Customer Reviews

Hey, Little One/A New Place in the Sun

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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The songs on this CD (Which is actually two [2] vinyl albums on 1-CD) hold very special memories for me. It's wonderful to relive those times (And memories), even after all these years.

For Glen Campbell fans, this is a must have. Trying to replace records with cd's is work, but this is an easy decision. I will purchase any cd on an older album, just keep them coming!

My first comment is that the remastering job on this brought out nuances I don't hear on the several (I count eight, two still sealed) Capitol vinyl Lps on this artist (I was inspired by Bill Griggs at the Buddy Holly Memorial Society to be a "completist" vinyl junkie). Personally, I believe that BY THE TIME I GET TO PHOENIX and HEY LITTLE ONE are Campbell's best '60s albums, while starting with the major Capitol push and product over-saturation that began going into Christmas, 1968 --the "Wichita Lineman" period--, the quality of his deep Lp tracks got spotty to poor, especially "Fate of Man" (Lp WICHITA LINEMAN), "Friends" (GALVESTON), and "Everytime I Itch I Wind Up Scratchin' You" (GALVESTON and B-side to "Galveston" 45), while he made some great singles until 1970. If you check his Lp publishing from 1968-70, any song quality shortcomings tended to be most obvious with those having his publishing interests, Kayteekay Music and Glen Campbell Music, which was fairly standard at the time when an artist cashed in on placing his own publishing on Lp cuts (see Sonny James Capitol Lp credits if you wish to find an extreme example of all the budget being put into a hit single and filler on the Lp). Anyway, I think HEY LITTLE ONE is one of his two greatest albums.

On the other hand, A NEW PLACE IN THE SUN was a quicky filler album culled from earlier sessions. No hit single, not a 45 track A or B side in the bunch. It's a nice package, some good to great songs, but it appears Capitol was pressed for product on a rising to HOT artist and shoved this album out in the pipeline while readying his major push from easy listening/crossover C&W artist to top-of-the-line pop act to rival the Beatles. The one track that stands out, almost shouts "featuring the hit single" in both quality of the groove and placement (track one, side one) on the Lp, is "Freeborn Man." This track actually pre-dates his recording of "Gentle On My Mind," which was a continuation of Campbell's folk-rock theme of "Universal Soldier," "Private John Q.," and "Gentle On My Mind," albeit dressed up with strings and especially horns by Al DeLory. You get a flavor of Campbell's "old" folk-rock style with "Freeborn Man" that he and Capitol abandoned to pursue a softer, what Capitol called "Good Music" (euphemism at the label's promo dept. for "middle of the road" and "easy listening" programing), sound. If you want to follow "Freeborn Man" back before Campbell's recording, find Keith Allison's Columbia version, dating April, 1967, on the backside of his "Louise" 45 and track on KEITH ALLISON IN ACTION CS 9441; Campbell was at those sessions, produced by Gary Usher (natch -- GC was on loads of Usher's productions: Super Stocks, Knights, lots of hot rod 1963-64 recordings, and including Usher's work on Decca 45s).

Glen Campbell in my earlier years, I used to have almost every album he made. I was sad to hear about his health. The new CD I didn't like. But since I only have one other one. I wanted to make sure I got something else. He is still Good, but with alzeimer's you never know. I wish him a long life. If possible.