Glen Campbell

Glen Campbell
Meet Glen Campbell
(Capitol)

Meet Glen Campbell comes complete with a yearning, retrospective and slightly fuzzed-out tone,  appropriate for a record that amounts to an aural deja vu. Back in the ’60s, Campbell contributed guitar to classic tracks by the Everly Brothers and worked with the Beach Boys. His great Capitol singles — indelible recordings such as “Galveston” and “Wichita Lineman” —remain first-rate examples of the kind of crossover Nashville sought in the wake of Dylan, the Beatles and the emerging singer-songwriter movement. And in the tradition of many an artist whose choice of material and producers was integral to his success, Campbell turned to the middle of the road in the ’70s with singles such as “Rhinestone Cowboy” and “Southern Nights.”  He was, and remains, a singularly talented singer and fearsome guitarist, and something of an enigma.

His return to Capitol Records is honorable, with Campbell nailing Lou Reed’s “Jesus” and, oddly enough, U2’s “All I Want Is You.” When he sings, “All the promises we break/From the cradle to the grave,” he’s totally convincing. Producer Julian Raymond adds eerie strings to the track, while Campbell sings with a mixture of ruefulness and strength that’s impressive. Travis’ “Sing” benefits from understated banjo. Meanwhile, “Walls” — one of two Tom Petty songs on Meet —receives a thrilling wide-screen treatment, and Campbell delivers one of his pungent, simple guitar leads.

There are a couple of clinkers: Green Day’s “Good Riddance” has to be the “Send in the Clowns” of the ’90s alt-pop movement, and Campbell doesn’t bring much to Paul Westerberg’s “Sadly Beautiful.” Still, Meet skirts Campbell’s much-publicized personal problems and his disappearing career as a chart-maker, which means there’s sadness and pathos here. Maybe next time Campbell can go whole hog into repertory — anyone up for Campbell Sings Allen Toussaint or Lonesome Cowboy Glen: Campbell Sings the Songs of Lou Reed?