Glen Travis Campbell, 1936-2017
August 8, 2017 2:39 PM Subscribe
Glen Campbell has passed away at 81 after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. He released his last album, "Adiós," in June.
.
posted by the return of the thin white sock at 2:43 PM on August 8, 2017
posted by the return of the thin white sock at 2:43 PM on August 8, 2017
.
posted by mcdoublewide at 2:43 PM on August 8, 2017
posted by mcdoublewide at 2:43 PM on August 8, 2017
He'll always be the Wichita Lineman to me. May the road rise to meet him.
.
posted by lumpenprole at 2:45 PM on August 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
.
posted by lumpenprole at 2:45 PM on August 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
Imagine pitching this song idea in 1968: There’s this guy who works on telephone poles in the middle of Kansas. He’s really devoted to his job. Rain or shine, he’s committed to preventing system overloads. It’s really lonely work, and he misses his girlfriend. Does this sound like a hit to you?
*
Campbell was an outstanding guitarist.
posted by thelonius at 2:48 PM on August 8, 2017 [21 favorites]
*
Campbell was an outstanding guitarist.
posted by thelonius at 2:48 PM on August 8, 2017 [21 favorites]
.
posted by doctor_negative at 2:57 PM on August 8, 2017
posted by doctor_negative at 2:57 PM on August 8, 2017
I can also recall his role in the original True Grit, as La Boeuf. Matt Damon played that same role in the recent reboot.
posted by Fizz at 2:57 PM on August 8, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by Fizz at 2:57 PM on August 8, 2017 [4 favorites]
.
posted by dogstoevski at 2:58 PM on August 8, 2017
posted by dogstoevski at 2:58 PM on August 8, 2017
♪
posted by hangashore at 2:59 PM on August 8, 2017
posted by hangashore at 2:59 PM on August 8, 2017
Aah, Glen Campbell...
My Dad worked the factory floor for 32 years. Glen Campbell was a fixture on AM radio playing throughout the plant, and Dad developed a special loathing for 'Wichita Lineman'. He really couldn't stand that song. Absolutely hated it, couldn't escape it. But over the years, that loathing morphed into this moment of absurdity, an inside joke, that made his workday go by just that bit faster. I wouldn't say that Dad ever became a fan of Glen's, but he enjoyed the bit of levity he brought to a lousy job, so in a roundabout sort of way -- thanks, Glen.
posted by Capt. Renault at 2:59 PM on August 8, 2017 [6 favorites]
My Dad worked the factory floor for 32 years. Glen Campbell was a fixture on AM radio playing throughout the plant, and Dad developed a special loathing for 'Wichita Lineman'. He really couldn't stand that song. Absolutely hated it, couldn't escape it. But over the years, that loathing morphed into this moment of absurdity, an inside joke, that made his workday go by just that bit faster. I wouldn't say that Dad ever became a fan of Glen's, but he enjoyed the bit of levity he brought to a lousy job, so in a roundabout sort of way -- thanks, Glen.
posted by Capt. Renault at 2:59 PM on August 8, 2017 [6 favorites]
.
posted by threetwentytwo at 3:00 PM on August 8, 2017
posted by threetwentytwo at 3:00 PM on August 8, 2017
One of my favorites, Glen covering Brian Wilson
posted by plasticpalacealice at 3:04 PM on August 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by plasticpalacealice at 3:04 PM on August 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
The only guitar instruction I ever had came from a Glen Campbell book that had a little Flexi disc attached to it. It was, evidently, all I needed. Thanks, Glen.
posted by uncleozzy at 3:10 PM on August 8, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by uncleozzy at 3:10 PM on August 8, 2017 [5 favorites]
I tweeted a retrospective, especially focusing on his remarkable career as a session musician.
I think it is also worth noting that Campbell had troubled years, which history elides over and I think shouldn't. For instance, Wikipedia has this to say: "Immediately after his divorce from Barg, Campbell began a relationship with fellow country artist Tanya Tucker, who was 22 years his junior. The relationship was marked by frequent tabloid gossip and articles."
