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Wichita Lineman: Searching in the Sun for the World's Greatest Unfinished Song
'It's just another song to me. I've written 1,000 of them and it's really just another one.' Jimmy Webb
'When I heard it I cried. It made me cry because I was homesick. It's just a masterfully written song.' Glen Campbell
The sound of 'Wichita Lineman' was the sound of ecstatic solitude, but then its hero was the quintessential loner. What a great metaphor he was: a man who needed a woman more than he actually wanted her.
Written in 1968 by Jimmy Webb, 'Wichita Lineman' is the first philosophical country song: a heartbreaking torch ballad still celebrated for its mercurial songwriting genius fifty years later. It was recorded by Glen Campbell in LA with a legendary group of musicians known as 'the Wrecking Crew', and something about the song's enigmatic mood seemed to capture the tensions in America at a moment of crisis. Fusing a dribble of bass, searing strings, tremolo guitar and Campbell's plaintive vocals, Webb's paean to the American West describes a telephone lineman's longing for an absent lover, who he hears 'singing in the wire' - and like all good love songs, it's an SOS from the heart.
Mixing close-listening, interviews and travelogue, Dylan Jones explores the legacy of a record that has entertained and haunted millions for over half a century. What is it about this song that continues to seduce listeners, and how did the parallel stories of Campbell and Webb - songwriters and recording artists from different ends of the spectrum - unfold in the decades following? Part biography, part work of musicological archaeology, The Wichita Lineman opens a window on to America in the late-twentieth century through the prism of a song that has been covered by myriad artists in the intervening decades.
'Americana in the truest sense: evocative and real.' Bob Stanley
- GenresMusicNonfiction
288 pages, Hardcover
Published September 3, 2019
27 people are currently reading
255 people want to read
About the author
Dylan Jones
23 books58 followersDylan Jones studied at Chelsea School Of Art and then St. Martin’s School of Art. He is the award-winning editor of GQ magazine, a position he has held since 1999, and has won the British Society of Magazine Editors “Editor of the Year” award a record ten times. In 2013 he was also the recipient of the prestigious Mark Boxer Award.
Under his editorship the magazine has won over 50 awards.
A former editor at i-D, The Face, Arena, the Observer and the Sunday Times, he is the author of the New York Times best seller Jim Morrison: Dark Star, the much-translated iPod, Therefore I Am and Mr. Jones’ Rules, as well as the editor of the classic collection of music writing, Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy. He edited a collection of journalism from Arena - Sex, Power & Travel - and collaborated with David Cameron on Cameron on Cameron: Conversations with Dylan Jones (shortlisted for the Channel 4 Political Book of the Year).
He was the Chairman of the Prince’s Trust’s Fashion Rocks Monaco, is a board member of the Norman Mailer Writers Colony and a Trustee of the Hay Festival. He is also the chairman of London Fashion Week: Men’s, London’s first men’s fashion week, launched in 2012 at the behest of the British Fashion Council.
In 2010 he spent a week in Afghanistan with the Armed Forces, collaborating on a book with the photographer David Bailey: British Heroes in Afghanistan.
In 2012 he had three books published: The Biographical Dictionary of Music; When Ziggy Played Guitar: David Bowie and Four Minutes that Shook the World, and the official book of U2’s 360 Tour, published in October. Since then he has published
The Eighties: One Day One Decade, a book about the 1980s told through the prism of Live Aid, Elvis Has Left The Building: The Day The King Died, Mr. Mojo, London Rules, a polemic about the greatest city in the world, Manxiety and London Sartorial.
In June 2013 he was awarded an OBE for services to publishing and the fashion industry. In 2014 he was made an Honorary Professor of Glasgow Caledonian University.
Under his editorship the magazine has won over 50 awards.
A former editor at i-D, The Face, Arena, the Observer and the Sunday Times, he is the author of the New York Times best seller Jim Morrison: Dark Star, the much-translated iPod, Therefore I Am and Mr. Jones’ Rules, as well as the editor of the classic collection of music writing, Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy. He edited a collection of journalism from Arena - Sex, Power & Travel - and collaborated with David Cameron on Cameron on Cameron: Conversations with Dylan Jones (shortlisted for the Channel 4 Political Book of the Year).
He was the Chairman of the Prince’s Trust’s Fashion Rocks Monaco, is a board member of the Norman Mailer Writers Colony and a Trustee of the Hay Festival. He is also the chairman of London Fashion Week: Men’s, London’s first men’s fashion week, launched in 2012 at the behest of the British Fashion Council.
In 2010 he spent a week in Afghanistan with the Armed Forces, collaborating on a book with the photographer David Bailey: British Heroes in Afghanistan.
