I'll Be Me - The Documentary

[Cowpoke]

Nice review written by a self confessed aging punk rocker...

http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase ... id=1588531" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Randy]

I was guilty of listening to what my peers listened to at the time. I think that is not abnormal. I do remember being happy when Rhinestone was such a huge hit. I'm from Arkansas and even though I listened to other music I ALWAYS liked Glen. Like I said now that I'm older, and I don't know about wiser but Glen is by far at the top but I still listen to music from 60s,70s and 80s

[Mike Joyce]

In the Glen biofilm from last year they touched on this point. But they were referring to the seventies not the sixties. So I am not sure what RockynRudy is actually thinking of here. But with regards to the Seventies it was the time that bands became more casual looking and grew their hair long. I.E. The Eagles were shown as an example. I think a lot of younger listeners felt Glen had become dated. A lot of sixties artists didn't progress much into the Seventies but when Glen hit with Rhinestone Cowboy he was considered to be one of the survivors from that period. Unfortunately a lot of people look at style and ignore the substance.I find that very frustrating.
I agree with Siblis also. I was first won over by Glen's singing and then grew to appreciate his ability with the guitar. My first goosebump moment was playing Phoenix for the first time on an old record player. I have been a fan ever since.
I also remember the first time I heard Wichita on a STEREO for the first time. Wow that blew me away.His voice was beyond compare.

[siblis]

I always thought that what captured the younger males to Glen was Glen's ability to play the Guitar like they envisioned. In other word young Girls/ladies found Glen to be very Handsome & attractive, while young boys/males were captivated on the way he played & handled the Guitar which such ease, why....becuse as young males we all want to be a great guitarist like Jimmy page, Chet Atkins, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Les paul, Ted Nugent, Roy Clark, etc...... Every person I talk to always brings up Glen's session work & the fact that he was such a great Guitar player, none of them ever talk about his vocal ability, although I thought Glen had a pure voice that could sing anything, as he aged he had to drop to different keys because he could not hit certain notes, but between 1967-1973 you couldn't touch him.

[Randy]

I concur with the idea that Glen's reputation may have suffered back then as a result of rock then disco coming in. Among the younger people is only what I mean though. I'm 58 sat with parents as a kid and loved watching the Goodtime Hour but I got into rock, then the disco and the older I get the more I revert back.

I agree with Dee, Rock your review was outstanding and Dee wrote a great one herself.
Cowpoke , you amaze me . Your analysis is spot on.

[Cowpoke]

RockynRudy,
one of the things that struck me in your review is the fact that you place Glen Campbell as an artist into the wider context of the era in which he came to the forefront. An interesting subject which is rarely touched upon.

You write: "Campbell came along at a time of great upheaval and his reputation may have suffered a bit as a result".

I am curious to know what you precisely mean by this. In my mind, Glen's reputation might have suffered from perhaps overexposure on television, or the image of a rhinestone cowboy when glitter and glamour became passé or his descent into the tabloid magazines. But I never thought his reputation suffered from the fact he rose to fame in the turbulent sixties.

You describe Glen as someone who was hoped to be able to bridge the gap between the old and the new. This really resonates with me. Quite often I have read about Glen being the only artist young people in the late sixties could enjoy listening to, together with their parents. Why was this? I sometimes think that Glen was really the last of the classic singers or crooners as they were called. Singers who didn't write their own songs, but who selected songs that fit them, written by the best songwriters around. Like Frank Sinatra who had (for instance) Jimmy van Heusen and Sammy Cahn, or Dionne Warwick who had Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Glen had Jimmy Webb, who himself can arguably be regarded as the last of the classic songwriters. Singers who caressed the songs they sang, with brilliant phrasing, perfect pitch and diction, who didn't get into the way of a song, but brought out the pure beauty of it, who
"told" you the song, just like they would tell a story to an old friend. That kind of singers. Singers that my mom and dad like! But, and this is essential, Glen (and Jimmy too) was also part of the new age. Glen sang the songs of young songwriters like Jimmy Webb and John Hartford, he had a background in rock&roll music (he was able to duet with Stevie Wonder and NOT be blown away), he was closely associated with the Smothers Brothers who employed young writers as Steve Martin, Mason Williams and Rob Reiner and, always a sure way to become "cool", he was a brilliant guitar player. And, let's face it, he looked young, even though he was 31 when he had his first big hits.

And as I write this down, it suddenly becomes clear, why Glen also inevitably again lost this ability to bridge the gap between the young and old. A lot of the things that made him cool for the young kids were actually "borrowed" from the people surrounding him. John Hartford left the show in 1969, Tommy Brothers stopped producing his show in 1969 or 1970 (and other, more corny script writers took the place of Steve Martin and the likes), Jimmy Webb stopped writing songs for others in 1970/1971 as he wanted to make it as a singer-songwriter himself. Also, Glen's manager urged him to not come on stage with his guitar but to focus instead on becoming a Las Vegas type singer and, yes, Glen didn't look like a kid anymore when the 70s progressed. And where he became famous with songs by new songwriters, in 1970 his biggest hit was a remake of an old Conway Twitty hit. And probably his role next to John Wayne in True Grit did nothing good for his credibility with the young and hip crowd either. Glen became part of the establishment.

Of course, he never lost his singular talent as a musician and his music, even when people stopped listening, was still often breathtakingly beautiful (that is what ultimately makes him cool in my eyes, his music). But in the years between 1967 and 1969 I think he was one of the very few artists who was able to bridge the gaps that existed in American society, between young and old, between the small towns and the big city, between hip and conservative.

I am happy that since 2008, Glen has regained some of his credibility with younger music lovers. And this time, it was all about his music, his voice, his guitar. I have the feeling I'll Be Me will only increase the appreciation for him as an artist, and as human being, by both young and old.

And this is only the first thing that struck me about your article! But, I will shut up for now. I am very curious to read what thoughts others have about this subject.

[Cowpoke]

Review of the movie from a medical perspective on this blog of a Houston hospital.

http://blog.houstonmethodist.org/glen-c ... ill-be-me/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Dee]

Rockynrudy, we appreciate your sharing the link to your tremendous review of "I'll Be Me" that was published in the Huffington Post. We are deeply honored that you shared your review here on the Glen Campbell Forums.
This is one of the best reviews that I have read about Glen Campbell's documentary (which I saw in April at the Nashville Film Festival and again on November 9th in Gaithersburg). You have obviously put significant research into writing it in order to provide readers with a balanced, informative context for your detailed review. Also, thank you so much for getting the doc's hugely significant messages about Alzheimer's disease and Glen's legacy out there to readers of HP.
Regarding the film clips that you saw at the Country Music Hall of Fame, were these clips from the museum’s film about the role specific television programs—including the Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour—played over the years to promote country music and artists?
Originating from this same museum, the posts under the All Things Glen Topic, “Let’s Tour the Glen Campbell: Rhinestone Cowboy”, might be of interest to you. This topic is about a special GC exhibition that was held at this museum earlier this year.
Thanks again for sharing--you rock, Rockynrudy, and we hope to see you reading and posting here often.
All the best,
Dee
(Moderator/Admin)

[Cowpoke]

A wrenching document, Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me is a painful but necessary tribute to a singular talent.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/11/18 ... rylink=cpy" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Mike Joyce]

Hey Rockynrudy,
I think this film will open a lot of peoples eyes to what a great talent Glen was. I think most of Glen's albums are out there so like one of the other posters, you can soon get a lot of his best recordings. Of course YT is also great to hear a lot of gems.
I hope you enjoy the forum,its great for getting all the lowdown on Glen.