Glen Campbell: Ghost On The Canvas

Glen Campbell says that this is going to be his last album and last tour. Many artists have made that statement over the years, but few have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. And few have been inspired to write and record one of their most emotional albums ever. This is what Glen Campbell has done.

I became a fan of his as a child, watching the The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour.  I dug into his vast repertoire when I became a music lover, listening to his work with the legendary session musicians, The Wrecking Crew. Hearing “Gentle On My Mind” or “Wichita Lineman” will always give me chills.

Ghost on the Canvas has been described as a song cycle. These songs trace his life and career, challenges and triumphs. And many were written for him by his admirers across the musical spectrum -- songwriters Paul Westerberg, Jakob Dylan, Teddy Thompson, and more.  
 
His own personal Wrecking Crew includes Chris Isaak, Dick Dale, Brian Setzer, Rick Nielsen, Jason Falkner, Roger Manning, Billy Corgan, and The Dandy Warhols. These collaborations make the final product greater than the sum of all of its stunning parts. The performances are powerful in the same way the Johnny Cash American performances are, but these aren’t as spare.  Instead, they are dense with emotion and strength and arrangements. My personal favorite at the moment is “Hold On Hope,” with Guided By Voices’ Robert Pollard.  

So Glen Campbell is going from The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour to The Glen Campbell Goodbye Tour. I can’t imagine what it feels like to be Glen Campbell right about now, which is why I’ll be in the front row when he comes to Los Angeles.

-- By Anne Litt, KCRW DJ and Music Host