In 2012 he had three books published: The Biographical Dictionary of Music; When Ziggy Played Guitar: David Bowie and Four Minutes that Shook the World, and the official book of U2’s 360 Tour, published in October. Since then he has published
The Eighties: One Day One Decade, a book about the 1980s told through the prism of Live Aid, Elvis Has Left The Building: The Day The King Died, Mr. Mojo, London Rules, a polemic about the greatest city in the world, Manxiety and London Sartorial.
In June 2013 he was awarded an OBE for services to publishing and the fashion industry. In 2014 he was made an Honorary Professor of Glasgow Caledonian University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
January 7, 2020
I have loved this song -- written by Jimmy Webb and sung by Glenn Campbell -- since it first came out, when I was eleven years old. My father worked for the electric company, and so the lineman narrative held special appeal for me, I'm sure. Dylan Jones's story of how this haunting song came about and why it remains celebrated -- Bob Dylan once called it the greatest song ever written -- was a surprisingly inspiring read. My husband gave me this book for Christmas 2019.
P.S. I still swoon every time Campbell sings this line: "And I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time."
P.S. I still swoon every time Campbell sings this line: "And I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time."
November 5, 2019
I wanted to love this book. Wichita Lineman is such an important song to me for a great many reasons. Many of Dylan Jones's memories of, and feelings toward, this song are very similar to mine. But this book is not about Wichita Lineman. Instead, it is a book that uses the song as a launching pad for Jones's thoughts on music and place and their interconnectedness, the late nineties resurgence of easy listening, his musings on the Beach Boys, Elvis or Elton John, or the playlists he made to soundtrack various journeys.
The book works best when it addresses the genius of Jimmy Webb's songwriting, of Glen Campbell's singing and playing, and the combination of the two, or the sheer brilliance of the Wrecking Crew and their equally important contribution to the sound of Wichita Lineman. And while I concede that this may not have been enough to sustain a whole book, I still came away disappointed.
The book works best when it addresses the genius of Jimmy Webb's songwriting, of Glen Campbell's singing and playing, and the combination of the two, or the sheer brilliance of the Wrecking Crew and their equally important contribution to the sound of Wichita Lineman. And while I concede that this may not have been enough to sustain a whole book, I still came away disappointed.
August 1, 2019
A fascinating story, this would have been a great feature article. Unfortunately, it makes for a rather bloated book: lots of repetition, some blatantly incorrect material, and--of course--unnecessary and inappropriate lefty partisanship.
February 19, 2023
I love Wichita Lineman, love Jimmy Webb, love Glen Campbell. Nuff said!
October 4, 2019
I really enjoyed this - though the book's length outruns the topic's mandate. But the best stuff in here is wonderful and Jones is an enjoyable writer to spend time with, certainly.
February 8, 2023
The subjects of this book are near and dear to me - performer, composer, song - all combine to create some treasured memories and are always creating more. I've read other books about Webb and Campbell, and seen both perform (Webb 6 times, Campbell 1 - during his final tour). But this book really tied a lot of loose ends and thoughts together. I especially enjoyed the interview with Webb at the ending.
January 5, 2020
There is quite a bit to like about the book, especially if you really like the song, which I assume any reader of the book must. Why else read 250+ pages about “Wichita Lineman?” The best parts of the book are about the song but, any teacher (and I am one) knows when a student is adding filler because the well has run dry about the topic. That is where Jones gets into the weeds. The book is also not organized as well as it could be, which makes it feel repetitive. For that, I fault his editor.
Read it if you are a fan of the song or Jimmy Webb or Glen Campbell. You will likely learn something. (Webb is right, by the way: Glen Campbell should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.)
Read it if you are a fan of the song or Jimmy Webb or Glen Campbell. You will likely learn something. (Webb is right, by the way: Glen Campbell should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.)
April 4, 2023
“I was trying to express the inexpressible, the yearning that goes beyond yearning, that goes into another dimension, when I wrote that line. It was a moment where the language failed me really; there was no way for me to pour this out, except to go into an abstract realm, and that was the line that popped out. I think the fascination comes from the fact that it just pushes the language a little bit beyond what it was really meant to express, because it could be deemed perfectly nonsensical—“I need you more than want you / and I want you for all time.” I mean, those are all abstract concepts, all jammed up together there. But that’s because it’s trying to express the inexpressible.”
