The Ridiculous Sublime of Jimmy Webb

We now interrupt our original scheduled programming for...well, a record I've been obsessively listening to for the last week and change. 

When Jimmy Webb released El Mirage in 1977 he had been trying for the better part of a decade to put the singer in the singer/songwriter, unsuccessfully trying to establish himself as a recording artist in his own right. And yet the public still liked him better as the man who gave the words to Glen Campbell or, well, Richard Harris to sing. While his first album often tried to get away from the bombast that Campbell especially was known for, by El Mirage Webb had given up trying to present himself as a sensitive, guitar-based player in the James Taylor vein and finally and fully embraced his inner Neil Diamond. George Martin was hired to produce, and also arranged and conducted, with the expected orchestral and ornate results. No expense was spared to hire the best session men, including several members of the Wrecking Crew, future mother murderer Jim Gordon (who seems to drum on every 70s album ever recorded), Herb Petersen on acoustic guitar and banjo and random hobos off the street like Billy Davis and Kenny Loggins on the outstanding backing vocals that prop up Webb's leads on several songs. It might be over the top some times, but it sure as hell sounds pretty. 

Webb also brought out some of his best songs, even if some had already been covered by others. "The Highwayman" is an absolute classic and completely bests the hit version of, well, The Highwaymen. "If You See Me Getting Smaller", issued simultaneously by future Highwayman Waylon Jennings, is another stone cold classic. And while Allmusic complains about the 'unnecessary' remake of "P.F. Sloan", I can not abide such sentiment. The original had some weird child-like sounding female backing vocals, which are completely dusted by the deluxe backing vocals on display here. Plus, you know, Herb Pedersen on banjo. Give me that version over the prototype any day and twice on sunday.  

El Mirage is mostly great, but it could have been better. The sequencing had the record's momentum stunted in the middle. And this new resequenced - and in my semi-humble opinion - improved version of the album also has the added bonus of NOT including "Mixed-Up Guy", where Webb really lets his inner Diamond shine, setting a soft rock tune to a disco arrangement which is one step too far for me. Your mileage for showbiz cheese might vary, but mine stops right there. The rest, though, in all its splendid L.A. studio ace glory? Chef's kiss, people, chef's kiss. Jimmy Webb was never afraid of the ridiculous in search of the sublime, and he finds it here, more than once. Here's hoping you do, too.