Although Glen Campbell has a well-known history as a big country music star, with mega-hits such as "By The Time I Get To Phoenix," and "Wichita Lineman," a lot of today's music fans might not realize that he started in pop music. They also might be surprised to learn that he's a talented songwriter, and a serious guitarist who was so dedicated that he even studied the work of jazz pioneers like Django Reinhardt.
Those were the kind of thoughts that were going through my mind while watching a new music DVD from Time-Life, Glen Campbell: Good Times Again, a 60-minute disc that combines many excerpts from his hit TV show. Although it's mostly filled with his duets with a number of well-known guest stars (more later about those), it was the talents of Glen himself that often caught my attention.
In the early days of his career he was mainly involved in the pop music side of things, and played with a variety of performers that include the Monkees, the Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, and even Elvis Presley. But the formula for his own success was built around a lush, pop-oriented country sound that took full advantage of his talent, and that's on full display in this DVD.
Glen provides an introduction to every performance on the disc, reminiscing a little but keeping it brief. There is something to be said for just allowing the performances to spin along without interruption, especially if you're interested in immersing yourself into a nostalgic exercise, but I suppose the producers are doing it the right way. And if Glen's weathered current face is a little jarring to the mood the first time or two he shows up, a comfort level is soon reached.
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