Glen Campbell and Paul

[randolph500]

www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62Q05Y20100327

DETROIT (Billboard) - Glen Campbell is collaborating with Jakob Dylan, Chris Isaak, Paul Westerberg, Bob Pollard and others on "Ghost on the Canvas," which is slated to be the veteran singer's farewell album.

Entertainment | Music | People

Producer Julian Raymond told Billboard.com that the album's basic tracks have been recorded in Los Angeles, with orchestra sessions slated for April 2. Campbell is negotiating with several major labels to release the album, which will be supported with a farewell tour.

"It's not your mother's Glen Campbell," Raymond said of the project. "He's playing guitar better than ever, singing and writing better than ever. It's really going to be a great final statement from him."

Raymond said the 2008 covers collection "Meet Glen Campbell" was the impetus for "Ghost on the Canvas."

"'Meet Glen Campbell' was a surprise," said Raymond, who co-produced that set as well. "We thought it was the best way to get him a new audience, and it did. There was a huge amount of college downloads for that album."

Meanwhile, Raymond said, "an unbelievable amount of people" wanted to be part of the current project, which will feature all original material. Westerberg wrote the title track, and other collaborators include members of the Dandy Warhols, guitarist Steve Hunter, former Prince cohort Wendy Melvoin and drummer Josh Freese. The album's release date is pending a label deal.

Raymond said Campbell will tour in a different fashion for "Ghost on the Canvas" than he did for the previous album. He'll book multiple theater and small hall shows in selected cities, then come in early for interviews and other promotion. "He won't go too hard," Raymond says, "but it will be strategic and a different way to get him out there than the night-after-night grind."

[A Regular]

Cha-Ching!

Now it would be cool if PW and Pollard collaborated on something.

[hudson99]

Now Freese's tweets about his unexpected, super-secret sessions make sense.

[MacGyver]

Cool! I wonder if Freese played on the Paul track, and whether they spent time in the studio together? Seems to me they had a bit of a falling out...

[hudson99]

I've never heard of a falling out. Freese was on the reunion tracks, and I believe he was on the Open Season soundtrack. Paul hasn't done anything since then except for his self-released one-man-band releases.

[wecantgetanybetter]

Does "Ghost on the Canvas" sit better with people here who don't like it, knowing now he wrote it for Glen Campbell (or at least re-purposed it for Glen Campbell)? For me, PW's vocal on "Ghost" is hard to listen to -- much like "What a Day for a Night," which perhaps not coincidentally was also written for someone else to sing (Bonnie Raitt).

Some links:
2008 MWT Glen Campbell thread
"I would have preferred Glen Campbell's new version of the song."
"I called my manager and said, 'Tell Glen I'll be his next Jimmy Webb' and he took the bait"

[who?]

I had a bit of a tough time with Ghost at first, over all. However it has slowly taken me over and has become one of the ones I like most, mainly for the vocal. Honestly.
I actually love that little album, front to back. It's kind of too bad to hear that Paul is not into playing live at all, when the guy is so prolific and writes such great songs. I'll buy his music until the day I die, or him, whoever goes first. But I don't like the fact that he's sitting in his basement playing, and not in front of people who are willing to listen. I'm sure he plays for his family, and maybe his friends. Of course for himself. But what about the paying customer? WTF about us? Joking with the customer B.S. But seriously, he would kill if he played out.
Either way, PW & the GGCWJB's is a great album. It was a nice surprise last Fall.

[ClamsCasino]

Mar 27, 2010 18:20:18 GMT -5 wecantgetanybetter said:

Does "Ghost on the Canvas" sit better with people here who don't like it, knowing now he wrote it for Glen Campbell (or at least re-purposed it for Glen Campbell)? For me, PW's vocal on "Ghost" is hard to listen to --

Well, it doesn't make it any easier to listen to. But I guess it makes lyrics like, "The spirits make love in a wheat field with crows," a little more forgivable knowing that he wrote them with Glen Campbell in mind. Cause that sure as hell doesn't sound like a Paul Westerberg lyric.

[dee]

Since Paul mentioned that he was writing for Glen Campbell before he put this song out it seemed that maybe this song was rejected so that's why Paul put it out himself.Now we find out it's the name of the Glen Campbell album and it's his final LP.Kind of strange that Paul would release it.

