Page 10 of 12

Re: Your Stories and Memories about Glen

Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2015 5:02 pm
by Mike Joyce
Yes, each song is a kind of time capsule to our younger days, a link from the present to the past and all we need to do to activate it. is play it.

Re: Your Stories and Memories about Glen

Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2015 11:47 pm
by robduloc
Thank you, Mike

I was graduating from High School in '77, some of the people in my class still had their Glen Campbell haircut!

Can't say that I blame I them, groomed for success... yeah 1977 was a big year with Rhinestone Cowboy and Southern Nights riding the air waves for many years, thank heaven there are artist and songs like that which serve as a snapshot, I hear those songs and can remember what I was feeling and doing at the time, I once heard that scents or fragrances are supposed to conjure memories more than any other of our five senses, but I know and talked to a lot of people that tend to agree, music conjures the most memories.

Glen Campbell has some of the most powerful arrangements I know.

Re: Your Stories and Memories about Glen

Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2015 1:33 pm
by Mike Joyce
Well said robduloc,
I did actually think that about Glen's early life. He left home and with a dream and his guitar and made his way across America to find a life in music. That cover could just as easily be a situation of Glen's own life.
I did make a mistake though. I forgot about the Galveston album which is another album cover which reflects the song it is titled for. Glen in his army outfit and the girl of his dreams on the shore of Galveston.Such wonderful imagery.
I have said it before but incase you don't know, I became a fan after hearing By the time I get to Phoenix for the first time. That was in 1977 when I was 15. Where have those years gone. So much has changed and so much has been lost, but the memories remain to make us smile.

Re: Your Stories and Memories about Glen

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2015 1:34 pm
by robduloc
Mike,!

I'm moved, I'm getting goose bumps, yes there is a thread there, not just the bench but the guitar case is a traveling musicians one source of comfort even more than a new pair of shoes or warm corduroy jacket, I was only a kid at the time but I got the sense the way he is clutching his guitar case that the shoes and jacket are new but may become frayed and worn over time, and all the pawn shops up and down every street in America, there was an underlying tone for me the man on the front cover will use his music to stay out of those, and that is why Glen Campbell was my hero and remains one to this day, he isn't going to hock have to hock his wares, he would rather starve than sell himself short, and yes, when you are a musician, it's a lot like the bible, there may come a time when you have to leave everything you hold dear to follow a vision, that is why we tend to live our dreams through and artist who had given everything of themselves.

The empty bench is a signpost when a musician blows in and out of town, it is a true feat of engineering and when they hit a stage they are in their office doing their job the best way they know to resounding applause, and working a street corner is a way out of a pawn shop and a ticket to the next town and who knows what lies in store there.

The funny thing about my imagery is when I was older and started reading musical biographies, I wasn't too far off the mark, instead of a car rental agency, it would be common for a musician to meet and link up with the receptionist at a record label or studio, memories that go unrecorded for the most part, but most certain, an artist who has just been signed up could use a place to stay and a warm meal, oh my, the unwritten history and personal/private conquest.

And I like how early on Glen Campbell covered a number of Paul Simon songs, Homeward Bound comes to mind, when it is uncertain how much of the road an outsider can take when it is not your life.

So, to this day the gurgling river in the song Gentle On My Mind, the railroad on the back cover of Hey Little One and telephone lines in Wichita Lineman stretching into distance are aspects of an all providing infinite source.

Re: Your Stories and Memories about Glen

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 11:58 am
by Mike Joyce
Great post robduloc,
I think that is the great thing about a good song. It can be universal and many people will have their own take on a song.
Your story which you related to By the time I get to phoenix in a way puts the flesh on the bones of the song. I loved your comment about the flute being in the back of the mix to indicate a distance between them and a sense of loss was very perceptive. I also agree about the cover. It is probably the most reflective cover of any of Glen's albums, in as much as the picture also tells the story of the song. I like the fact that the bench Glen is sitting on is totally empty and Glen is sitting at the end of it which really creates the feeling of his loneliness as he leaves someone he still loves very much. His life is now as empty as the bench. His head being so down, also reflects that sorrowful state.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this great memory.
Regards,
Mike.

Re: Your Stories and Memories about Glen

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 1:27 am
by robduloc
Thank you, Cowpoke!

I recently heard that America is a country that is obsessed with lists, and so there is a tinge of guilt when I submit a list of what I say are my 3-5 all time favorite albums, but I must admit history was re-written when Surfdog label and Glen Campbell produced and released Ghost On The Canvas.

You have to understand I bought 10 Glen Campbell albums between the third and sixth grade between Spring of '67 and '71, I raked leaves, pulled a lot of weeds, and mowed lawns to get those and when I recieved a couple dollars for a present I can remember washing my face and putting on a clean shirt to scour the record aisles for more Glen Campbell albums, I probably should have worn gloves the amount of times I sifted through his albums.