Yes, and Tucker accusing him of domestic abuse, which shouldn't be dismissed as just "tabloid gossip."
We need to remember people as they were. He was a superb guitarist and one of the defining voices of country music in the 70s, but he could also be a miserable person, and that's often how it is with art. We can't just pick to remember and celebrate the great stuff; it does a disservice both to history and to the people who get hurt along the way.
posted by maxsparber at 3:13 PM on August 8, 2017 [30 favorites]
I think it is also worth noting that Campbell had troubled years, which history elides over and I think shouldn't. For instance, Wikipedia has this to say: "Immediately after his divorce from Barg, Campbell began a relationship with fellow country artist Tanya Tucker, who was 22 years his junior. The relationship was marked by frequent tabloid gossip and articles."
Yes, and Tucker accusing him of domestic abuse, which shouldn't be dismissed as just "tabloid gossip."
We need to remember people as they were. He was a superb guitarist and one of the defining voices of country music in the 70s, but he could also be a miserable person, and that's often how it is with art. We can't just pick to remember and celebrate the great stuff; it does a disservice both to history and to the people who get hurt along the way.
posted by maxsparber at 3:13 PM on August 8, 2017 [30 favorites]
Ditto on his guitar abilities. I knew several professional guitarists who, although they didn't care much for his music, marvelled at his technique...
.
posted by jim in austin at 3:15 PM on August 8, 2017
.
posted by jim in austin at 3:15 PM on August 8, 2017
Gettin' cards and letters from people I don't even know.
posted by Rash at 3:19 PM on August 8, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by Rash at 3:19 PM on August 8, 2017 [5 favorites]
♪
posted by Smart Dalek at 3:25 PM on August 8, 2017
posted by Smart Dalek at 3:25 PM on August 8, 2017
I guess the Wichita Lineman is no longer on the line.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 3:39 PM on August 8, 2017
posted by ricochet biscuit at 3:39 PM on August 8, 2017
And it's knowing I'm not shackled
By forgotten words and bonds
And the ink stains that are dried upon some line
That keeps you in the backroads
By the rivers of my memory
That keeps you ever gentle on my mind
posted by hangashore at 3:49 PM on August 8, 2017 [10 favorites]
By forgotten words and bonds
And the ink stains that are dried upon some line
That keeps you in the backroads
By the rivers of my memory
That keeps you ever gentle on my mind
posted by hangashore at 3:49 PM on August 8, 2017 [10 favorites]
.
posted by Joey Michaels at 3:55 PM on August 8, 2017
posted by Joey Michaels at 3:55 PM on August 8, 2017
He also had a weekly variety show on CBS that started out as a summer replacement for the Smothers Brothers. But when the Smo Bros' tendency for political humor and counter-culture support wore out their welcome at the network, they quickly were replaced by Glen. But he used the same Producers and most of the same writers, and Glen was not opposed to small doses of topicality. A nice counterpoint to CBS's Hee Haw programming, and a worthy successor to Jimmy Dean's show (which co-starred Muppet Rowlf).
posted by oneswellfoop at 4:16 PM on August 8, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by oneswellfoop at 4:16 PM on August 8, 2017 [4 favorites]
I was remorselessly mocked for being a Glen Campbell fan back in the late 1960's. To my friends, and family, he and his music were lame an just not worth listening to. And of course at that time there was indeed so much great music being made and played. But the 'ache' I heard in Campbell's music resonated with me as teenager struggling with hormones and all that angst. I used to have large road US road map pinned to my wall and I would listen over and over to Wichita Lineman and gaze endlessly and dreamily of all those long straight roads in Kansas.
Fifty years on I get that much of his music was based on fragile white male ego and the attendant hint of misogyny. Some of those songs make for uncomfortable listening today. But I am sad he has passed away. I have nothing but happy memories of the time when listening to his music brought me much pleasure. He was, for better or worse, a big part of my musical listening back in the day, and I ain't walking that back.
