In a few hours, Rocks Off will be down at the Stafford Centre, watching the sold-out first Houston-area stop on Glen Campbell's extended "Farewell Tour." It might be the only one, but the tour is booked well into 2012, so we figure there's got to be a Dosey Doe date somewhere along the line.
We've been a fan of Campbell's for a long time, but we've got to tell you, we're a little nervous about the show. Campbell just released a new album, Ghost On the Canvas, featuring songs by Jakob Dylan, Paul Westerberg and Guided by Voices' Robert Pollard. It should figure heavily in year-end album voting - but not, unfortunately, for purely musical reasons. (So far Rocks Off has only heard the Westerberg-penned title track and it's great; Pollard's "Hold On Hope" is also one of our favorite GBV songs.)
Earlier this summer, Campbell was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and indeed told USA Today's Edna Gundersen he barely remembers making Canvas. Not so 1969's True Grit; evidently he does a killer John Wayne impression. We'll see what happens tonight, but back in the days before "True Grit" and "Wichita Lineman," the Arkansas native was one of the most sought-after session guitarists in L.A.
Here are a few of his credits:
The Champs, "Tequila" (1959)
The Green River Boys, Big Bluegrass Special (1962)
Jan & Dean, Surf City (1963)
"Little Old Lady From Pasadena"
Elvis Presley, "Viva Las Vegas" (1964)
The Righteous Brothers, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" (1964)
Simon & Garfunkel, "The Sound of Silence" (1966)