January 2, 2021
This is one of the most shoddily written (and edited) books I've ever read. Full of inaccuracies, unsustainable assertions, indulgent digressions, ludicrous stances, cringeworthy name dropping. Incredibly repetitive, poorly structured and contradictory. But because of *that* song, and the story and people behind it, I trudged on. There's a great book to be written about Wichita Lineman. This isn't it but it will have lots of the same sources and interviews
January 17, 2023
That country music is the most polarising genre of music there is cannot be denied, and having 'suffered' at the hands of a father who loved it there was a long period in my life where I rejected its charms. Then, in a few short years I happened upon Elvis Costello's 'Almost Blue', the film 'O Brother Where Art Thou' and its accompanying soundtrack, and the Tex-Mex country pop of the Mavericks. I changed my tune big time and have since come over to the same dark side my father loved. Merle Haggard, George Jones, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Bob Wills, Patsy Cline and sundry other classic artists have become part of my musical orientation. But Glen Campbell..
Campbell sat on the periphery, not quite country enough to sit in the same league as those artists I'd mentioned beforehand, a hold over in some ways from the Nashville countrypolitan sound I recall hearing on the radio when I was a kid. Too smooth and too finessed to be a true country singer, he was part of that Middle of the Road music mafia that threw up the likes of Burt Bacharach and Engelbert Humperdinck. However, I was selling him short. As Dylan Jones' book confirms, through his own artistry and even more powerfully, through his collaboration with songwriter Jimmy Webb, he was definitely country. The song 'Wichita Linesman' and the Webb/Campbell coalition that made it has all the hallmarks of that classic definition of country music: 'Three chords and the truth'.
Jones' book makes a huge effort to sell the idea of how brilliant 'Wichita Linesman' is and for the most part it succeeds. There is more to the book than an analysis of the classic Webb/Campbell song; it is also an examination of the Mid-West in America, a reflection on 1968 and the riotous events of that time. Campbell and Webb have their biographies dancing around each other, often meeting up, in the narrative of the text. Jones looks at his own life and how 'Wichita Linesman' speaks to him personally, whilst also reviewing and discussing how it has had an impact on performers other than Campbell, writers other that Webb. The song is arguably a MacGuffin; it is the hook that the author exploits to get his readers to contemplate both wider and more intimate issues than how great the song is.
Perhaps the giveaway to what this book is really about is the reference in the sub-title to 'searching..'. Jones has written a book that is in essence a journey of discovery, where he and anyone else willing to get on board with the song and the emotions and ideas it evokes can try and find out things that are more meaningful than just that song. Through the artifice of exploring the history of the song, its writer and most celebrated performer, Jones is giving his readers the opportunity to reflect on what music means for us in genera, how it can speak for and to one individual and how it can do the same for an entire society.
Putting aside the more deep and meaningful aspects of the book, there can be no denying the effectiveness of Jones' prose or his desire to fill in every tiny crack or gaping hole when it comes to learning about Webb, Campbell and 'Wichita Linesman'. Unless one reads a dedicated biography or autobiography of the two musicians this title will fill one's need to learn about them. There's no doubt that Campbell's gravitas as a session player needs more recognition, and towards the end of the book Jones calls him 'the American Jimmy Page'. This is a highly valid sobriquet for the singer/guitarist. Jones also makes sure to record how great Webb is as a songwriter in the best American tradition. No one can say, having read 'The Wichita Linesman' that either artist is under-appreciated or had their reputations impugned.
It might be argued that Jones spends a bit too long on his subject and he does circle back on his narrative a bit. He doesn't exactly repeat themes and insights but echoes them once or twice too many times. For a text that extols the sparse yet complex song (music and lyrics alike) Dylan's prose can be a bit too dense, too hyperbolic. That's okay though; we all have our idealised artefacts that we might go on about a bit too much to those that show some interest.
At the book's end the reader is left with one certainty; Jones has written a wonderful book about an amazing song. If one is willing to let his arguments, his narrative and most importantly, the song itself speak to you, then you will welcome what is said herein. Whilst I personally prefer 'Galveston' I admit that Jones makes a compelling argument for 'Wichita Linesman'. It is an amazing effort from a pair of truly great country music artists.
Campbell sat on the periphery, not quite country enough to sit in the same league as those artists I'd mentioned beforehand, a hold over in some ways from the Nashville countrypolitan sound I recall hearing on the radio when I was a kid. Too smooth and too finessed to be a true country singer, he was part of that Middle of the Road music mafia that threw up the likes of Burt Bacharach and Engelbert Humperdinck. However, I was selling him short. As Dylan Jones' book confirms, through his own artistry and even more powerfully, through his collaboration with songwriter Jimmy Webb, he was definitely country. The song 'Wichita Linesman' and the Webb/Campbell coalition that made it has all the hallmarks of that classic definition of country music: 'Three chords and the truth'.