.
posted by vac2003 at 4:20 PM on August 8, 2017 [17 favorites]
Fifty years on I get that much of his music was based on fragile white male ego and the attendant hint of misogyny. Some of those songs make for uncomfortable listening today. But I am sad he has passed away. I have nothing but happy memories of the time when listening to his music brought me much pleasure. He was, for better or worse, a big part of my musical listening back in the day, and I ain't walking that back.
.
posted by vac2003 at 4:20 PM on August 8, 2017 [17 favorites]
.
posted by Room 641-A at 4:24 PM on August 8, 2017
posted by Room 641-A at 4:24 PM on August 8, 2017
A consummate musician, one of the great voices of my childhood. Sorry to see him go, glad his struggles are over. Time grabs you by the wrist. . . .
posted by FelliniBlank at 4:29 PM on August 8, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by FelliniBlank at 4:29 PM on August 8, 2017 [2 favorites]
.
posted by Ink-stained wretch at 5:02 PM on August 8, 2017
posted by Ink-stained wretch at 5:02 PM on August 8, 2017
stalwart member of the Wrecking Crew. He was a giant.
posted by shockingbluamp at 5:15 PM on August 8, 2017
posted by shockingbluamp at 5:15 PM on August 8, 2017
.
posted by roll truck roll at 5:23 PM on August 8, 2017
posted by roll truck roll at 5:23 PM on August 8, 2017
🎶
posted by Silverstone at 5:46 PM on August 8, 2017
posted by Silverstone at 5:46 PM on August 8, 2017
Showbiz Kliph Nesteroff found the oddest Glen Campbell oddity.
posted by oneswellfoop at 6:03 PM on August 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by oneswellfoop at 6:03 PM on August 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
My favorite version of "Rhinestone Cowboy"--slower, sadder, and bittersweet.
posted by MonkeyToes at 6:05 PM on August 8, 2017 [10 favorites]
posted by MonkeyToes at 6:05 PM on August 8, 2017 [10 favorites]
Wow, MonkeyToes. And to think he was 77 when he recorded that. Pure and amazing.
posted by 4ster at 6:40 PM on August 8, 2017
posted by 4ster at 6:40 PM on August 8, 2017
Sad. I grew up on Glen Campbell. My parents were country, I was rock and roll, but a lot of their music wormed its way into my heart (his more than most). His collaboration with Bobbie Gentry was wonderful, and I still have a few of his hits on my playlists.
posted by lhauser at 6:46 PM on August 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by lhauser at 6:46 PM on August 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
.
posted by Flippervault at 7:13 PM on August 8, 2017
posted by Flippervault at 7:13 PM on August 8, 2017
I'm realizing now how deep my affection for late 60s Glen Campbell goes, for many, many reasons. But a big part of it is the combination of Jimmy Webb songs and Glen Campbell's interpretations held me spellbound several times an hour through my pre-teen years.
I adore Wichita Lineman for that night driving through Pennsylvania with my dad when he explained to me what the lyrics meant.
And this clip, for better or worse (mostly worse), had an absolutely enormous not-to-be believed impact on my relationships with men. I saw it on TV when I was about 9 years old and have thought about all my life.
posted by maggiemaggie at 7:25 PM on August 8, 2017 [8 favorites]
I adore Wichita Lineman for that night driving through Pennsylvania with my dad when he explained to me what the lyrics meant.
And this clip, for better or worse (mostly worse), had an absolutely enormous not-to-be believed impact on my relationships with men. I saw it on TV when I was about 9 years old and have thought about all my life.
posted by maggiemaggie at 7:25 PM on August 8, 2017 [8 favorites]
So wild, I was just listening to his Reason To Believe last night.
posted by rhizome at 7:41 PM on August 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by rhizome at 7:41 PM on August 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
Nice clip, maggiemaggie. Note the musical allusion to Wichita Lineman in the closing fill on Hartford's banjo...
