddenly realized where Wendell was heading with all that schmaltz and Diamond speak.

From his perspective, there was no point in old pop icons -- especially of the lamest, easy listening variety -- reframing themselves as "hip" by recording cool cover songs since they themselves would never be cool. My take differs a bunch. I believe that a song's subtexts and nuances are not necessarily beyond an artist's grasp if it was written outside of his or her older demographic. Both are valid arguments, the former far more entertaining a stick with which to poke the turtle. And, in fairness, he was right about Meet Glen Campbell in that it was as calculated an image makeover as Diamond's latest efforts produced. It's mostly a vision of its producers, but they're due a backpat for toning down that shiny Goodtime Glen image, steering it away from random wholesomeness. There are no smiley "Rhinestone Cowboys" a-galloping in "aw-gee" wonderment. Sonically, this album's recordings are more like Nick Lowe's late '70s, compression-driven productions with Jimmy Webb-era orchestrations than generic and purposeless Barry Manilow and Rod Stewart romps through songs of the decades.

Admittedly, the album sports mainly base hits and doubles including two Tom Petty She's The One covers with "Angel Dream" and "Walls," plus the Foo Fighters' "Times Like These," U2's "All I Want" and Jackson Browne's classic, "These Days." However, its home runs include the opening track, Campbell's cover of Travis' "Sing," as well as The Replacements' "Sadly, Beautiful," both coming off as convincingly dark and respectable tributes to their respective writers. No one should be surprised given the singer's Nick Nolte-esque DUI mug shots and his disastrous, tabloid marriage to Tanya Tucker. The album's strangest attempt is his born-again take on "Jesus" when compared to the pathos-rich Velvet Underground version. Thankfully, with an aged Campbell at the microphone, it comes off as scruffy, not like some Jesus-lite anthem.

That brings us to the dubious tracks (cough... "Grow Old With Me" ...cough). And when Wendell debuted Campbell's emotionless attempt at Green Day's "Good Riddence (Time Of Your Life)," the recording's soullessness effectively proved his point. Even with Dana Perino's help, this obvious misstep could not be spun, not even on the radio. Wait, it gets worse. Confession allegedly being good for the soul, that was one of my suggestions, along with songs by Conor Oberst, Son Volt, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and Leonard Cohen. Though there was every shot Campbell would have nailed the Green Day track, sometimes, the stars don't align.

Even in a not-so-perfect world, I think Johnny Wendell's and my interpretation of this album can co-exist. And it's not so far-fetched that Wendell was using that setup as some backhanded way of plugging the album, his rocker image remaining untarnished by his generous shout-out. So, okay, the luv is still there, what was I thinking. I'm looking forward to the coming years of stalking his broadcasts and singing along with his signature punky bumpers. And taking a cue from his Sunday morning pre-break inquiry, I'll revisit his question (or something close to it): "Should older pop artists 'hip-up' their images by recording contemporary or 'alternative' material?"

Comments

[darbo]

I just found out about this "project" and had to check it out. I'm in the Loril camp. I remember hearing the Jimmy Webb songs as a kid, liking them, but when I got into serious "album" buying mode, Glen Campbell would have been the last selection I would have made. That was left for the country uncle (who ironically is about Campbell's age and who bears at least a passing resemblance to him).

But I too when offered up a whole lot of free downloads and wasn't sure what to get, sought out Wichita Lineman. Hell, I even started singing it at karaoke, and pretty much sucked. But it's an amazing song...and the melancholy refrain is still as haunting, if not much more so, than when I was a kid.

I've now heard the whole CD on Rhaposdy and downloaded several of the tunes and am really liking Sadly Beautiful and These Days. It's no Johnny Cash Personal Jesus or Hurt, but it comes pretty damn close.

[ragz2008]

Cool, the album seems to have surprised quite a few people, it even got a great review in Entertainment Weekly who got what it was attempting to do...

[Aramingo]

How does Glen's work compare to Steve and Edie's (sp?) "Black Hole Sun"?

[ragz2008]

Steve & Eydie have the edge in the camp department...

[loril]

Glenn Campbell really reminds me of riding around in the back seat of the big ol' 70's-mobile when I was very young. Back then, he was a radio staple. So, he's a nostalgia thing for people my age...even if you don't generally listen to that kind of music.

When the music downloading technology first came out and, suddenly, any time you thought of a song you hadn't heard in decades, you could go find it, rip it and play it, one of the very first songs I grabbed was Witchita Lineman. Don't ask me why...my collection is mainly New Romantic/80s Alternative, techno and jazz...but I HAD to have that song! In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with Glenn getting out there and trying something different.

[ragz2008]

Nice....

[3dtrix]

I was in Honolulu in 1969 - I had just graduated from high school at 17, and my voyage there had been my graduation present to myself. I had sailed from San Francisco to Long Beach to Honolulu on the long-since decommissioned SS President Wilson - a WWll-era troop transport converted to a bottom-tier ocean liner. One of the best weeks of my life. I was kinda tall, kinda buff, kinda sandy-haired, and clean-shaven.

On the sidewalk adjacent to the Hilton Hawaiian Village I was accosted by a pair of Japanese tourists. They greeted me enthusiastically - "Gren Camboo! Gren Camboo!" They aggressively violated my personal space and simultaneously took multiple snapshots of one another pressed against me, and thrust slips of paper toward me which they repeatedly insisted I autograph - not as myself, of course, but as whom they had convinced themselves I was - "Gren Camboo".

