Published on Feb 12, 2000
I’m aware that there was some sort of fight going on between
Garth Brooks and his record company over this album’s release, but
darn if I can remember what the big deal was all about. I do know
that many of country’s stalwarts get their panties in a knot
whenever you go, “Country? Yeah, I like country. I listen to Garth
Brooks!” Why? Because to many of them, Brooks is not country, he’s
a pop artist with country influences. Thing is, this album –
Brooks’s’s seventh, explaining the title
Sevens – can be shown as a perfect example of what they’re
talking about.
What do I mean? Well, start by taking a look at how long each
song is. All but one orbit the three-minute and under minute mark.
That last song, “Fit For A King,” almost reaches the four-minute
mark – an amazing feat. Now, you could make the argument that songs
are as long as they should be. And some of the material works just
fine as is. However, it gets a bit problematic when EVERY song is
this long. It gives the impression that Brooks may have gotten lazy
or that the problems that surrounded the recording sessions were
bigger than believed.
The album kicks off with “Longneck Bottle,” which mixes country
with some early rock’n’roll guitar. The alcohol motif continues
with “Two Piña Coladas,” which begs the question, “When the
hell did Garth Brooks think he was Jimmy Buffett??” Both songs are
a bit average, meaning there’s nothing thrilling about them. In
that pile you can chuck “Cowboy Cadillac” – I thought cowboys were
seen as sissies with anything but a pickup! – “When There’s No One
Around” and the duet with Trisha Yearwood, “In Another’s Eyes.”
Both of the last songs are very pop-influenced, but gain nothing
from that influence. Only the up-tempo and unispired “Do What You
Gotta Do” ranks lower than them.
Now, what does work here includes “Fit For A King,” which uses
gospel-like vocals in its chorus; the very-fun and up-tempo “Take
The Keys To My Heart” and the incredibly tender “Belleau Wood.”
“You Move Me” and “I Don’t Have To Wonder” show how Brooks can mix
both country and pop to create good music. At the same time, “She’s
Gonna Make It” does prove Brooks can do country, while “How You
Ever Gonna Know” shows he can mix different tempos into a good
song.
Get the idea that this album is a mixed affair for me? Good,
because that’s about what I got out of it. On one hand, Brooks is
easily able to create soft and tender moments that prove he’s above
and beyond being a simple country star. Then, he goes and wrecks it
by doing some of the weakest tracks I’ve heard. Some of it might
have been the problems surrounding the recording of
Sevens. Some of it might be that he’s just been pushing
himself during the past decade. I mean, within two years, he had
released his Chris Gaines project and tried out for the San Diego
Padres…. and don’t forget he’ll be with the New York Mets for
spring training this year! The man just can’t stop! Perhaps a bit
of a break would allow him to either strengthen the weak songs or
ditch them out altogether. Oh well, hindsight is always 20/10.
While he kept his chart-topping ways alive with this album,
Sevens is not really the album to get you into Garth Brooks.
Sure, it has some good and a few great moments, but this is more
for the diehard fans. They’re the ones who keep his career going
and allow him to release both good and not-so good material. Brooks
is capable of melding both pop and country when he’s shooting for
it – that’s why he’s so popular – but sometimes he ought to be just
one or the other, lest he push himself to mediocrity.