Before the Fall
Peter Letheby | Adelaide, South Australia Australia | 08/28/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
""By the Time I Get to Phoenix" is an album previously unavailable in Aystralia in vinyl form (except through record clubs and on import), so it was welcome to see its issue on CD with "Gentle on My Mind". The former rates as one of the best albums of the rock era, as Campbell explores the emotional undercurrents of standard pop/country music in a new and refreshing way. "Hey Little One", "I'll Be Lucky Someday", "Homeward Bound" and the title track represent some of the most intensely wrought performances in the country-rock idiom."Gentle On My Mind" stands up well alongside "Phoenix" as an important contributor to the developing country-rock genre. Its playfulness contrasts with, and complements, "Phoenix"'s more sombre approach. For my money Campbell never equalled these two albums in quality of material or performance."