Word has already gotten around that Paul Westerberg wrote a song for Glen Campbell's new record -- newsworthy for the fact that it's arguably the Minneapolis music legend's most high-profile output in five years (not saying much) -- but the Campbell album itself has turned into quite a major affair. It's being billed as Campbell's "farewell album," and that's no Jay-Z kind of promotional gimmick: The "Rhinestone Cowboy" hitmaker just announced in a People magazine article that he was recently diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer's. He plans to go on tour behind the album and then call it a day.
Campbell's new record, "Ghosts on the Canvas," was already shaping up to be his version of Johnny Cash's "American Recordings," with a hot-shot producer (Julian Raymond) and a lineup of younger, hip songwriters, also including Guided by Voices' Robert Pollard, Jakob Dylan and Teddy Thompson (Richard's son). Another Minneapolitan, Brian Setzer, is among the equally impressive list of guitarists enlisted for the recordings, also including Billy Corgan, Dick Dale, Rick Nielsen and Chris Isaak. The album is due out Aug. 30.
