Customer Reviews

Big Bluegrass Special

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Having found early success as a studio guitar hot-shot, Campbell managed only minor pop chart forays with a pair of singles ("Turn Around, Look at Me" and "Too Late to Worry - Too Blue to Cry"). But those hits were enough to interest Capitol in recording an album. Oddly, Capitol turned Campbell away from pop and towards this full-fledged acoustic bluegrass album. Teamed with The Green River Boys (Dale Fitzsimmons and Carl Tanberg), and staff producer Nick Venet, Campbell ran through a dozen well selected country and folk classics, including songs from the Delmore Brothers, Merle Travis and Bob Nolan.

Highlights include funereal versions of "One Hundred Miles From Home" and "Long Black Limousine," a close-harmony rendition of The Delmore's "Rainin' on the Mountain," and several fine Merle Travis covers, including the sad-sack "No Vacancy" and a pair of tunes added to this CD reissue as bonus tracks ("Divorce Me C.O.D." and "Dark as a Dungeon"). Nick Venet's production is big without being glossy, and the digital transfer on this Cornerstones reissue is sharp.

In contrast to his later success as a pop-country crooner, Campbell delivers these songs in a straight-ahead country style, with the Green River Boys providing harmonies. As a country singer Campbell is adequate, but clearly not as commanding (or original) as when his country style later served as the edging to sophisticated ballads. Like many artists, Campbell's mass popularity came long after he'd left his elemental musical roots behind. And though his iconic radio hits will forever define him publically, this reissue provides fans an opportunity to hear a pure strain of what would become merely a flavor in his hit sound.

3-1/2 stars, if Amazon allowed fractional ratings.

Glen's roots were in country music but he first made his name in pop music. He was a session guitarist, most notably as a member of Phil Spector's Wall of sound. He also had a couple of minor pop hits - Turn around look at me and Too late to worry too blue to cry - but that was it. Given all that, it seems strange that Glen's 1962 debut album was a bluegrass album. As far as I know, Glen has not recorded anything else like it since. This release includes two bonus tracks, recorded at around the same time but not included in the original album.

The songs are all covers, drawing heavily on the Delmore Brothers (five songs) and Merle Travis (four songs including Dark as a dungeon). The other covers include 100 miles away from home, more familiar to me as 500 miles instead of 100, Truck driving man, perhaps the best truck driving song of them all, and Long black limousine, a song that has been covered by many singers including Elvis Presley.

Glen was still learning his craft when this was recorded and we can only wonder at what he might have done for bluegrass music if he had recorded such an album in the seventies. Nevertheless, this is a wonderful album although Glen's normal fans may think less of it than I do.