[wecantgetanybetter]

dee, you called this one back in September. From the MWT "Ghost on the Canvas" Lyrics thread:

Sept 25, 2009 15:03:06 GMT -5 dee said:

Sounds like he was getting in his Jimmy Webb mode to write some songs for Glen Campbell.

[MacGyver]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I absolutley love this song.

Ring around the rosary, pocket full of prose you read, ashes to ashes, we all fall in love... With the ghost on the canvas...

Brilliant!

[MacGyver]

Mar 27, 2010 17:14:28 GMT -5 hudson99 said:

I've never heard of a falling out. Freese was on the reunion tracks, and I believe he was on the Open Season soundtrack. Paul hasn't done anything since then except for his self-released one-man-band releases.

Well, Freese DID release that song that was clearly about Paul... And wasn't very positive.

[ndesimon]

Mar 28, 2010 10:34:37 GMT -5 MacGyver said:

Well, Freese DID release that song that was clearly about Paul... And wasn't very positive.

Curious: what song are you talking about?

N

[Man Who Never Learned to Fly]

I understood that Freese did mean it to be positive (but also apparently reflecting the awkwardness of his relationship with PW):

www.spinner.com/2009/07/09/josh-freese-honors-his-favorite-boss/

[MacGyver]

Mar 28, 2010 14:41:59 GMT -5 Man Who Never Learned to Fly said:

I understood that Freese did mean it to be positive (but also apparently reflecting the awkwardness of his relationship with PW):

www.spinner.com/2009/07/09/josh-freese-honors-his-favorite-boss/

Maybe I misinterpreted them the first time I read them, that or I was drinking. They're not as harsh as I remember, not at all.

[cford]

Mar 28, 2010 17:09:49 GMT -5 MacGyver said:

Mar 28, 2010 14:41:59 GMT -5 Man Who Never Learned to Fly said:

I understood that Freese did mean it to be positive (but also apparently reflecting the awkwardness of his relationship with PW):

www.spinner.com/2009/07/09/josh-freese-honors-his-favorite-boss/

Maybe I misinterpreted them the first time I read them, that or I was drinking. They're not as harsh as I remember, not at all.

I remember hearing this awhile back and thinking it sort of a 'warts and all' tribute.

CF

[brianlux]

Mar 28, 2010 10:33:43 GMT -5 MacGyver said:

I don't know about the rest of you, but I absolutley love this song.

Ring around the rosary, pocket full of prose you read, ashes to ashes, we all fall in love... With the ghost on the canvas...

Brilliant!

I'm with you, Macgyver- I love this song, even if the vocals are a bit weak or fragile or ghostly even- goes with the song. Seems likely the "wheat field with crows" line surely is a reference to one of Van Gogh's last works of same title. And now Campbell's late work. It all ties together.

Sadly Beautiful and brilliant.

[BronxTeacher]

Mar 29, 2010 18:55:00 GMT -5 brianlux said:

line surely is a reference to one of Van Gogh's last works of same title. And now Campbell's late work. It all ties together.

I never made the connection to the Van Gogh painting... You've just taken my appreciation for this song to another level.

Wouldn't it be something if the cover for the Glen Campbell album were this:

[pm]

Mar 27, 2010 21:33:44 GMT -5 who? said:

I had a bit of a tough time with Ghost at first, over all. However it has slowly taken me over and has become one of the ones I like most, mainly for the vocal. Honestly.
I actually love that little album, front to back. It's kind of too bad to hear that Paul is not into playing live at all, when the guy is so prolific and writes such great songs. I'll buy his music until the day I die, or him, whoever goes first. But I don't like the fact that he's sitting in his basement playing, and not in front of people who are willing to listen. I'm sure he plays for his family, and maybe his friends. Of course for himself. But what about the paying customer? WTF about us? Joking with the customer B.S. But seriously, he would kill if he played out.
Either way, PW & the GGCWJB's is a great album. It was a nice surprise last Fall.

I agree. Actually, GGCWJB was out of rotation for about a month for me and when I went back to it realy blew me away; this time the whole album, not just boys and joy....

[cford]

Mar 27, 2010 23:40:37 GMT -5 dee said:

Since Paul mentioned that he was writing for Glen Campbell before he put this song out it seemed that maybe this song was rejected so that's why Paul put it out himself.Now we find out it's the name of the Glen Campbell album and it's his final LP.Kind of strange that Paul would release it.

I can definately picture Glen Campbell singing "Ghost on the Canvas".. Musically its got sort of a Campbell vibe... Think "Gentle on My Mind."

CF