For Glen,
.
posted by notsnot at 7:41 PM on August 8, 2017
For Glen,
.
posted by notsnot at 7:41 PM on August 8, 2017
...aaannnddd I just found out that one of my uncles "was a lineman for the Western Union telegraph Co. traveling around out west in California, Texas, Washington, and Oregon" when Wichita Lineman came out!!!
posted by maggiemaggie at 7:57 PM on August 8, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by maggiemaggie at 7:57 PM on August 8, 2017 [4 favorites]
.
posted by get off of my cloud at 8:21 PM on August 8, 2017
posted by get off of my cloud at 8:21 PM on August 8, 2017
Speaking of "Gentle On My Mind," this clip of him playing it in front of a cast of thousands keeps making the rounds on my timeline and I watch it every time.
.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 8:26 PM on August 8, 2017 [2 favorites]
.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 8:26 PM on August 8, 2017 [2 favorites]
His run of hits with Jimmy Webb tunes is one of the great collaborations of the '60s, up there with Dionne Warwick and Bacharach/David. His album with Bobbie Gentry is a minor classic as well.
aav.
.
posted by the sobsister at 8:29 PM on August 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
aav.
.
posted by the sobsister at 8:29 PM on August 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
It's lovely pulling up all these clips and realizing just how many Glen Campbell songs I know...
.
posted by suelac at 8:39 PM on August 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
.
posted by suelac at 8:39 PM on August 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei. Requiescat in pace.
If you asked me to pick just one person I could play like, I wouldn't pick Jimi, Jimmy, Eric, Duane, John, Matt, or Steve. (Both kinds.) It would come down to David or Glen, and if I had to pick just one, I'd take Glen.
posted by ob1quixote at 9:02 PM on August 8, 2017 [2 favorites]
fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit: “Speaking of "Gentle On My Mind," this clip of him playing it in front of a cast of thousands keeps making the rounds on my timeline and I watch it every time.”I saw the reports earlier, but it hadn't registered yet, so I went about my day not really thinking about it. After dinner I overheard "Gentle On My Mind" being played on someones phone and it hit me like a ton of bricks. In the last couple of hours I've posted dozens of videos onto my timeline, starting with that one, to mark Glen's passing.
If you asked me to pick just one person I could play like, I wouldn't pick Jimi, Jimmy, Eric, Duane, John, Matt, or Steve. (Both kinds.) It would come down to David or Glen, and if I had to pick just one, I'd take Glen.
posted by ob1quixote at 9:02 PM on August 8, 2017 [2 favorites]
I'm not sure how many people have watched videos of Glen Campbell playing bagpipes in a couple of his songs. While neither song is original to him, I always enjoyed hearing his performances of both Mull of Kintyre and Amazing Grace. Mr. Campbell was accomplished in so many areas of music; his loss will be felt for a long, long time over a very broad expanse of the field.
posted by Silverstone at 9:05 PM on August 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Silverstone at 9:05 PM on August 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
A nostalgia blog reprints an article on the State of the Glen in late 1969... good reading.
posted by oneswellfoop at 10:01 PM on August 8, 2017
posted by oneswellfoop at 10:01 PM on August 8, 2017
.
If you haven't seen these two documentaries yet, I recommend making time for I'll Be Me and The Wrecking Crew.
posted by fairmettle at 12:47 AM on August 9, 2017 [1 favorite]
If you haven't seen these two documentaries yet, I recommend making time for I'll Be Me and The Wrecking Crew.
posted by fairmettle at 12:47 AM on August 9, 2017 [1 favorite]
My Dad worked the factory floor for 32 years. Glen Campbell was a fixture on AM radio playing throughout the plant, and Dad developed a special loathing for 'Wichita Lineman'. He really couldn't stand that song
Gil Scot-Heron's "The Revolution Wil not be Televised" cites Glen Campbell - along with Tom Jones, Johnny Cash, Engelbert Humperdinck and The Rare Earth as people who will not be singing the theme song - I guess in a back handed tribute to just how much these guys were in the public eye back then. It looks like we are down to just Tom and Engelbert now.
posted by rongorongo at 1:46 AM on August 9, 2017
Gil Scot-Heron's "The Revolution Wil not be Televised" cites Glen Campbell - along with Tom Jones, Johnny Cash, Engelbert Humperdinck and The Rare Earth as people who will not be singing the theme song - I guess in a back handed tribute to just how much these guys were in the public eye back then. It looks like we are down to just Tom and Engelbert now.
posted by rongorongo at 1:46 AM on August 9, 2017
.
posted by LEGO Damashii at 3:16 AM on August 9, 2017
posted by LEGO Damashii at 3:16 AM on August 9, 2017
Steve. (Both kinds).
