Television. One DVD at a Time.

"I didn't have anyone on because they were country, rock, pop. I had them on because they were talented." - Glen Campbell on his variety series' eclectic guest roster

Glen Campbell Good Times Again DVD Review

By Casey Richards

In the summer of 1968, Glen Campbell hosted The Summer Brothers Smothers Show, the summer replacement series for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Campbell had been a frequent guest on the Smothers' series, and his cross- generational appeal was not lost on CBS or on producer Tommy Smothers. By January, Campbell had his own regular series, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, a variety series with special emphasis on musical guests.

Now, thanks to the compilation Glen Campbell Good Times Again, Campbell takes the spotlight once again, introducing clips from the series that feature both his greatest hits and duets with several guest stars. Here is the complete lineup:

Glen Campbell - "Wichita Lineman"
Glen Campbell w/The Smothers Brothers - Comedy Sketch
Glen Campbell - "For Once In My Life"
Glen Campbell w/Linda Ronstadt - "Carolina In My Mind"
Glen Campbell w/Ray Charles - "Crying Time"
Glen Campbell w/Bobbie Gentry - "Let It Be Me"
Glen Campbell - "Galveston"
Glen Campbell w/Rick Nelson - "Louisiana Man"
Glen Campbell w/Cher - "All I Really Want To Do"
Glen Campbell w/Anne Murray - "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"
Glen Campbell w/Roger Miller - "King Of The Road"
Glen Campbell - "By The Time I Get To Phoenix"
Glen Campbell - "True Grit"
Glen Campbell w/B.J. Thomas - "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head"
Glen Campbell w/Johnny Cash - "Folsom Prison Blues"
Glen Campbell w/Willie Nelson - "Hello Walls"
Glen Campbell w/John Hartford - "Gentle On My Mind"

This compilation with have great appeal to Campbell fans, as he is in fine voice here. The addition of the duet partners is also a plus. Really, the compilation's main flaw is its brevity. Despite seventeen performances and newly filmed introductions, Good Times Again runs less than an hour.

The menus are easy to navigate. Viewers can watch the entire special or jump to a specific song.

Video and Audio

The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour was shot on video in the late 1960s, and it shows some obvious flaws. There are, for example, occasional lines-horizontal and vertical-which resemble VHS flaws.

The show sounds reasonably good, though, and its visual flaws don't detract from its overall enjoyment.

Extras

The one bonus feature is an interview with Glen Campbell (16:33) in which he discusses songwriter Jimmy Webb, being a session player, working with the Beach Boys, the "controlled mayhem" of doing a TV show, and how he learned of the song "Galveston" from Don Ho.

Summary

Glen Campbell's music serves as a light, gentle bridge between country and pop. It's also pretty darned catchy. Find out for yourself with Glen Campbell Good Times Again.

10/2/07