Customer Reviews

20 Greatest Hits

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is hardly Glens 20 Greatest Hits - and is a bit of a shameless repackaging. There are more than 3 instrumental tracks and two recorded live, which do take away from the quality of this album. Considering that he has had over 30 albums released and has a huge range of talents, one feels that this compilation was put together by someone, who knows very little about the man and his music. Still a reasonable album, the reproduction quality of some of the tracks also lets it down. To be fair, I have found a better selection of Glens music on bargain basement cd's in this past,. With todays technology, and availabilty - this should have been better.

If memory serves me correctly, only about 7 of the 20 tracks on this "20 Greatest Hits" collection were actually hits for Campbell either on the pop, country or easy listening charts. If you're looking for a really good hits collection by Campbell, I recommend (with reservations) "The Very Best of Glen Campbell" on Capitol or "The Glen Campbell Collection" on Razor and Tie. The Capitol disc is a great compilation but was remastered long before the Razor and Tie collection. The R&T disc sounds better and, being a two-disc set (and that's the only way to get a comprehensive collection of Campbell's hits) offers a much wider selection of material. Still, Campbell is a very versatile performer and turns in fine performances on all the tracks included on "20 Greatest" whether or not they were among his "hits".

There are many greatest hits compilations for Glen Campbell and this newest one is one of the best. It includes all the essential hits -"Galveston," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Gentle On My Mind," "Rhinestone Cowboy," "Southern Nights," and "Wichita Lineman." And it also includes some interesting choices for other hits. Three instrumental pieces are included as well as some not-so-big hits that are cause for question of the title of this album. For example, instead of including "Let It Be Me," or "All I Have To Do is Dream," with Bobbie Gentry, "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" is included. It's nice, although, that different 'greatest hits' are included. I suppose, however, that any more than this and a second CD would have to be added (like "The Glen Campbell Anthology"), but it would be nicer if this package included EVERYTHING.

There are many greatest hits compilations for Glen Campbell and this newest one is one of the best. It includes all the essential hits -"Galveston," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Gentle On My Mind," "Rhinestone Cowboy," "Southern Nights," and "Wichita Lineman." And it also includes some interesting choices for other hits. Three instrumental pieces are included as well as some not-so-big hits that are cause for question of the title of this album. For example, instead of including "Let It Be Me," or "All I Have To Do is Dream," with Bobbie Gentry, "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" is included. It's nice, although, that different 'greatest hits' are included. I suppose, however, that any more than this and a second CD would have to be added (like "The Glen Campbell Collection"), but it would be nicer if this package included EVERYTHING.

Glen Campbell (b. 1936) was an ever-present part of the late 60s/70s music scene with such hits as Gentle On My Mind, By The Time I Get To Phoenix, and (of course) Rhinestone Cowboy. And then, came the substance abuse, and it all just fell apart. In 2000, this album was cut, combining various great tunes from along Mr. Campbell's career.

Now, as the album includes such as Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay and He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother, you can tell that this is not really a collection of his top selling songs. Instead, this album gives a good cross-section of great Glen Campbell tunes, showing off the range of his performances. Overall, I liked this album, especially the old hits of Southern Nights, Rhinestone Cowboy, and Galveston. So, if you are a fan of that great 70s country and rock, then you will like this album. I know I did!

Silky-smooth vocals and tender guitars are the hallmark of this, the Magnum Opus of Glen Campbell's catalog. Played against a back-drop of modern rock-n-country drivel, we all are reminded why we chose Glen to write the soundtrack of our lives in the first place. Five stars for the helmet-haired minstrel from Arkansas.

This is not really a greatest hits CD because there are a few obscure tracks on it. Usually CDs remastered with the HDCD process sound incredible, but this has way too much high end.

There are probably 3 ways they could have gone about making this compilation on Glen a good one:

1) The greatest chart hits overall..giving better stature to the ones that charted not only on country but also pop and/or easy listening Billboard charts.
2) Focus on the biggest songs on the country Billboard charts..meaning if a song charted #1 country with a poor pop showing you give it preference over one that charted #30 country but #20 pop
3) Try to assemble the "artistically" best tunes from Campbell's career

Approach #3 is out the door the minute you use the word "Hits". Hits are an OBJECTIVE thing...it either was or was not a chart hit. If you're gonna name it "Greatest Hits" then artistry can't be your TOP criterion for selection.

Approach #1 is out because one of his top 10 country tunes from 1976 , a medley of "Don't Pull Your Love/Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" which also crossed to the pop chart, isn't here at all. I also don't see "I Knew Jesus (Before He was a Superstar)" which was a decent sized country AND middling pop hit. Strike 2...

That leaves Approach #2...a "country hits" collection. Does it succeed? #1 hit "I Wanna Live" (1968)...not here. Top 10 hits "Try a Little Kindness","Manhattan,Kansas","Honey Come Back","Everything a Man Could Ever Need","It's only Make Believe", his top 10 duets with Bobby Gentry on "Let it Be Me" and "All I Have to Do is Dream"..not here. The aforementioned "Don't Pull your Love/Then you Can Tell me Goodbye" and "Country Boy (You Got your Feet in L.A.)"..more Top 10 hits missing in action. [I'll cut them a break on post-1981 material after Glen left Capitol..but that would be ANOTHER 5 missing Top 10s otherwise].

Wait, you say...it's only 1 disc. They have to make decisions as to which huge hits to include. OK...60 minute runtime...axe "Classical Gas","Amazing Grace","King of the Road (instrumental)","Mr. Tambourine Man (Instrumental)"...none of which were chart hits..and that frees up space for at least 4 more hits. Then add about 15 more minutes of music (80 minutes is CD capacity) and you could squeeze in about 9 of those missing hit songs..(that's all but 1 of the ones I mentioned if you're keeping score)

BOTTOM LINE:
A complete failure to represent Glen's hits. Look instead for ALL THE BEST (ASIN B00006JIC0)(which collects just about all the ones I mentioned as missing and retains the big stuff that's on this one).[One caveat: Some have mentioned poor remastering on that one so sample it via library or a friend if you can first].

If you have a bigger stack of money available, get double CD set GLEN CAMPBELL COLLECTION 1962-1989 instead (ASIN B000002ZDA on Razor and Tie Records) for the biggest stuff plus rarities like his first big chart hit (1962's #20 hit "Kentucky Means Paradise" recorded with the Green River Boys) and a lot of his late 80s top 10 country hits.

All I can say is wonderful! I love this man's voice and style in the late 60s and it still stands up as good work now.

Cheap collection of 6 or 7 hits with other tracks that never should have appeared on a Greatest Hits set.All the songs are great but when you read 20 GREATEST HITS on the cover, you expect to hear 20 hits.
Better try another CD if you want the hits but if you're just looking for great songs by Glen Campbell, you can try this one.