Jones' book makes a huge effort to sell the idea of how brilliant 'Wichita Linesman' is and for the most part it succeeds. There is more to the book than an analysis of the classic Webb/Campbell song; it is also an examination of the Mid-West in America, a reflection on 1968 and the riotous events of that time. Campbell and Webb have their biographies dancing around each other, often meeting up, in the narrative of the text. Jones looks at his own life and how 'Wichita Linesman' speaks to him personally, whilst also reviewing and discussing how it has had an impact on performers other than Campbell, writers other that Webb. The song is arguably a MacGuffin; it is the hook that the author exploits to get his readers to contemplate both wider and more intimate issues than how great the song is.
Perhaps the giveaway to what this book is really about is the reference in the sub-title to 'searching..'. Jones has written a book that is in essence a journey of discovery, where he and anyone else willing to get on board with the song and the emotions and ideas it evokes can try and find out things that are more meaningful than just that song. Through the artifice of exploring the history of the song, its writer and most celebrated performer, Jones is giving his readers the opportunity to reflect on what music means for us in genera, how it can speak for and to one individual and how it can do the same for an entire society.
Putting aside the more deep and meaningful aspects of the book, there can be no denying the effectiveness of Jones' prose or his desire to fill in every tiny crack or gaping hole when it comes to learning about Webb, Campbell and 'Wichita Linesman'. Unless one reads a dedicated biography or autobiography of the two musicians this title will fill one's need to learn about them. There's no doubt that Campbell's gravitas as a session player needs more recognition, and towards the end of the book Jones calls him 'the American Jimmy Page'. This is a highly valid sobriquet for the singer/guitarist. Jones also makes sure to record how great Webb is as a songwriter in the best American tradition. No one can say, having read 'The Wichita Linesman' that either artist is under-appreciated or had their reputations impugned.
It might be argued that Jones spends a bit too long on his subject and he does circle back on his narrative a bit. He doesn't exactly repeat themes and insights but echoes them once or twice too many times. For a text that extols the sparse yet complex song (music and lyrics alike) Dylan's prose can be a bit too dense, too hyperbolic. That's okay though; we all have our idealised artefacts that we might go on about a bit too much to those that show some interest.
At the book's end the reader is left with one certainty; Jones has written a wonderful book about an amazing song. If one is willing to let his arguments, his narrative and most importantly, the song itself speak to you, then you will welcome what is said herein. Whilst I personally prefer 'Galveston' I admit that Jones makes a compelling argument for 'Wichita Linesman'. It is an amazing effort from a pair of truly great country music artists.
December 31, 2021
I love this song. In fact if I had to choose a soundtrack of my life (which I have tried to do) then this song would be in it. I can hear this song "through the whines" of countless memories and like a special photograph in a scrapbook, I pause and close my eyes whenever I hear it. So I was intrigued to read the story behind the song and my two musical heroes that made it what it was.
In Dylan Jones I felt like I found a kindred spirit - somebody who sees songs and music as I do. Things that hold place and time in a moment. This is captured by my best quote in the book "we hang on to songs because they are part of our 'identity construction', and... we are always trying to use them to get back to our lost paradise".
So what is not to like? Well in short, the book becomes rather repetitive and one feels the essence of what he wanted to say could have taken 135 pages and not 269. Even though I was willing Jones on as he rambled down PCH in a convertible listening to a mix-tape, I was still wanting to finish the journey around page 185.
My love of the song and Jones' ability to make me smile as he reflected on the power music has on the soul of a nostalgic prevented me from being overly grumpy and giving this a 2.
In Dylan Jones I felt like I found a kindred spirit - somebody who sees songs and music as I do. Things that hold place and time in a moment. This is captured by my best quote in the book "we hang on to songs because they are part of our 'identity construction', and... we are always trying to use them to get back to our lost paradise".
So what is not to like? Well in short, the book becomes rather repetitive and one feels the essence of what he wanted to say could have taken 135 pages and not 269. Even though I was willing Jones on as he rambled down PCH in a convertible listening to a mix-tape, I was still wanting to finish the journey around page 185.
My love of the song and Jones' ability to make me smile as he reflected on the power music has on the soul of a nostalgic prevented me from being overly grumpy and giving this a 2.
August 23, 2025
‘And I need you more than want you / and I want you for all time…’
‘Wichita Lineman’ has been one of my favourite songs since the late nineties; I first knowingly encountered it some thirty years after its release in 1968. I liked it then, I love it now. I have, you might say, grown into it.
More recently, it has come to speak to me in a way I never thought a song could. To find someone you need more than you want, and that you want for all time, is an earth-shatteringly transformative experience, however brief that encounter may be. It is an experience that alters, in a profound, cellular, unspoken way.
Composed by Jimmy Webb and realised by Glen Campbell, ‘Wichita Lineman’ is one of the greatest songs ever written, a short narrative that breaks hearts, quietly and simply devastating. A prairie Gothic tale of philosophical angst, of longing and yearning.
