Glen Campbell Tour

[donald]

I have tickets for his December 11th Show.  Looks like the tour is just getting underway.  I would love to hear from those who attend a concert between now and December 11.  Looks like a lot of dates over the next month or so are in the UK.  Very curious about the band and the setlist.

[MaxL]

I'm going to the York show next Friday. Very excited and curious also.

I just hope the audience is as appreciative as they should be.

[donald]

I'm going to the York show next Friday. Very excited and curious also.

I just hope the audience is as appreciative as they should be.

I think the audience will be older and very appreciative.   Sounds like you'll be the first to report back.  Looking forward to your review.

[endofposts]

I saw Glen here in the States a couple of weeks ago, in Reno.  He did an amazing job.  The guy still has a sense of humor.  He can also still play fantastic guitar solos and sing quite well.  He did have problems with lyrics a couple of times but always got back on track.  He relies on teleprompters for lyrics, but it doesn't interfere with his connection to the audience.  I kept thinking of how Brian Wilson tends to stare into his teleprompters in front of his keyboard and doesn't engage with the audience at all, or rarely.   Glen has a lot of energy and he uses about three prompters at the foot of the stage and doesn't let them get in the way too much, though he does joke about his dependence on them.  I was so glad to see him doing well on stage.  I know in interviews he can have difficulties, but he still performs like a champ.

[MaxL]

Just got back from York. I agree forget marie, he did flub a few lines but his voice and guitar solos were just amazing. He told some pleasant stories when introducing some songs. Very glad I went.

[Ron]

He was on "Bill Anderson Visits with the Legends" a few years back, and I was saddened to hear him obviously still struggling with alcoholism.  Another thing I couldn't help but noticing was the awkward way he talked about his exes, like Tanya Tucker.  He just came off as a guy who's STILL struggling in life.

However.


He sang a few things and although his voice isn't what it once was, man he really has a great style.  He even sang a few gospel songs like "Farther Along", and a few bars of "Here in the Real World" by Alan Jackson (who he signed to a songwriting contract way back and apparently owns that song).

I always thought his guitar work was understated and beautiful.  He voice-leads better than anybody since like George Harrison, maybe?  

[endofposts]

He ripped off some amazing leads when I saw him a few weeks ago.  The only one that faltered a bit was "Wichita Lineman," but that song calls for a jazzy type of solo, and I'm not sure that's quite his style to begin with.  His voice also sounded really good. It started out rough in the beginning but got better as the night wore on.  He turned in a great performance on Jim Webb's "The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress."  I'm not even sure he looked at the teleprompters to do it, either.  It's odd to read how difficult it is for him to give interviews and the problems of his day to day life (his family says he sometimes wanders off down the road to the store when they don't want him to), yet he can be so together on stage.  Yes, he does tell stories, and some of them are funny.  It takes high functioning to have comedic timing, but his stories about how they used to make fun of Conway Twitty's name and also about Elvis were delivered perfectly.  I'm not sure that's par for the course or what, but his faculties onstage versus what he struggles with right now in life suprised me.  It's really pretty inspiring to see him.  I came out of the show a bigger fan than I was before and I also admire his family for giving him the support to go out there.  I have to think performing is giving him a far greater quality of life than sitting at home.  He really enjoys the love of the audience.

[Ron]

Well.  Guys like him, they're made for this stuff.  If his personal life is pretty shaky, and his mental facilities are slipping... he'd probably rather be on stage than anywhere else.  I remember the first time I knew anything about him, when I was in High School I used to watch music videos everyday.  I'd heard of him, and had heard about Witchita Lineman, but had never heard the song.  So me and my friends are watching VH1 or something, and they used to love to play this 1 live clip of him walking out on stage, and playing that song.  Man, it was jaw droppingly good.  He plays this beautiful little solo, and there's a guy playing the 'bass' solo or whatever in the background, every one of my friends thought it was the coolest sh*t ever.  Then I heard "Gently on my mind" and almost had a spaz.   

