Glen Campbell was seventy-five old this year. Yup, you heard that
right. Seventy-Five!! All the more remarkable, then, that his new
album 'Ghost On The Canvas' deserves our full attention and admiration.
The voice is intact, wonderfully so. Smooth as velvet without even the
slightest trace of a wobble in the upper register which can come with age.
There are sixteen tracks in the collection (admirably produced by Julian
Raymond) and Mr Campbell does no more than is necessary to make them
all come alive with his warm enunciation and unimpeachable performances.
There is a coherence and consistency running through this project which
quite takes one's breath away at times, Whether in the stirring (no matter
if you are of a spiritual disposition or not) opening song 'A Better Place',
where he gives thanks to his God for the good things in his life; the gently
lilting country strains of the perfectly lovely title track; the heavier
accented (thanks to The Dandy Warhols) slow rocking anthem 'Strong'; the
powerfully articulated sentiments of 'It's Your Amazing Grace', or the simple
rolling beauty of 'Nothing but The Whole Wide World' (written by Jacob Dylan),
one cannot help but be in thrall to Mr Campbell's stamina, versatility, bravery
(he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease two years ago) and honest vision.
A man in a million with a song to sing and a bunch of stories still to tell.
This fine album will stand as a bold testament to his consummate artistry.
Essential.