wabio

Can a musician retire? I figure that would be something your body could handle at least into your 60's. Maybe he's going to pull a Michael Jordan.....? Hmmmm.......


http://music.windowsmedia.msn.com/pr...preview=686213

Even after his ill-fated experiment with rock music (and his alter-ego Chris Gaines), when Garth Brooks releases a new album, it is an event. Not just in country music, but in the entertainment industry as a whole. Only the Dixie Chicks have generated the kind of huge crossover success and media attention that Brooks achieved in the '90s. To many people, especially non-country listeners, Brooks is country music. He's a genuine celebrity. If most singers were to make a declaration that "... this will be my final album," as Brooks has done with Scarecrow, who would care? Whether this turns out to be a Michael Jordan type of "retirement" remains to be seen, but Brooks, like Jordan, is at the level of celebrity where the media get whipped into a frenzy by a statement like that.

His career decisions aside, how does Scarecrow stand up musically? Well, when you're in a position to sift through some 8,000 original songs and pick 12 to be on your album, then you're going to have some pretty strong material. Brooks is a fine singer, if a bit nasal, and of course the musicianship and production are top flight. Overall, the song selection is the most interesting aspect of this album. The word here is diversity. Brooks includes songs like "Why I Ain't Running," "The Storm," and "When You Come Back To Me Again," which harken back to his early '90s pop-crossover glory days. However, Brooks has a few surprises up his sleeve as well. "Beer Run," his duet with country legend George Jones, is an irresistible revved-up honky-tonk romp. On the other side of the spectrum is "Wrapped Up in You" which, if not for a fiddle running through the entire tune, I would swear is a long-lost Lennon\McCartney pop-gem. And for the O Brother, Where Art Thou? crowd, Brooks gives us his stripped-down bluegrass rendition of Doyle Lawson's "Don't Cross The River," which may be the finest track on the album.

All in all, the variety and gusto that Brooks brings to each song adds up to one of the best albums of his impressive career. And while this may be his swan song, we can all hope that he realizes his folly and comes back for yet another slam dunk.
~Ben Decker, MSN Music

Da Thrilla

Aww, shucks.

El Scorcho

Across the nation, fat chicks in bright red tight wranglers weep.

KitchenSink

Oh. I thought meant he was retiring from baseball.

Thunderball

*looks to the sky*
thank you.

Weapon X

Well, my wife likes country..I really don't like it..most of the 'artists' DON'T WRITE thier own three chord songs..sad.

Brooks already 'retired' after the Gaines incident....

This being said, I admire the man for 2 things...

1. Being a KISS fan.....
2. Doing a great show.


He'll be missed, but he won't stay retired..give him 5 years and a beard......


The 'new' country scene is too competetive for him right now.

Also, ironically, I heard Wal-Mart (Duh) playing the new CD..and I shuddered when I realized I was ENJOYING IT OF MY OWN FREE WILL!!!!

My God, thank God he's gone..I'd look DAMN stupid in a cowboy get-up....

dvdsteve2000

Amen, brother!!

Myster X

wooohooo!!!!!!!!!!!!

ravan

Let the pelting being - I like country and Garth Brooks.

Not fanatically, but its great sometimes.

I think he'll be back (again).

jfoobar

Fortunately, my wife doesn't care too much for Brooks. Unfortunately, she cares greatly for the Dixie Chicks.



The voice of the one on the right has all the musical quality of a chainsaw cutting through reinforced concrete.


Moving to Music Talk...

Boot

My guess is that his incredibly huge ego won't allow him to stay retired long. He's probably doing this so that he can revel in everybody's grief only to make a "comeback" so that he can revel in everybody's adulation. This guy is such an @ss.

Burnt Alive

Again?

Ape

Best news I've heard this year!

KnightLerxst

That is a little too kind...more like a chainsaw cutting through a man, getting an enima, from a nurse with cold hands, with a hose 5 inches in diameter, filled with butterscotch...

Mafia81RCV

How do you figure? He's the one that ushered in 'new' country, and he's had no problem getting airplay ever, even with this album. If people don't like country music, they shouldn't go bashing it like many of these posts. The Dixie Chicks are very country, they write half their music, play their own instruments, have sold an assload of records...obviously, they've got something going for them.