Dylan Jones’s celebration of the song, its writer and its original performer is a sublime exploration of timeless art in the making, of popular music, of America since the 1960s, and of the power of the song to interpret our lives. It is insightful and deeply moving.
I suspect that most of us are ‘searching in the sun’, aching to hear that voice in the wire.
‘Wichita Lineman’ has been one of my favourite songs since the late nineties; I first knowingly encountered it some thirty years after its release in 1968. I liked it then, I love it now. I have, you might say, grown into it.
More recently, it has come to speak to me in a way I never thought a song could. To find someone you need more than you want, and that you want for all time, is an earth-shatteringly transformative experience, however brief that encounter may be. It is an experience that alters, in a profound, cellular, unspoken way.
Composed by Jimmy Webb and realised by Glen Campbell, ‘Wichita Lineman’ is one of the greatest songs ever written, a short narrative that breaks hearts, quietly and simply devastating. A prairie Gothic tale of philosophical angst, of longing and yearning.
Dylan Jones’s celebration of the song, its writer and its original performer is a sublime exploration of timeless art in the making, of popular music, of America since the 1960s, and of the power of the song to interpret our lives. It is insightful and deeply moving.
I suspect that most of us are ‘searching in the sun’, aching to hear that voice in the wire.
April 8, 2023
I came to this book from a recommendation on the “strong songs” podcast. Wichita Lineman is one of the greatest songs ever written, and this book is at its best when it stays close to the song, writing about the production, origin, Webb & Campbell and the musical environment of the 60s & 70s.
Unfortunately the book also contains a lot of passages, mostly towards the end, that are more “musings” by the author then actually contributing to the book. One example is that the author explains he had a ‘not so good’ idea of writing a book about soundtracks for roadtrips, which he shelved, but then does exactly that for a couple of pages. Another is an explanation of some friends he grew up with in the music scene. Other passages are long quotes from other journalists presented as core of the text.
While it’s very easy to read (it reads like a long magazine article) it could have done without some of these parts, and with a better structure overall.
So all in all, enjoyable read for fans of music, wichita lineman, webb or campbell, but could be shorter and a bit better structured. For a great song analysis of wichita lineman, do look up the strong songs podcast.
Unfortunately the book also contains a lot of passages, mostly towards the end, that are more “musings” by the author then actually contributing to the book. One example is that the author explains he had a ‘not so good’ idea of writing a book about soundtracks for roadtrips, which he shelved, but then does exactly that for a couple of pages. Another is an explanation of some friends he grew up with in the music scene. Other passages are long quotes from other journalists presented as core of the text.
While it’s very easy to read (it reads like a long magazine article) it could have done without some of these parts, and with a better structure overall.
So all in all, enjoyable read for fans of music, wichita lineman, webb or campbell, but could be shorter and a bit better structured. For a great song analysis of wichita lineman, do look up the strong songs podcast.
May 28, 2023
Great Song .. Not So Great book.
I remember as a kid my mother playing Glen Campbell records and hearing his hit songs all over the radio. Hearing Gentle On My Mind always brings me back to those simpler days - I've also come to realize that not only was Glen Campbell a great singer and a star, he was also an outstanding, and very underrated guitar player.
Ok - this book .. I was in the library and it caught my attention. I knew the name Jimmy Webb but really didn't know a lot about him - Bruce Springsteen wrote Western Stars influenced by Webb and Campbell. Looking at Webb's list of songwriting credits, the man is a legend. The book starts out great, first 3 chapters are fine .. chapter 4 is when this book goes off the rails - the author spouting about Trump & Russia, his favorite karaoke songs (I mean really -- who cares ?), his interpretations of Kansas and mid-west America (from an Englishman), and all the clubs he used to hang out in London. Skimmed through chapters 4-7- the last chapter was fine, interviewing Webb & his memories of Campbell.
3 stars for the bio's of Webb & Campbell - 1 star for the additional unnecessary chapters.
I remember as a kid my mother playing Glen Campbell records and hearing his hit songs all over the radio. Hearing Gentle On My Mind always brings me back to those simpler days - I've also come to realize that not only was Glen Campbell a great singer and a star, he was also an outstanding, and very underrated guitar player.
Ok - this book .. I was in the library and it caught my attention. I knew the name Jimmy Webb but really didn't know a lot about him - Bruce Springsteen wrote Western Stars influenced by Webb and Campbell. Looking at Webb's list of songwriting credits, the man is a legend. The book starts out great, first 3 chapters are fine .. chapter 4 is when this book goes off the rails - the author spouting about Trump & Russia, his favorite karaoke songs (I mean really -- who cares ?), his interpretations of Kansas and mid-west America (from an Englishman), and all the clubs he used to hang out in London. Skimmed through chapters 4-7- the last chapter was fine, interviewing Webb & his memories of Campbell.