Conway Twitty is on my list of artist I would've liked to seen, if that gives you an idea how I think and feel, but if you really want to know the other two all time favorite albums are song cycles, which is what I feel GOTC is and GOTC is pushing its' way higher up the list the more I listen to it because of the color, range of emotion, power and resolution, most joyous for certain with an abiding love for the family, friends and the lord. You can't beat that, hmm.

Let's just say Glen Campbell GOTC is the best album to come out in a very,very long time.

And so far as memories go, here is the shift for me.

I remember eye balling the record slicks for The Astounding 12-Sting Guitar Of Glen Campbell and Burning Bridges when I used to go to the store between 1964 and 1967, the two main retaail outlet were called the PX and Wigwam, oh boy those were days, yes?

Oh My.

Well after seeing Glen Campbell and John Hartford perform Gentle On My Mind on TV in the Spring and summer of '68 I managed to finagle copies of his next three albums after Burning Bridges, Gentle On My Mind, By The Time I Get To phoenix and Hey Little One, I wa sonly ten and so it was quite a triumph to won that much material.

The clincher for me has to be the back cover for the album Hey Little One, the high angle view of the man walking across some lonely railroad tracks and black and white pctures promoting his last two releases, the ones I had recently bought, I guess America has a short term memory and Buring Bridges and 12-String Guitar no longer needed promoting.

By Wichita Lineman PX and Wigman were noo longer the main place to shop for records and was replaced by retail outlet named Value-Mart.

I have fond memories of how big Wichita Lineman is because there was a coin dispenser for the kids but instead of gumballs or trinkets it dispenced a small record slick of your favorite song of the day, it was sammler than a 45 single and could only be played on one side, and only last around 20 plays, a real novelty, I had to lift to lift and center my father's phonograph needle to play it. I don't think it was very good for the system, but you know, by Wichita Lineman Glen Campbell had become a welcome part of every household on our block.

I will relate one last memory what it was like for Glen Campbell to appeal to the younger generation, the arrangements and ccchoice of material were very deep, where does a thiird or fourth grader go in their mind.

Well, I had By THe Time I Get TO Phoenix all mapped out.

This is what I read into the lyrics, you can tell me how close or far off I am, I'm not making this up, this is really what I thought the song was about when it came out.

The central character in the song is a musician, he has met a lady in small town at a car rental agency, he is self employed and has some time off between dates, she's a bachlorette and the two move into her small apartment.

He's comfortable for awhile, living and driving around town because it is pretty upscale for a small community, she is independant and moved there to get away from relatives to live life on her terms, this is what has drawn the musician to her.

But it can be painful because a musician doesn't live by the same everyday rules we do, and when he gets up and leaves her, his life is an open slate or blank canvas to fill with impressions that no one else can come close to experiencing.

And then there is the album cover, the way he is bent over clutching his guitar case, he's hurting remembering her face and the last time he saw he and appears to be waiting for a bus with a big bank or flood of white light behind him, the overall mood or sentiment, he has bus fare today but could be hitching a ride on a big wheeler tomorrow, one more person his ambition has crushed,with hopes and dreams to make it big or die trying.

And then the mention of each city on his stop, is a push to get the woman and her small town values behind him, comforted by the bustle of an enormous city of strangers that don't know who you are but may know your name someday.

There is also the flute in the arrangement,and even the microphone placement, which for a small kid my age was very obvious, the flute is pushed back in the recording, cold and distant like turning around to look at someone in a rear window as loved one fade into the distant, but not from memory, he can never really leave her because love is immortal, and the flute also acts like a kind of vapor or cloud around her because his presence is still rich and warm in her miind.

That is the sensory I got a s a kid, I don't how many people have touched upon the significance of the arrangemnt or the front album cover for By The Time I Get To Phoenix, I do know the song and and arrangement and picture has always spoke to me on many levels. We all carry carry away our experiences or sensory, each one valuable, a treasure to stand the test of time.

My father in-law flew in three wars, B-25's in the Pacific during W.W. II, all through the Korean War and one of the oldest men to fly cargo in Vietnam, when he retired when my wife to be was a teenager they were visiting Tucson, the legend goes he got out his map as men did in their day did and studied all the stops in the song By The Time I Get I get To Phoenix, and learned there is an 8 hour difference between each city, that realisation has gone gold!

Thank you, Cowpoke, Dee,sibil, jimmy Webb and Glen Campbell family and friends.

Thanks for the memories and giving me something to live for, your post have helped put a new spring in my step.

I Thank the lord everyday for the bounty and a thriving community like the Surfdog Glen Campbell Official Website.

Have a wonderful weekend. And keep n listening to those Golden Hits.

