Why is Wichita Lineman so beautiful

and what genre does it belong to

Glen Campbell is very far outside my usual tastes. I recognize his legendary stature as a singer and session musician. He had dozens of hits! He played on hundreds of albums! He’s on Pet Sounds! He subbed for Brian Wilson in the Beach Boys! I’m just not that big on the Wrecking Crew pop sound. But Campbell’s recording of Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Lineman” is so breathtakingly great that it transcends mere stylistic preference. It’s like how even though I’m not a big metal fan, I love “Master of Puppets.” Maybe that’s a weird song to compare this one to. Whatever, you get my point.

“Wichita Lineman” is very well documented. There’s an entire book about it. Bob Dylan is quoted on the cover as saying that it’s “the greatest song ever written”. I won’t repeat all the lore here. The main thing you need to know is that Jimmy Webb considered it unfinished when he sent a demo to Glen Campbell. He was intending to write a third verse, and was surprised when Campbell showed up at his house with acetates of completed basic tracks for a studio recording. Campbell thought the song was perfect as it was and just played a bass solo where the third verse would have gone.

There are two factors that make me love this recording: the song itself, and the production. Let’s talk production first, since that’s what initially grabbed me.