By The Time I Get To Phoenix -- Remastered CD
Glen Campbell
1967/2001 Capitol Cornerstone Series
Forgotten Grammy Winner, July 1, 2001
By Dave Blank "parabolamcfeeney" (West Hollywood, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: By the Time I Get to Phoenix (Audio CD)
Of the 43 collections that have won the Grammy for Album of the Year, this is probably the most underrated. While most people remember the phenomenally successful title cut (written by Jimmy Webb), the album itself seems to be all but forgotten. While other higher profile albums such as the Beatles Magical Mystery Tour and Simon & Garfunkel's Bookends were also nominated the same year (1968), it was this unpretentious catalogue of songs that won the coveted prize. It was certainly Glen Campbell's finest studio recording, and he sings each song with his unique brand of conviction and wistfulness. While the showpiece is the much-loved ballad "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", it is the lesser known songs such as "I'll Be Lucky Someday", "Tomorrow Never Comes" and "You're Young and You'll Forget" that give this album its resonance and poignancy. Most of the songs are laced with tinges of regret, but this album is anything but a downer, primarily because of the bittersweet yearning of Campbell's vocals and the spare but melodic arrangements (by, among others, Al de Lory and Jimmie Haskell). When talking about music in that turbulent year of 1968, one readily thinks of Hendrix, the Doors, the Stones, the Beatles (of course), Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, even music from The Graduate and Hair. Glen Campbell wouldn't be placed on most people's list of memorable music of that era. True, he wasn't a rock artist, but his contribution to music is just as important---providing a bridge (and, some might argue, a balm) between the easy listening (and more sentimental leanings) of contemporaries such as Bobby Goldsboro and O.C. Smith, and the rebellious, harder edges of the rock music so prevalent then. No question, Campbell was beloved by his music industry peers (or at least those who were Grammy voters) because of his soothing voice, his lack of cynicism and his cleancut image. Seen from that perspective and that he was a well-respected session player (playing with the Beach Boys and Sinatra, among his impressive credits) who also had the strong backing of the Nashville contingent of voters, it seems justifiable, in retrospect, that this collection won Album of the Year. That alone should be reason enough for Capitol to re-release this album on CD. It's also excellent on its own terms---even if it is not as well remembered as Carole King's Tapestry, Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water or Sgt. Pepper's--three other Grammy winners from that era that are undeniablly considered classics, and all easily found on CD even now.
Side 1:
"By the Time I Get to Phoenix" (Jimmy Webb) - 2:42
"Homeward Bound" (Paul Simon) - 2:37
"Tomorrow Never Comes" (Ernest Tubb, Johnny Bond) -2:27
"Cold December (In Your Heart" (Alex Hassilev) - 2:27
"My Baby's Gone" (Hazel Houser) - 2:50
"Back in the Race" (Glen Campbell, Vic Dana) - 1:56
Side 2:
"Hey Little One" (Dorsey Burnette, Barry De Vorzon) - 2:30
"Bad Seed" (Bill Anderson) - 2:18
"I'll Be Lucky Someday" (Lee Martin, Dick McBride, Bob Wills) - 2:24
"You're Young and You'll Forget" (Jerry Reed) - 2:15
"Love is a Lonesome River" (Glen Campbell, Kella Christian) - 2:05