My protests of mistaken identity were of no avail - they morphed from insistent to desperate.

It came to me that it would be an act of great kindness and generosity to fulfill their fantasy - so I signed for each of them a personal benediction from the Mt Olympus of celebrity. Sincerely, Glenn Campbell. They could not have been more appreciative. I hope my autographs are treasured to this day.

On another occasion, I was mistaken for Colin Powell - but that's another story...

[leftLibertarian]

Glenn was born to sing those Jimmy Webb songs like By the Time I Get to Phoenix and Wichita Lineman.

[ragz2008]

Yeah, that was a nice synergy...

[Theda]

I like Glenn Campbell's song...."Galveston." It's a classic anti-war song that he recorded during the Vietnam war era.
After 9-11 and at the start of the Iraq war, right wing radio stations refused to play "Galveston." It was on their "don't play" airlist, along with other famous anti-war songs.
I listen to Johnny Wendell every weekend here in Los Angeles. He's very hyper and sometimes obnoxious, but I enjoy his show and his passion for pop culture and politics.

[ragz2008]

Yeah, most people don't realize the "paint my gun" line in "Galveston" placed him in the war. I think Johnny is the best host they have other than Stephanie and Rachel. It's a shame they don't give him more air time, he's funny, informed and mostly right on target. Except for Glen of course! ;)

[rockyersocksoff]

Don't worry, dude. Getting an album slammed on Air America is like Pamela Anderson criticizing people for eating meat:

Nobody's listening.

[ragz2008]

Thanks for the kind words Rocky. But I'd trade a bad review for more people listening to Air America any day......

[Puller58]

This sort of thing is just an attempt to make a few more dollars out of a dormant career. One step above the infomercial gig. (Which Glen is in danger of doing soon.)

[ragz2008]

Nah, it really wasn't. Trust me, Glen doesn't need the money and it was a very risky project for Capitol. All around, this was a labor of love, not dough. And there's something about this guy's Jimmy Webb era hits that's endearing, even a guilty pleasure for folks who would normally dismiss this kind of singer. I think that's why this album is, in the very least, interesting, if not everyone's critical darling. It can also be taken as a nod to the "kids" from a classic pop artist who covered material he felt he could identify with, even at his age.

[DerSenator]

If you had anything to do with this album, massive kudos to you. Glen Campbell is a monster talent, practically sui generis -- how many musicians can you name who have done as many things as well and as successfully as him? The record is #1 on my playlist at the moment, and I have purchased tickets to see him in London next month. it's too bad that people are so blinkered by their prejudices and the aching need to be "cool." They miss out on a lot of great music.

Cheers

[RobinSeattle]

Glen is a heck of a musician even if he isn't exactly an honorable human being (ask Mac Davis), but this effort is just a joke. At least the not very musically gifted Pat Boone's heavy metal swing album was done partly tongue in cheek.

Not all once good or great artists or even those currently in their prime can handle all songs and I just think that Glen, who was only serviceable as a singer but a monster on the six string, has bitten off more than he could chew here. This reminds me of when Linda Ronstadt, who is a ripping good country-rock vocalist, did her new wave album and it just sounded forced and shrill. It was musical dilettantism at its worst.

[dannyo152]

I liked the Linda Ronstadt album referenced. You do the work, some people like it and some people don't . Ronstadt also did good work with Nelson Riddle, Spanish language songs, and Country/Folk with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris after the pop klieg lights had found other attractions.

When one talks about singer/musicians who don't write, every recording becomes a situation of talent meeting producer, vision, and material. If the vision includes an undiscovered affinity, such as Cash doing "Hurt," then it works. When there's no buy-in and the performance is running on the fumes of craft, sometimes that works, too, in a commercial sense. Talent plus audience trump a lot of things in music.

I'd have my suspicions about Campbell's level of commitment to the material, beyond the high standards of professionalism honed by his years as studio guitarist. He lost me at Rhinestone Cowboy (which was his team transitioning him from pop, where he was cold, to country, because it was the Plan B of the day) and, I swear, I finally heard Allen Toussaint's Southern Nights and that undid decades of disrespect for that song I'd formed from hearing the light, uninvolved reading Campbell gave it as a mid-70s hit record. This means I'm dubious but willing to be pleasantly surprised.

[ragz2008]

I think folks are going to like "Sing" especially. He sounds involved and he really did only record songs that he could relate to. Personally, I think the album's two mistakes, the last two songs, start with errors in the approach. "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)" chugs along, in my opinion, too quickly and happily for Glen to have voiced the sarcasm correctly, and John Lennon's "Grow Old With Me" probably could have been more touching with less production overkill.

[ragz2008]

I dunno, I kinda liked the Ronsdtadt album and it did help educate a lot of folks on Elvis Costello's catalog. Her Neil Young cover didn't suck either.

Sure, this album is a stretch. It's not ground breaking, but I think an artist gets to spread their wings on occasion. I think what's especially "cool" is being over 70 and a born again christian, Glen still took a swing at it.

By the way, did you know that Pat Boone's risky, campy album got him thrown off the Christian networks for awhile? You've gotta give the devils their due once in a while just for doing the unexpected!