Cropper and Morse?
posted by thelonius at 4:44 AM on August 9, 2017 [1 favorite]
Cropper and Morse?
posted by thelonius at 4:44 AM on August 9, 2017 [1 favorite]
I've been listening to the albums 'Adios' and 'Ghost on the Canvas' lately; it's amazing how much sheer talent that man had, right to the end, Alzheimer's or not. I'm Not Gonna Miss You is just absolutely heartbreaking.
Godspeed, Glen Campbell, and thanks for all the music.
.
posted by easily confused at 4:55 AM on August 9, 2017 [2 favorites]
Godspeed, Glen Campbell, and thanks for all the music.
.
posted by easily confused at 4:55 AM on August 9, 2017 [2 favorites]
it's amazing how much sheer talent that man had
it is pretty damn unusual for someone to be able to play like that, and also to sing well and connect emotionally with an audience. I don't know how much of a songwriter he was, though; his best known hits were written by other people (not that there's anything wrong with that)....if the guy was writing stuff like Wichita Lineman in addition to everything else he could do, that'd be an even higher level of amazitude.
posted by thelonius at 5:47 AM on August 9, 2017 [1 favorite]
it is pretty damn unusual for someone to be able to play like that, and also to sing well and connect emotionally with an audience. I don't know how much of a songwriter he was, though; his best known hits were written by other people (not that there's anything wrong with that)....if the guy was writing stuff like Wichita Lineman in addition to everything else he could do, that'd be an even higher level of amazitude.
posted by thelonius at 5:47 AM on August 9, 2017 [1 favorite]
.
posted by Gadgetenvy at 6:09 AM on August 9, 2017
posted by Gadgetenvy at 6:09 AM on August 9, 2017
I came to Campbell late in his life (maybe ten or fifteen years ago?), but have always admired him as one of the finer country western musicians of his generation. Not to mention, my granddad was a lineman, and definitely had to go to work when most people were thankful they could stay inside out of the terrible weather. Ghost on the Canvas was a great album and I got to see him on his initial 'going away' tour, when he was playing with his kids. The monitors which fed him his song lyrics were visible, as was his occasional dependency on them due to his condition. It was a fantastic show.
I listen to a number of his songs yesterday, but "Highwayman" definitely rang the most true for me with his passing.
He'll be back again. And again. And Again.
posted by Atreides at 6:44 AM on August 9, 2017 [1 favorite]
I listen to a number of his songs yesterday, but "Highwayman" definitely rang the most true for me with his passing.
He'll be back again. And again. And Again.
posted by Atreides at 6:44 AM on August 9, 2017 [1 favorite]
When Rhinestone Cowboy hit the charts Johnny Carson opened by riding on stage on a mule and covering it. I can't find that anywhere now but I'd love to see that again. I was seven. Campbell's vocals on Wichita had already caught me. WMAQ.
Here's something from those Summers when I got to stay up late.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 6:46 AM on August 9, 2017 [1 favorite]
Here's something from those Summers when I got to stay up late.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 6:46 AM on August 9, 2017 [1 favorite]
thelonius: “Steve. (Both kinds).I was thinking of Cropper and Vai, but Morse would have been a good choice too.
Cropper and Morse?”
posted by ob1quixote at 8:19 AM on August 9, 2017 [1 favorite]
I was thinking of Cropper and Vai, but Morse would have been a good choice too.