I bought all his records, because you can pick those LP's up for nothing.  He sold so many of them, they're everywhere, and you can buy them in any record bin for a quarter or whatever.  Almost everything he recorded was worth listening to.  There's always a pretty guitar line in it, never anything over the top but with great tone, always just right how it should be.  Really warm sounding guitarist, I guess he just liked it dialed in like that.  Hearing strange songs like "Bowling Green" or whatever.  Great musician, great singer.  Be thankful you got to see him in concert!

[Ron]

Good lord.  Never seen this before.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XRoe3fs2gQ&feature=related


How come there's nobody like this anymore?  Nobody 'sings'.  I guess Justin Bieber is the modern day version of this?  Was Glen a joke when he was young like Justin is now?  Was Glen more like John Mayer? (who I can't stand)

then Roger comes out.  Don't even get me started on him.  I'll go on for hours.  

[MaxL]

I have a rough setlist for the York show, but aside from the first and last few the order is a bit hazy (though all of the songs below were definitely performed), any corrections are welcome. The only disappointment to me was the lack of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" which he's been doing on this tour a lot.

Gentle on My Mind
By the Time I Get to Phoenix
Galveston
Where's the Playground Susie
Try a Little Kindness
It's Your Amazing Grace
Lovesick Blues
Dreams of an Everyday Housewife
Any Trouble
True Grit
It's Only Make Believe
Dueling Banjos
Hey Little One [Shannon and Ashley Campbell on lead vocals]
Ghost on the Canvas
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Southern Nights
Wichita Lineman
Rhinestone Cowboy

Encore:
In My Arms
A Better Place

[endofposts]

There's a good interview with Glen that was put up online a couple of days ago by Relix magazine.  Glen goes into his days with the Wrecking Crew and Beach Boys/Brian Wilson, among others. 

http://www.relix.com/features/2011/11/03/glen-campbell-a-satisfied-mind-by-ira-kaplan

[onkster]

What if Glen ails during his tour, and can't continue? Do you think he could get Brian Wilson to replace him, to return an old favor? (And will the pants fit???)

[Ron]

What if Glen ails during his tour, and can't continue? Do you think he could get Brian Wilson to replace him, to return an old favor? (And will the pants fit???)

Brian could sing that sh*t in his sleep.  Glen was always complaining he had to sing like Mickey Mouse on that tour. 

Honestly I'd like to hear Brian do some Glen Campbell songs.  I'm surprised he hasn't, it's right there in his register. 

I get the impression Brian doesn't like country.  Glen's pretty country.  I don't know what any of that stuff would sound like without a twang in it though! 

[endofposts]

I bought a used copy of Glen's biography (auto, but heavily co-written) for a penny + postage off Amazon.  In the book, he says that touring with the Beach Boys and singing Brian's parts conditioned him to sing in a higher register, which came in handy on those late '60s hits.  I actually consider Glen as more of a pop singer in his earlier years, with the Jimmy Webb songs and other pop-type material on his early albums.  He doesn't even sing with much of an accent on those.  Though, really, I can't imagine Brian singing songs like "Wichita Lineman" or "Galveston."  They require a slightly melodramatic touch that Brian just has never had. 

[Ron]

If he did it, the songs would sound completely different.  So it would have the potential to be great, or be horrible.  I think he could do a really good job with Witchita Lineman. 

[donald]

I just really like WL.  I'll bet Al could do a good job with it.  Can't wait to see Glen do it live.  The dream would be to see him do it acoustic solo.

[donald]

The show was rescheduled for 1-5-12.  Saw it last night.  All of the talk about his creeping dementia was,in my opinion, unnecessary to prepare me for the show.  He was great.  Played and sang well and interacted with the audience and band in a manner that gave no hint of a man with alzheimers disease.  I would not have known if I had not been told.

Played like a demon and blew me away doing that Mark Knophler style memphis picking on one song.  Stood tall, moved around the stage, and sung like a man several years younger than 75.

I recommend without reservation that you see this show if you can.  He is playing New York City tomorrow (Saturday the 7th of January)   and will be in Illinois for the next show after that.

[Ron]

Good to hear he's still doing good.  His 'personal life' always reminds me of George Jones a little bit, but I don't think I could suffer through a George Jones concert at this point.  Glad to hear Glen still has 'it'.