‘By The Time I Get To Phoenix’ was the song which made Glen Campbell a star in 1967, thanks to a perfect combination of song, singer and arrangement. Wichita Lineman is very good, with some exceptionally strong material. Although this album came out long before my generation, I can appreciate it for what it is. I’ll admit that when I review an album released more than forty-seven years ago, ( Wichita Lineman came out in 1968) I have trouble truly getting into what I’m hearing. He’s already missed the boat that leads to successīut he’s done his best and he can’t see whyīut he’s done his best as he’s travelled byĪnd now all he can do is just sit and sigh
He has him a family and a nice little homeĪnd the day is coming when the sun won’t shine With all its pitfalls troubles and strife He can’t see down the road of life where he’ll ever fallīut fall he will as he travels through life
When a man is one and twenty, he thinks he knows it all I much prefer the grittier 1993 Rod Stewart version of “Reason To Believe,” which gives the track a bit more life than Campbell does here.Ĭampbell wrote only one track on the album, the string-drenched ballad “Fate of Man.” It’s a rather excellent song in which Campbell traces a life’s trajectory through the ages and stages of a man’s life: Campbell is much better on “Ann,” a lovely Billy Edd Wheeler love song bursting with energy. A paint-by-numbers cover of Otis Redding’s “(Sitting On) The Dock of the Bay” gives the album some pep, but lacks imagination. The slow string-heavy ballad “If You Go Away” is considered a pop standard, which Campbell delivers in his signature smooth style. Keep in mind your mother’s gonna need your helpĪ whole lot more than she ever did beforeīecause I won’t be here to stop them anymore She’s gonna need you most to stay in line I know you’ll do the things your mother asks Make sure you get yourself to school on time No, we’re not mad, kids it’s hard to say why Your mother is staying but I’m going away
Now how should I put this I’ve got something to say You better sit down kids I’ll tell you why, kids The lyric brilliantly details a father’s sit down with his children as he tells them he and their mother are getting a divorce: Sonny Bono contributed “You Better Sit Down Kids,” which was a major hit for his then-wife Cher the year prior. The Bee Gees co-wrote the lush ballad, “Words,” a heartfelt plea from a man to the woman for which he wishes to spend his life. The remainder of the eleven-song album is peppered with tracks composed by some of the biggest artists of the day. I hear you singin’ in the wire, I can hear you through the whineĪnd the Wichita Lineman is still on the line Searchin’ in the sun for another overload I am a lineman for the county and I drive the main road He wrote from the perspective of that man: Webb was inspired to write the workingman’s anthem after spotting a lone lineman worker atop a telephone poll while on a drive through rural Oklahoma. Pop Chart, it peaked inside the top five. A multi-genre smash, “Wichita Lineman” topped the Country and Adult Contemporary Charts. The classic title track, written by Jimmy Webb, was the other single. Oh, such are the dreams of the everyday housewifeĪn everyday housewife who gave up the good life for me
Written by Chris Gantry, the track spells out a tale of sacrifice: “Dreams of The Everyday Housewife” came first, peaking at a respectable #3. Two singles were released from the record. The project was immensely successful and spent multiple weeks atop both the Billboard Country Albums and all genre 200 charts. Wichita Lineman, Glen Campbell’s twelfth album, was his sixth working with producer Al De Loy.