Love,

Rob

Re: Your Stories and Memories about Glen

Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2015 9:52 pm
by Dee
Rob, I agree that Ghost On The Canvas is one of the great Glen Campbell albums! Here is one of the best reviews about this album that I thought you might like to read....

http://nodepression.com/article/review- ... 3#comments" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's great that you are sharing this album with your co-workers and that they go nuts when you play it! Keep spreading the word about this brilliant album and the legendary Glen Campbell!

Can I ask you to share which two albums are your other all-time favorites?

It's difficult for me to name my top three albums...Gentle On My Mind is likely one of them because it was my first Glen Campbell album (and also the first album that I had ever owned) and I really got attached to each of the songs on it.

I'd like to learn more about the DVD you found with Glen and Bobbie Gentry. I don't remember that one...

The American Treasure box set's DVD is amazing. At first, I wasn't sure if I would like it because I didn't want to see any entertainers or singers other than Glen Campbell on this DVD. However, the more I watched the DVD, the more I appreciated it. Seeing Glen perform (sing / play / or act in skits) with so many different artists really showed me how unusual and special his talents are... Who else could perform so beautifully with Tony Bennett, then sing just as harmoniously with Cher on "Bang Bang"! Then, later in the DVD, perform in a skit with John Wayne! And then sing to the great Lucille Ball?

Goodnight, Rob, I hope all your dreams are gentle on your mind. :)

Dee

P.S. Here is a list of Glen's albums in Wikipedia that might be of help to you as you build your collection: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen_Campbell_discography" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
By the way, the American Treasure box set is not listed under any album categories in Wikipedia because it was never reviewed professionally, which is a requirement of Wikipedia for publishing, is this correct Cowpoke?

And here is a list of the DVDs and VHS recordings from Wikipedia that might be of help to you: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen_Campbell_videos" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Re: Your Stories and Memories about Glen

Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2015 2:28 am
by robduloc
Hi siblis!

There are a number of Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour DVD's to look for, not enough in my opinion, that are fairly affordable if you shop on the internet, I am working on buying the complete works of Glen Caaampbell on vinyl or CD and then I paln to look into what kind of DVD's he has and which DVD's are in still in print or have become collector items.

I hope Surfdog Records can pull some strings and come out with a new line of Glen Campbell Variety Show clips, naturally I am interested in programs shown in their entirety, there is a Glen Campbell live in Dublin DVD that doesn't cost too much, and a DVD of Glen Campbell with Bobby Gentry, I have to admit, the DVD from the Glen Campbell American Treasure includes guest performance and duets that are some of the major highlights of his career.

If you like I can post the list of songs and entertainers from the Glen Campbell American Treasure DVD.

I brought Glen Campbell American Treasure to show everybody at the main office at work, i highly recommend listening to the CD Glen Campbell Ghost On The Canvas, people at work go nuts when I play it.

There are a number of amazon.com reviews that say Ghost On The Canvas is one of the best albums to come out in a long time, that is a good place to start, it ranks in one of my three all time favorite albums!

One of the highlights of the Glen Campbell Farewell Tour program is when he calls all his listeners his friends, that is why I like him so much, he gets it.

Come back and share some of your memories, I care, they are rich and long and bright as the day.

Love,
Rob

Re: Your Stories and Memories about Glen

Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2015 10:42 pm
by siblis
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the DVD -- the Goodtime Hour clips! arlw had written a good write-up about it when this set first came out...highlighting how this DVD really shows Glen's versatility -- he could play and sing with anyone!.................................Dee, I would to sit back & watch this DVD as well that came with the set, but at the moment I just can't afford to purchase it. :(

Re: Your Stories and Memories about Glen

Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2015 7:32 am
by Dee
Thanks for sharing your memories, Rob! I really enjoyed reading them, and you also reminded me of how common it had been to hear Glen Campbell on the radio in the sixties. His songs made up the sound tracks of our early lives as they say.
You have an eye for details such as how Jerry Reed didn't steal the spotlight from Glen and how Southern Nights could have been based on a march based on that video of Glen and Jerry performing at an outdoor concert. Hadn't thought about these things before you wrote about them.
I had not thought of the signal-type sounds in Wichita Lineman as being Morse Code, but this makes sense...it's a song (I think) about the longing for communication and connection, isn't it? There is a mystery to this song yet, I believe--as you mentioned, the part about "I can hear you singing through the wire..." What exactly does this line mean?

I am so glad you are enjoying Meet Glen Campbell, too.

Congrats on your new American Treasure box set! Did you find the guitar pick in the box set? It is carefully tucked in a pocket, and I had almost missed that.
Also, the liner notes are in a slightly reduced size of the Goodbye Tour Program that was sold at the concerts (during the second year of the tour, I believe). So, now you've got a concert tour program, too.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the DVD -- the Goodtime Hour clips! arlw had written a good write-up about it when this set first came out...highlighting how this DVD really shows Glen's versatility -- he could play and sing with anyone!

Dee