KnightLerxst

Todays country, including the Chicks is so polished, so prepackaged it is not even funny. Even stuff that is sorta considered traditional, like Alan Jackson is masterfully built.

atlantamoi

Since when did selling a massive amount of CD's mean squat as far as
artistic merit goes? I know music taste is THAT, someone's taste. But Garth
Brooks has always made me ill compared to stuff like the Mavericks,
Dwight Yoakam and Lucinda Williams. You can't always live in the past,
but I would take Johnny Cash and George Jones ANY DAY over that
"country" Garth barfs out. Retire and go away.

Weapon X

Yep..T&A....


Look, I don't have (THANK GOD!!) a Dixie Chicks CDin front of me, but check yours..any song that is written by say the four Spice Girls AND Desmond Child was REALLY written by..DESMOND CHILD< even if he gets last billing.

In some cases, record labels 'buy'writers so the artitsts can APPEAR credible when they are either not good, or too drunk/druggedout to actually bother to write..sadly, some 'Heavy Metal' bands fall into this category.

Garth is just not hip when there are hot babes around and women get to choose between Garth and guys they find 'cuter' or younger.

Also, I DID say I,too liked Garth's new CD...shocking to me as that is...so I say he WILL be back in a few years with a different look, and hell, maybe he'll play ore rock...that WAS his main influence 'KISS'...he plays a mean trib song, and he just f'ing ROCKS on it.

I have two versions..LIVE (Can't be faked!) and studio.and Brooks CAN rock..whichfrom what I understand, HE wanted 'Chris Gaines' to be...a Heavy Metal/Marylin Manson type of sound, but the record company nixed it....

I say "What a damn shame..."

porieux

I say "Better late than never!"

Decker

Hey, I'll come to Garth's defense here. I don't like almost any country music and was as dismissive of Garth in his heyday as you all are now. Still, with a semi-open mind I watched NBC's This is Garth Brooks special and was VERY impressed with what a good show it was. The next year they did a second special that was even better. I realized that garth is a first-class pop star who is considered a country artist. I've picked up all his albums (thanks to a very nice-priced box set that was only $27 for six albums), and I enjoy them all. His new album is also quite good.

Look, I don't expect to make any converts here. If you don't like him, don't listen to him. Sometimes his antics annoy me too. His fixation with seling albums is crass and that Chris Gains thing was very ill-conceived (I won't even touch that spring-training thing). Still, he's a nice guy who cares about his fans and puts on great shows and puts out albums that are enjoyable both to country fans and to people like me who won't listen to any other contry artists. There are certainly more worthy targets of your ire in the world of recorded music.

ps, I don't really buy the retierement thing either. Then again, I didn't believe that (Garth's buddy) Billy Joel was giving up writing and recording songs in '94 and so far he's kept his word. We'll see....

Weapon X

You just earned the man a new fan.

I remember that now. He INSISTED the box be priced 'For the fans'...

Damn classy act.

I can stand behind that type of guy and be proud(Well, not BEHIND..that might get a little weird, ya know?)...

I don't like the word 'retired'...he should say he is taking a few years to re-evaluate his career and goals.

As I said, I have heard him do 'Rock'..not 'Pop'..and he is DAMN good.

I would buy THAT CD in a heartbeat.

BTW-Is the live show ever coming out on DVD?? Is it already?

monkeyboy

that's what i thought. hasn't he been saying that he's going to retire for years? i thought he said he was done with music after his little rock music foray died. i heard him say that he wants to focus on screenplays.

Decker

Nope, he's kept his word. After the Gains thing, he said he was done with touring. He said he would record one more "farewell" studio album and do whatever promotion was required and then he would hang it up. He's stayed true to his word so far. He's also said that there may be another album or two compiled from his unreleased recordings as well.

POWERBOMB

Yep. I still think he and Trisha Yearwood are secretly having an affair/relationship. But when you have as much $$ as he does, why continue working? People are just going to say that he is trying to recapture "past glory."

Fielding Mellish

Actually, Garth has forsaken the music industry and converted to Islam. His new name is Bubba Yousef.

You heard it here first.