3 stars for the bio's of Webb & Campbell - 1 star for the additional unnecessary chapters.
October 9, 2019
I've read books about albums, but this is the first one for me about a song only. And when the author writes about what's relevant to the song itself - composer Jimmy Webb, performer Glen Campbell, the recording by the Wrecking Crew, the landscape of Kansas and Oklahoma - it's a great read. But when he digresses into lengthy personal reminisces, such as road trips he's taken and the mixed tapes he made to accompany them, I found it distracting and irrelevant. It left me with the impression that perhaps it's difficult to fill 250 pages when your topic is one song (even if it's the world's greatest) therefore it had to be flushed out with reflective meanderings. But if you have any interest in "Wichita Lineman" beyond the three minutes it takes to hear it, then pick this up, the author's affection, enthusiasm and respect are genuine. Oh, and also take his advice and check out Sammy Davis, Jr's version.
March 5, 2020
You never forget your first...album. I believe Glen Campbell's Wichita Lineman album was the first I purchased and I played it far past the point of annoyance on the part of the rest of my family. It's hard to believe an entire book (albeit a small one) could be written about one pop song, but that's exactly what this is. The author writes lyrically himself and had interviewed Jimmy Webb, the song's composer. It helped that I had driven through the land the song was written about just before starting to read it. There were lots of quotes I liked. Here's one:
" 'It was a song for its time, and for a divided nation, tearing itself apart. It came out when America was on the news every night--the richest land in human history, but desperately unhappy and at war with itself. Jimmy Webb always felt like he was waking up from the American Dream.l". Tony Parsons as quoted in The Wichita Lineman.
" 'It was a song for its time, and for a divided nation, tearing itself apart. It came out when America was on the news every night--the richest land in human history, but desperately unhappy and at war with itself. Jimmy Webb always felt like he was waking up from the American Dream.l". Tony Parsons as quoted in The Wichita Lineman.
August 31, 2021
Misstep?
I was joyfully reading along until Jones quotes Frank Sinatra's view of Campbell as a "f*****." As in "What's with the f*****?" he apparently asks, when he finds that Campbell has been ardently watching him.
What?
I stopped. And put the book down. And I'm not picking it up.
Why? I'm not one for censorship of any sort or trigger warnings and the like. But why Jones felt it necessary to use such an odious slur, one that is right up there with the N-word, is beyond me. I've been called the F-word and I know it's out there. But Jones could have easily paraphrased or could have alluded to the word. Nope. A direct quote. Was there any real necessity to use the word? Nope. It's not as though Jones is trying to give us Sinatra as an odious twit; if anything, he admires Sinatra.
This kind of crap is tiring. Shame on Faber for thinking that this was on okay thing.
I'm not even going to give the book away or to the library. I'm putting in the recycle box.
I was joyfully reading along until Jones quotes Frank Sinatra's view of Campbell as a "f*****." As in "What's with the f*****?" he apparently asks, when he finds that Campbell has been ardently watching him.
What?
I stopped. And put the book down. And I'm not picking it up.
Why? I'm not one for censorship of any sort or trigger warnings and the like. But why Jones felt it necessary to use such an odious slur, one that is right up there with the N-word, is beyond me. I've been called the F-word and I know it's out there. But Jones could have easily paraphrased or could have alluded to the word. Nope. A direct quote. Was there any real necessity to use the word? Nope. It's not as though Jones is trying to give us Sinatra as an odious twit; if anything, he admires Sinatra.
This kind of crap is tiring. Shame on Faber for thinking that this was on okay thing.
I'm not even going to give the book away or to the library. I'm putting in the recycle box.
December 30, 2021
First it was wow a book about Wichita Lineman, a favourite, casting images of open spaces and the wonder of America. A style of music so different from my normal tastes. Then imaginings of a unique find were put to rest by the writer Dylan Jones who believes there is a mass audience thinking the same, hence the book.
My claim to enthusiasm is supported by havng an original copy of the sheet music I bought in the late 60s. Priced 3 shillings or 15p in today's British money. It looks easy enough to play but it seemed some chords were for another tune, and that Bflatmaj7.
The book has eight chapters. One to four are great reading about the origins of the song and about the writer and singer. Then it begins to meander into cover versions and the like, ending with the most touching part which is Jimmy Webb's tribute to Glen Campbell.
The book is really about Campbell and Webb for me, although the feeling of the number, that of travelling across flat lonely lands is well covered.