I figured Steve Howe was one of yours....forgot about Vai
posted by thelonius at 8:22 AM on August 9, 2017 [1 favorite]
I figured Steve Howe was one of yours....forgot about Vai
posted by thelonius at 8:22 AM on August 9, 2017 [1 favorite]
Speaking of Steve Morse, he's gettin' the band back together....
posted by thelonius at 8:24 AM on August 9, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by thelonius at 8:24 AM on August 9, 2017 [2 favorites]
I put together a list of some of Glen Campbell's weirder songs, including one that slowly gets taken over by bagpipes.
posted by maxsparber at 8:35 AM on August 9, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by maxsparber at 8:35 AM on August 9, 2017 [3 favorites]
following a link to "Beef Jerky" led me to this
warning: Hasselhoff
posted by thelonius at 8:52 AM on August 9, 2017 [1 favorite]
warning: Hasselhoff
posted by thelonius at 8:52 AM on August 9, 2017 [1 favorite]
“Interview with Alice Cooper on late musician Glen Campbell”—FOX 10 Phoenix, 08 August 2017
FOX 10's Matt Rodewald spoke with famed musician Alice Cooper, as news came Tuesday of Glen Campbell's passing. Campbell was 81 years old.posted by ob1quixote at 9:53 AM on August 9, 2017 [1 favorite]
Here's one you may not know. During Glen's time as a sought-after session musician, he was hired to sing vocals on a record for a studio-created band called Sagittarius.
So here's Glen Campbell getting mildly psychedelic.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:40 AM on August 9, 2017
So here's Glen Campbell getting mildly psychedelic.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:40 AM on August 9, 2017
Rhinestone Cowboy, first song lyrics I learned by heart.
posted by filtergik at 3:03 PM on August 9, 2017
posted by filtergik at 3:03 PM on August 9, 2017
.
He'll always be the Wichita Lineman to me.
That's a fine song, but I never saw Campbell as a lineman. He definitely (at times) was a rhinestone cowboy, which is an even better song. Thanks to Jimmy Webb and others, plus his own talents of course, Glen had a lot of them.
One of the rare top session musicians who rose out of the anonymous pack to become a superstar (winning Grammy awards for pop and country songs in the same year); backing up Elvis and Sinatra and Ricky Nelson and The Monkees and Merle Haggard and Nat King Cole and on and on; standing in for Brian Wilson on tour with the Beach Boys; hanging out playing golf with Alice Cooper; Campbell had quite a musical journey. Adios, indeed.
posted by LeLiLo at 4:44 PM on August 9, 2017
He'll always be the Wichita Lineman to me.
That's a fine song, but I never saw Campbell as a lineman. He definitely (at times) was a rhinestone cowboy, which is an even better song. Thanks to Jimmy Webb and others, plus his own talents of course, Glen had a lot of them.
One of the rare top session musicians who rose out of the anonymous pack to become a superstar (winning Grammy awards for pop and country songs in the same year); backing up Elvis and Sinatra and Ricky Nelson and The Monkees and Merle Haggard and Nat King Cole and on and on; standing in for Brian Wilson on tour with the Beach Boys; hanging out playing golf with Alice Cooper; Campbell had quite a musical journey. Adios, indeed.
posted by LeLiLo at 4:44 PM on August 9, 2017
Yes -- from the song's wikipedia entry:
It has been referred to as "the first existential country song". British music journalist Stuart Maconie called it "the greatest pop song ever composed" and the BBC referred to it as "one of those rare songs that seems somehow to exist in a world of its own – not just timeless but ultimately outside of modern music."posted by Rash at 8:51 PM on August 9, 2017
BBC's Soul Music episode on Wichita Lineman. "Glen Campbell also gave an interview for this programme. Shortly after the interview was recorded, Campbell went public about his diagnosis of Alzheimer's. His contribution to the programme is brief, and includes an acoustic performance of the song. It was a real privilege to record this, appropriately enough, down the line."
posted by maudlin at 9:54 PM on August 9, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by maudlin at 9:54 PM on August 9, 2017 [2 favorites]
« Older If Job had a different job, what job would Job... | #5280PostItWars: Do you even Morse, bro? Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by Fizz at 2:42 PM on August 8, 2017