Reunited With Jimmy Webb

Amazon.com
Country-pop singer Glen Campbell dominated the country and Top 40 charts in the late '60s and early '70s thanks to plaintive Jimmy Webb-penned classics like "Galveston," "Wichita Lineman," and "By the Time I Get to Phoenix." Though none of these early Campbell chart-toppers are included in this 24-song collection of Campbell's covers of Webb compositions, Reunited is an obscure minor masterpiece all the same. Campbell's soulful renditions of fine songs like "The Moon's a Harsh Mistress," "Highwayman," and "Lightning in a Bottle" not only remind us of Webb's timelessness as a songwriter, but also of Campbell's oft-overlooked gifts as a subtle song interpreter. --Bob Allen

Product Description:
Reissue of the country/ pop singer's 1974 collaboration album 'Reunion' with singer/ songwriter great Jimmy Webb between 1974 & 1988. Over 78 minutes long, this edition contains all 10 of the cuts that first appeared on the record, plus 14 rare bonus tracks from later sessions, 'Christiaan No', 'Early Morning Song', 'Highwayman', 'Love Song', 'In Cars', 'Still Within The Sound O f My Voice', 'For Sure, For Certain, Forever, For Always', ' Lightning In A Bottle', 'If These Walls Could Speak', 'More Than Enough', 'Brand New Eyes', 'Light Years', 'Almost Alright Again' and 'Our Movie'. 24 tracks total. 1999 release.

Tracks:

Roll Me Easy
Just This One Time
You Might As Well Smile
Wishing Now
About The Ocean
Ocean In His Eyes
The Moon's A Harsh Mistress
I Keep It Hid
Adoration
It's A Sin (When You Love Somebody)
Christiaan No
Early Morning Song
Highwayman
Love Song
In Cars
Still Within The Sound Of My Voice
For Sure, For Certain, Forever, For Always
Lightning In A Bottle
If These Walls Could Speak
More Than Enough
Brand New Eyes
Light Years
Almost Alright Again
Our Movie

Amazon.com

Country-pop singer Glen Campbell dominated the country and Top 40 charts in the late '60s and early '70s thanks to plaintive Jimmy Webb-penned classics like "Galveston," "Wichita Lineman," and "By the Time I Get to Phoenix." Though none of these early Campbell chart-toppers are included in this 24-song collection of Campbell's covers of Webb compositions, Reunited is an obscure minor masterpiece all the same. Campbell's soulful renditions of fine songs like "The Moon's a Harsh Mistress," "Highwayman," and "Lightning in a Bottle" not only remind us of Webb's timelessness as a songwriter, but also of Campbell's oft-overlooked gifts as a subtle song interpreter. --Bob Allen

Album Description

Reissue of the country/ pop singer's 1974 collaboration album 'Reunion' with singer/ songwriter great Jimmy Webb between 1974 & 1988. Over 78 minutes long, this edition contains all 10 of the cuts that first appeared on the record, plus 14 rare bonus tracks from later sessions, 'Christiaan No', 'Early Morning Song', 'Highwayman', 'Love Song', 'In Cars', 'Still Within The Sound O f My Voice', 'For Sure, For Certain, Forever, For Always', ' Lightning In A Bottle', 'If These Walls Could Speak', 'More Than Enough', 'Brand New Eyes', 'Light Years', 'Almost Alright Again' and 'Our Movie'. 24 tracks total. 1999 release.

Customer Reviews:

A Perfect Match.......2005-10-28

Say what you will about Glen Campbell the man has one heck of a voice. Although his material often borders on, and, on occasion, crosses the "corny" line. Not so in his collaborations with the great Jimmy Webb. For a more perfect marriage of songwriter and singer, you'd have to go to Bacharach/Warwick or Carole King/Dusty Springfield.

This album is a veritable treasure trove of some of the most beautiful, yet obscure, Jimmy Webb songs. Webb's lyrics have always astounded me - so much depth for such a young man(barely out of his teens at the time). Jimmy Webb wrote some of the most poignantly mature lyrics(and, to an extent, melodies)to ever be recorded in the 20th Century. There are songs on this album - "The Moon's A Harsh Mistress", "You Might As Well Smile" - which are so sophisticated yet heart rending that you just might find your eyes welling up.

In the late 60's and early 70's, Jimmy Webb had no real competition when it came to writing songs of lost love. And, Glen Campbell's huge vocal range just serves the songwriter's intent like a hand in a glove. It's nothing short of a blessing that these 2 men worked together so well.

If you purchase no other Jimmy Webb and/or Glen Campbell album, you owe it to yourself to savor this musical feast. It's that good! But, don't take my word for it - hearing is believing.

Dylan has the Byrds & Jimmy Webb has Glen Campbell.......2005-10-11

Of all the great song writers whose work is best interpreted by someone else, only the Byrds doing Bob Dylan can outdo Glen Campbell's covers of Jimmy Webb tunes.

