Glen Campbell: Ghost on the Canvas

In 2009, legendary singer-songwriter Glen Campbell was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.  Almost  50 years in the public eye (a weekly television series, actor, virtuoso guitarist, highly publicized divorces, drug addiction, you name it), he finally found himself in the clutches of  debilitating disease.   So how does he respond?  By recording  the best record of 2011, hands down. 

Campbell recruits  producer Julian Raymond (Everclear, Cheap Trick), first class songwriters (Paul  Westerberg, Jakob Dylan, Robert Pollard, Jimmy Webb), and superstar guitarists (Brian Setzer, Billy Corgan, Rick Neilsen)…and then proceeds to outperform every single one of them, effortlessly.    This, my children, is how it’s done.  

The songs are stunning ruminations on life and death, love and hope.   I defy anyone to get through “A Better Place” or “A Thousand Lifetimes” without shedding a tear.  If you’ve found yourself dealing with mortality (your own or someone else’s), you will find no better  friend than ‘Ghost On The Canvas’.       If you want to know you’re not alone, this record is for you.  It is simply one of the most achingly beautiful recordings in existence.  I could go on and on for paragraphs about how essential ‘Ghost On The Canvas’ is, but no words can possibly do this recording justice.  There simply are no words.  You just need to hear it.       Campbell says this is his final recording.  Let’s hope it isn’t.

About the author: Michael Franklin is the Media & Reserves Specialist at WKU Library’s Visual & Performing Arts Library. Michael is also a professional musician and sound engineer.