Hey cksalmon

[_Blixa]

I just found the best Jimmy Webb recording of "Galveston." I heard it on an old Ricky Gervais radio show from around 2002 and it was a version I'd not heard before. Instead of being backed with his own piano playing, Webb sang over a guitar accompaniment-- -one featuring a very long and very striking intro of one chord being played over and over. The guitar work itself is interesting throughout the song, too.

It took me forever to track down where to find it/when it was recorded---1973 on his "Letters" album. You can find it on the Rhino Records 3 CD Jimmy Webb set, or download the mp3 from Amazon (but not iTunes and I had no luck scoring a free file, either).

It's one of his nicest vocals, too, in my opinion. Sadly, I think his voice is gone at this point, judging from recent clips on YouTube (the Jools Holland show). Its worth tracking down if you like Webb or the song. "Galveston" always struck me as one of the most iconic of anti-war songs despite its lack of Vietnam imagery. The line, "I'm so afraid of dying," is a moving evocation of the most basic reaction to going into battle...