The writer appears to enjoy this type of music. There's a lot about another Webb/Campbell number, 'By the time I get to Phoenix', far too much for my liking. Hardly a mention of Galveston which ranks alongside Wichita Lineman for me.
A worthy book. Well written and researched.
My claim to enthusiasm is supported by havng an original copy of the sheet music I bought in the late 60s. Priced 3 shillings or 15p in today's British money. It looks easy enough to play but it seemed some chords were for another tune, and that Bflatmaj7.
The book has eight chapters. One to four are great reading about the origins of the song and about the writer and singer. Then it begins to meander into cover versions and the like, ending with the most touching part which is Jimmy Webb's tribute to Glen Campbell.
The book is really about Campbell and Webb for me, although the feeling of the number, that of travelling across flat lonely lands is well covered.
The writer appears to enjoy this type of music. There's a lot about another Webb/Campbell number, 'By the time I get to Phoenix', far too much for my liking. Hardly a mention of Galveston which ranks alongside Wichita Lineman for me.
A worthy book. Well written and researched.
May 27, 2024
One of the wonderful things about Jimmy Webb's classic song "Wichita Lineman", and in particular Glen Campbell's original and definitive recording, is that it manages to say so much about love and heartache in so few words. You might now be able to guess where I'm going with this review.
At its core, this book strikes me as a decent, in-depth magazine article for something like Mojo, but with a lot of padding inserted to make it into a short book. As a result, it kind of misses the point, because there's too much here that's not about the song itself - probably because, once you've quoted Webb and Campbell themselves, there's not that much to say (unless you want to get into the technical aspects of the song and recording itself, which Jones doesn't and in fairness would be a different book).
Ultimately, this failed the main criterion I set any book about music: it didn't make me want to go and listen again, even though I love the song.
At its core, this book strikes me as a decent, in-depth magazine article for something like Mojo, but with a lot of padding inserted to make it into a short book. As a result, it kind of misses the point, because there's too much here that's not about the song itself - probably because, once you've quoted Webb and Campbell themselves, there's not that much to say (unless you want to get into the technical aspects of the song and recording itself, which Jones doesn't and in fairness would be a different book).
Ultimately, this failed the main criterion I set any book about music: it didn't make me want to go and listen again, even though I love the song.
October 31, 2021
Never in my life did I think a book literally about ONE SONG would captivate me so much.
Dylan Jones is a hell of a writer.
He captures a perfect songwriter, Jimmy Webb, and pairs him with the singer you think of most when you hear Wichita Lineman, Glen Campbell. You learn so much about both individuals, as one would think when you're covering one song, the making of, the writing of, and how that song has influenced and struck so many people in so many ways. You will never listen to the song the same.
He breaks down this song into pieces. It was the perfect storm. And, maybe Jimmy Webb does think it's just another song he wrote. Possibly. But, it's the pairing of the song with Campbell that forged a lifetime bond between the two.
It's 269 pages of music history. Put it on the TBR pile.
Dylan Jones is a hell of a writer.
He captures a perfect songwriter, Jimmy Webb, and pairs him with the singer you think of most when you hear Wichita Lineman, Glen Campbell. You learn so much about both individuals, as one would think when you're covering one song, the making of, the writing of, and how that song has influenced and struck so many people in so many ways. You will never listen to the song the same.
He breaks down this song into pieces. It was the perfect storm. And, maybe Jimmy Webb does think it's just another song he wrote. Possibly. But, it's the pairing of the song with Campbell that forged a lifetime bond between the two.
It's 269 pages of music history. Put it on the TBR pile.
July 9, 2025
This might have been a four- or five-star book except that Jones veers off at times into American politics, a subject, unlike music, he doesn't seem to have the least grasp of. You soon realize his lack of understanding of the subject, simply comes from his lack of understanding of American Culture in general.
The English often, like the French, have this weird disconnect where they seem to love American Culture, but don't really seem to have a very good understanding of the country or the people itself. Like jazz, they like it, but they don't truly understand it.
With the two central figures in the book, Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb, Jones seems to try to make something of the fact that Campbell was a Republican and Webb was a Democrat. Be very suspect when a writer introduces politics into a discussion where it doesn't belong.
The English often, like the French, have this weird disconnect where they seem to love American Culture, but don't really seem to have a very good understanding of the country or the people itself. Like jazz, they like it, but they don't truly understand it.
With the two central figures in the book, Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb, Jones seems to try to make something of the fact that Campbell was a Republican and Webb was a Democrat. Be very suspect when a writer introduces politics into a discussion where it doesn't belong.
October 3, 2021
If you're a fan of Glen or Jimmy, or even The Wrecking Crew or songwriting and record-collecting and record-production, this is a very interesting ride. Dylan weaves in personal stories as well as Glen's and Jimmy's histories.