This CD is made up of the 1974 Campbell-Webb "Reunion" album and fourteen "bonus" tracks. (You get a lot for your money.)

On a solid CD full of great music, "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" stands out as the best, as beautiful a song as any that Jimmy Webb has ever written, and Glen Campbell's version sends shivers up the spine. "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" reminds me a lot of Gordon Lightfoot's "The Last Time I Saw Her Face" (which Campbell has covered), and, like the Lightfoot song, the lyrics are stronger than the music.

Another stand out track is "Christiaan No," Webb's ode to his son (Campbell's Godson).

This is one of those CDs that you can listen to from beginning to end without skipping a tune. Sitting back and enjoying music like this is one of life's great pleasures.

Pop at it's best..........2005-09-05

Just got word that Glen Campbell is finally being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. While you can make the argument that Campbell - at his peak - was not a country singer (and make a valid point at that), it is also true that his influence on country music has been significant (especially in the role of introducing a nation to country music via his late 60's classics and TV show). All the hub-bub of his induction took me back to a record I feel is his best (though I doubt anyone on the CMHF induction committee has even heard it). "Reunion" (the original title of the LP before all the extras got thrown in with the late 90's re-release on CD) is that rarest of efforts - a classic very few people are aware of. Country Music immortality may be where GC is headed, but at his best (like here) he was more accurately a peer of The Beach Boys, The Mamas and the Pappas, Harry Nielson, Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Webb (the performer) and that particular brand of late 60's pop that came out of southern California. This is a pop record in the best sense of that much maligned word. Webb's music and input is obviously central. He wrote most of the tunes and his hand can be heard in arrangement sense and in Campbell's brilliant delivery (as Webb related material always seems to bring out the best in the singer). The Little Feat tune "Roll Me Easy" opens the set and you would think it was written for Campbell. The lyrics are a little off his standard fare ("eloquent profanity just rolls right off my tongue"), but he nails it. The standouts here are "Wishing Now", "Ocean In His Eyes" and "The Moon's A Harsh Mistress". Listening to the intricate lyrics amongst the lush arrangements, one would think Webb the lyricist and Campbell the vocalist invented wistfullness (in the pop music sense). These songs juxtaposed to the kind of music one is likely to hear on radio now days (from the overtly dumb "art form" of rap, to the overtly calculated pop music of today, to the equally calculated "modern" country) blows the mind. To think so much ground has been lost in the thirty or so years since "Reunion" was released is sad indeed (though a reflection of everything else lost in that time period). Be warned, on first listen, this record might leave you scratching your head. It is upon repeated listenings that the pearl is delivered. The songs are not as easily accessible as "Wichita Lineman" and the other mega-hits from the Campbell/Webb catalogue, but they are every bit as brilliant and the tougher-to-access character makes the payoff all the better. Campbell has been largely known as a "singles" artist, having made some uneven and quickly produced LP's (though some of those LP's delivered some unforseen minor classics - see "Reason To Believe"). It is the very fact that this LP appears to have been made with focus on the whole as opposed to ensuring there is an obvious single (there is not) that makes it even more unique. A million people (though I doubt that many have heard these songs) could blah-blah forever about it. Bottom line is this is classic pop music and is recommended highly.

The Reborn Glen.......2005-08-23

The assiduous Glenn A Baker has again dug deep into the archives to unearth 14 bonus tracks to tack onto the superb,'Reunion' album of Webb and Campbell from 1974. Liner notes speak of Campbell's 'raw, impassioned quality' on those initial 30 minutes. With Webb more restrained at the keyboard, the balance with the singer is just right. The album kicks off with a sensational reading of Lowell George's,'Roll me Easy'. He could not have avoided hearing George's sumptuous, swaggeringly sensual version, doing the rounds at the time. Campbell triumphs, however, with a vigour I'd never heard from him until this moment. Until Webb's,'Archives' was released(with the unavailability of his masterly,'Land's End') it was difficult to access the superb,'Just This One Time'. 'The Moon's A Harsh Mistress' is another achingly sweet work, every bit as seductive as the better known version by Art Garfunkle. And,'It's a Sin' is a scorching finale to the original set. The bonus stuff is not up to its meter.'Highwayman' and'Love Song' are both more convincing on Webb's CDs. Only,'Light Years' and,'If These Walls Could Speak' hint at the glory attained in the preceeding, reunion. They are not poor pop or country by current standards. But they are not the high octane Campbell of this one outing which cut him from the plethora of competent cowboy singers of his day.

70's memories.......2005-04-02

I have very little in my head from the 70's. But I had the cassette of this album and played it in a shoebox player until it broke. I probably have every song in my head still. I wish more singers would create cds of special writers songs like this.

Music Album:

Music Album