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33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Just about all of them are here, May 2, 2005
This review is from: The Hits (Audio CD)
Last I knew this had been certified for over 10 million in sales so I'm not sure how many people interested in this don't have it already, but those wanting to get an overview of just about all of Garth's hits will find most of them here. (Singles pre-1994, that is. That means don't look for "She's Every Woman","The Fever","Beaches of Cheyenne","The Change","It's Midnight Cinderella","That Ol' Wind","In Another's Eyes","Long Neck Bottle","She's Gonna Make It","Two Pina Coladas","To Make You Feel My Love" or "You Move Me")
If you're not sure what Garth means to country music, consider that before him a country show primarily meant the musicians simply performing without much showmanship. Garth brought flames, smokescreen, flying out over the stage on wires and other razzle dazzle to his shows and fans turned up in droves. He reminded country performers that a little spectacle isn't necessarily a bad thing.
HIGHLIGHTS:
All of these were chart hits to some degree or other but obviously some songs stand taller than others. To this day, "Friends in Low Places", "The Thunder Rolls", "Unanswered Prayers" and "If Tomorrow Never Comes" still get frequent (and deserved) airplay. "That Summer" doesn't get as many spins, but it should because it's a perfect evocation of the emotions every man goes through the first time he has sex. Garth was right about "Callin' Baton Rouge"...it's a great song. At least if New Grass Revival couldn't get a solid hit out of it, they got some recognition for the tune.
LOWS:
"American Honky-Tonk Bar Association" (the same stereotypes as on "Friends in Low Places" but without the great sense of humour) and the preachy "We Shall Be Free" are the clunkers here, despite their chart appearance.
BOTTOM LINE:
He was the Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year 5 times. He's one of only 3 musicians to ever appear as both host and musical guest on "Saturday Night Live" (Dolly Parton was 1 of the other 2...not bad company). These are the greatest hits of the most popular country artist of the 1990s.
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A country music phenomenon, July 18, 2005
This review is from: The Hits (Audio CD)
Garth Brooks recorded some great songs many of which are included in this fine collection, which was compiled from his first five albums (Garth Brooks, No fences, Roping the wind, The chase, In pieces). Garth's phenomenal success in his American homeland contrasts sharply with his international profile. He became very popular in some countries (notably Ireland) but conspicuously failed to make more than a limited impact elsewhere, notably Britain, where he had a few hit singles but his chart history is not spectacular, so this review focuses primarily on his American career.
Garth's first single (Much too young) was a great song but the other two hits (If tomorrow never comes, The dances) from his debut album (simply titled Garth Brooks) really set up his career. Irish singer Ronan Keating later had a British number one hit with a cover of If tomorrow never comes. While his debut album provided Garth was a great start to his career, he was at that stage overshadowed by another rising country star, Clint Black. While Clint was never quite able to match the brilliance of his debut album, Garth took country music to a whole new audience.
Garth's second album (No fences) yielded four major hits (Friends in low places, Unanswered prayers, The thunder rolls, Two of a kind working on a full house). Garth co-wrote The thunder rolls before he had a recording contract and Tanya Tucker was the first singer to record hit. Tanya's brilliant version was not released on an album at the time (it later appeared on a 4-CD boxed set in 1994) so Garth recorded it himself. The album eventually sold well over ten million copies in America, reaching out to a pop and rock audience that traditionally ignored country music.
Garth's third album (Roping the wind) consolidated Garth's status as a superstar. No less than six tracks from it can be found here, these being Burning bridges (a hit for Garth in Spain), Shameless (a cover of a Billy Joel song), What she's doing now (co-written by Garth but first recorded by Crystal Gayle), Rodeo, Papa loves Mama and the title track.
Garth's fourth album (The chase) is represented by just two tracks here (We shall be free, That summer). Garth is upset at the controversy generated by We shall be free. He and Stephanie Davis, who co-wrote the song, intended it to be a simple love song but the lyrics can be interpreted differently to make it sound like a political anthem. Listen and judge for yourself.
Garth's fifth album (In pieces) is represented by three tracks here (Ain't going down till the sun comes up, Calling Baton Rouge (a cover of a song first recorded by the New Grass Revival, who back Garth on his version of the song), American honky-tonk bar association). The European edition of this compilation, also long out of print, includes two further tracks from this album (Standing outside the fire, The red strokes).
This collection fairly represents Garth's classic period. Although he continued to record further albums, he never quite recaptured the magic of his first five albums. This hits collection was released as a limited edition and is long out of print, but the original albums are still in print. If you can't find a used copy, I recommend you begin with No fences, then pick up In pieces, Garth Brooks, Roping the wind and The chase in that order, stopping if you feel you've got as much of Garth as you want. Garth also recorded a Christmas album (Beyond the season) during this period, which is also worth hearing.
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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Collection Of Garth Brooks Biggest Hits!, July 19, 2002
This review is from: The Hits (Audio CD)
While I am not a very big fan of country music, I have watched Garth Brooks' career with interest, for he seems to have a talent for producing some very interesting music and with a series of collaborators certainly has a lyrical gift worth appreciating. On particular songs such as "The Dance", he shows how high he is able to soar as an artist, although I have to confess that a lot of his other songs I find less than enthralling. Still, I am of the opinion that this collection of his hits is well worth listening to, and there really is something worth listening to here for everyone, even if much of what is here is not necessarily for everyone. I am a sucker for most sentimental songs, although I do have limits, and much of what country music presents goes far beyond what I can appreciate, over into the land of contrived hooks and emotional showboating. Yet most of us would agree that "if Tomorrow Never Comes" is one of those songs that runs recklessly on the edge of the latter but stays beautifully just inside the limits of what even an old curmudgeon like me has to love! So, too, does the thoughtful emotionalism forwarded in "The River" and "Unanswered Prayers" provide us with examples of just how good Garth can be at his best. So too his magical lyrical confections catch us up in spite of ourselves in songs like "Standing Outside The Fire". Garth does indeed have a way with words. We all should appreciate the degree to which Brooks has been an influence on the direction of contemporary country music, and I dare to be of the opinion that he has helped to encourage a degree of seriousness and purpose among many young songwriters that the general level of excellence has been lifted. While we may always be victimized by the "You Flushed Me Down The Toilet of Your Heart" kind of country singers, we can also look forward to an occasional glimpse at songs like "The Dance" or "The River" because of Garth. Enjoy!
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