There's a chapter in the middle that meanders a bit, which is a bit odd for book formats, BUT if you just imagine you're having a long chat over dinner and drinks, it's just like you're just having this long chat about the music biz and fandom of Glen and Jimmy, which made me feel like I could easily geek out with this author over dinner and drinks.
And sure there's a lot of repetition of the genesis of the very song it's all about, but it's welcome repetition. It's the kind of stuff songwriters and record collectors would go on and on about gladly.
There's a chapter in the middle that meanders a bit, which is a bit odd for book formats, BUT if you just imagine you're having a long chat over dinner and drinks, it's just like you're just having this long chat about the music biz and fandom of Glen and Jimmy, which made me feel like I could easily geek out with this author over dinner and drinks.
And sure there's a lot of repetition of the genesis of the very song it's all about, but it's welcome repetition. It's the kind of stuff songwriters and record collectors would go on and on about gladly.
December 23, 2024
It’s well written, and exceedingly comprehensively punctuated, but even for a fan of this gorgeous song, there’s quite a bit of padding involved in sustaining a 269 page book about a three minute (or so) piece of music.
The book is more fully about Jimmy Webb, and the state of American song-writing in the 20th Century, than about anything else.
As for The Wichita Lineman song? Well, it speaks for itself, and I think I understand fully why a writer such as Dylan Jones wishes to write a book about it. There’s only so many songs that could withstand a full book written about them, and this is certainly one of them. But it is still probably longer than it needs to be, for such a narrow subject matter.
The book is more fully about Jimmy Webb, and the state of American song-writing in the 20th Century, than about anything else.
As for The Wichita Lineman song? Well, it speaks for itself, and I think I understand fully why a writer such as Dylan Jones wishes to write a book about it. There’s only so many songs that could withstand a full book written about them, and this is certainly one of them. But it is still probably longer than it needs to be, for such a narrow subject matter.
July 1, 2024
I’m glad there exists an entire book about the masterpiece that is “Wichita Lineman”. I found that reading it was a bit of a slog at the beginning but it gained momentum. Most importantly, I came away with a new level of respect for Glen Campbell and feel a bit silly that I knew so little of his talents as a guitar virtuoso. This book has a lot of great passages about that. And it’s always good to read about the adventures of The Wrecking Crew — also covered in very interesting detail here. So the book is mainly about that amazing song but also tells a whole lot of fun and interesting stories associated with it.
November 30, 2019
I enjoy books that dive into a song or an album or an artist. This was intriguing to me. I was not too distracted by the author's wanderings into playlists and whatnot, but I did feel it got repetitive as others have stated. The political snark was quite distracting. I get it, Trump and the folks that voted for him horrify you. The barbs play well and may give you limo-cred at the cocktail parties but they took me out of the story of the song and all its players. Other than that, I learned a lot about a great song and great artists.
April 12, 2020
I’m a fully paid-up member of the Wichita Lineman fan club, but this book was a little disappointing. Some great insights but almost all from desk research (there are some interviews but surprisingly unrevealing) and many I’d heard before; the journalistic style runs out of road and there’s plenty of filler and even some repeated anecdotes, which is a shame. When it’s good it’s great, but really it should have been a long read journalistic piece.
May 9, 2021
I really enjoyed this book, especially being someone who also thought for a long time that they were the only person who lived Wichita Lineman. I especially appreciated p151 and the introduction to so many different versions including the 42 minute Dick Slessig version which I know will be a great soundtrack for long train journeys. It would have been 5 stars but I found parts of the book a bit repetitive and a little rambling.
April 24, 2022
I think he retold the story of Jimmy Webb seeing the lineman up on the poles maybe 10 times and it really felt like there was so much padding in here - let's interview a real lineman! What other things are named Wichita! - but the insights on why the song works and continues to resonate were thoughtful and engaging. Author also wrote about extendo-drone Dick Slessig Combo version (featuring ex. Acetone members) - so that's a win.
August 7, 2019
When you see a book about one of your favourite songs, you have to read it. Wichita Lineman was released by Glenn Campbell and written by Jimmy Webb in 1968. This is the story of how it came about, why it’s incomplete, the legacy it left and how so many people find their own interpretations of the meaning of the song. An enjoyable read, I just felt that sometimes it went off rambling.
November 30, 2019
I have loved the song Wichita Lineman since I was a kid and I still love it as much today. Such a brilliantly written song (by Jim Webb) and beautifully sung (by Glenn Campbell). The writer demonstrates his own love of the song and paints a wonderful picture of the people and events surrounding it. A whole book on one song you say, really? If you are a fan of the song then yes, it works!
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