Glen Campbell: 20 Greatest Hits

iTunes Review

There are almost as many album tracks here that never garnered the charting success of the epic serenade "Wichita Lineman" or the endearingly melodramatic "Galveston," but what stands clear is perhaps the most important point of this collection: Glen Campbell was the archetypal countrypolitan singer. His honeyed vocal timbre and flawless phrasing perfectly matched all the lush orchestral trappings of the genre, as well as the song selections that complete the musical chemistry like a puzzle piece. Similar to the aforementioned Jimmy Webb tunes, Campbell's moving version of "By The Time I Get to Phoenix" proves that Webb and Campbell were the chocolate and peanut butter of the Nashville sound. His duets with Bobbie Gentry were a stellar match as evidenced by their haunting rendition of "Scarborough Fair / Canticle." Campbell also adapted confidently with timely trends. He turns Allen Toussaint's "Southern Nights" and Larry Weiss' "Rhinestone Cowboy" into urban cowboy staples and he tackled Dylan's "If Not For You" with George Harrison-esque aspirations and "Mr. Tambourine Man" with an instrumental Byrdsian go-go flare.