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Artist: Garth Brooks
Album: Man Against Machine
Bitrate: 243kbps avg
Quality: EAC Secure Mode / LAME 3.98.4 / -V0 / 44.100Khz
Label: RCA
Genre: Country
Size: 105.65 megs
PlayTime: 0h 57min 45sec total
Rip Date: 2014-11-11
Store Date: 2014-11-10

Track List:
--------
01. Man Against Machine              5:17
02. She's Tired Of Boys              5:08
03. Cold Like That                   5:05
04. All-American Kid                 4:27
05. Mom                              4:03
06. Wrong About You                  1:56
07. Rodeo And Juliet                 2:25
08. Midnight Train                   5:19
09. Cowboys Forever                  3:46
10. People Loving People             3:39
11. Send 'Em On Down The Road        4:14
12. Fish                             4:35
13. You Wreck Me                     4:04
14. Tacoma                           3:47

Release Notes:
--------
More than a decade ago, Garth Brooks did the most admirable thing any successful
performer can do: He walked away.

Yes, country music was shifting underneath his boots, and the pyrotechnics that
made him the most vivid country star of the 1990s were becoming commonplace. Yet
Mr. BrooksÆs departure wasnÆt a slow fade into irrelevance, but a magicianÆs
disappearance while standing in a spotlight. He wanted to spend more time with
his family, so poof, there he went.

And poof, heÆs back. Leaving on top allows you to return much the same, even
though the planetÆs still moving. He has come back to a world, one could argue,
that is far more country than he is, though certainly the markers of
country-ness have changed. In his heyday, Mr. BrooksÆs pop theatrics marked him
as an outsider and a challenge to the norm. Now, 13 years since his last album,
he is a figurehead for open-minded values that the genre has fully internalized.
There are new rebels, and Mr. Brooks, 52, is not among them.
Photo
Garth BrooksÆs new album, ôMan Against Machine.ö Credit Sony Music Nashville

So ôMan Against Machineö (Pearl/RCA Nashville), his first album of original
music since 2001, is defiantly behind the times, and skillful enough ù mostly ù
to transcend them. It is grand scale and hammy, in places eye-rollingly schlocky
and in others outrageously moving. As has always been true of Mr. Brooks, there
is no correlation between the quality of a song and how well he sings it: His
most affecting moments are often his corniest.

Unlike, say, George Strait, whose longevity is based on his commitment to the
micro ù cowboy nostalgia or stoic romance ù Mr. Brooks is a small-town guy
interested in big questions, big systems, big problems with messy solutions.
HeÆs not political, per se: His preoccupations are more cosmic, like an
Oklahoman Bono. With great success comes the freedom to think on this scale, and
on this new album, Mr. Brooks isnÆt shy. The title track is, in essence, an
anti-modern rant taking up the cause of human power over technology, with lyrics
that could have been plucked from a Rush album: ôJohn HenryÆs Æbout to show on
the scene/ In this war of man against the machines.ö

ItÆs bracing, awful stuff, so unaware of its absurdity that it is completely
appealing. It was designed with Mr. BrooksÆs headset microphone in mind: HeÆs
not singing, heÆs preaching. ôPeople Loving Peopleö is much the same, though
less effective. ôDoctor you ainÆt got a pill/For whateverÆs making this world
ill,ö he sings, going on to lament drugs and politics as escapist fantasies.
Even Mr. BrooksÆs token cowboy song, ôCowboys Forever,ö is really about how
cowboy values are the pillars of a wholesome society: ôThat one generation
transformed a nation,ö he insists, extremely earnestly.

Mr. Brooks is a populist, the type of guy who, to prime the pump for his return,
released a boxed set of cover songs from several genres exclusively through
Walmart. It served as a memory trigger for his fans, naturally, but also for
anyone who liked any kind of music at any time in the last six decades.
Continue reading the main story Continue reading the main story
Continue reading the main story

But while that genre catholicity has always been part of Mr. BrooksÆs arsenal,
heÆs too savvy to ignore the country base. He nods to that world here on the
fiddle-heavy ôAll-American Kid,ö which feels as if it might veer skeptical but
never goes there, instead neatly telling the story of a local football hero who
goes off to war, then comes home. (ItÆs even more tepid in the wake of Kenny
ChesneyÆs sleeker and more modern ôAmerican Kids.ö)

And thereÆs the parable ôFish,ö in which Mr. Brooks learns the wisdom of
simplicity, and the rejection of big-city capitalism, from a guy with a fishing
rod. Again, itÆs brutally hackneyed material ù less complicated and less funny
than Brad PaisleyÆs ôIÆm Gonna Miss Herö ù but Mr. Brooks takes it so seriously
itÆs hard not to be charmed.

That sincerity also enlivens the code-red melodrama of ôCold Like That,ö with
its meatily pounded piano, and the grade-A treacle of ôMom,ö which is framed as
a conversation between a frightened baby and God, sung heartily by Mr. Brooks,
who never met a hokey concept he didnÆt squeeze tight. (See ôRodeo and Juliet,ö
with faux-Shakespearean language sprinkled throughout.) ItÆs less evident on the
grade-D treacle of ôSend ÆEm on Down the Road,ö about a father learning to let
go.

When Mr. Brooks is most potent on this album, besides his mystic feel-good
moments, is when singing about love, usually of the broken kind. On ôYou Wreck
Me,ö heÆs excellent with the emotionally spent verses, though thereÆs tension
between those and the almost-bright chorus laden with cheapo slide guitar.
ôMidnight Trainö is bursting with dark imagery: ôWhiskey bottle on the
floor/King James Bible from the drawer/Neither won but Lord theyÆve done their
best.ö
Continue reading the main story
Interactive Feature: Fall Arts Preview - Times 100

ôSheÆs Tired of Boysö is a classic Brooks love song, with a crucial, unusual
detail that makes it stand out. In this case, itÆs a May-December romance
between a young, white-collar woman and an older blue-collar guy: ôWhen she
walked on to the job site we damn near died/She was a young manÆs dream full of
college and pride.ö

The detail is there to grab your attention, but itÆs not played lazily, for
laughs or shock. And the song is given added poignancy with a chorus featuring
lovely harmony sung by Mr. BrooksÆs wife, Trisha Yearwood, who adds a layer of
empowered fatigue to Mr. BrooksÆs knowing wink.

Like Mr. Brooks, Ms. Yearwood was a country star of the 1990s, though a less
divisive one. And like Mr. Brooks, Ms. Yearwood has new music, too: There are
six new songs on her greatest-hits album, ôPrizeFighter: Hit After Hitö
(Gwendolyn/RCA Nashville), which will be released next week. She, too, has been
largely silent of late, with no album of new material since 2007. But on her new
tracks here, sheÆs still full of easy smolder, especially on songs about
romantic transgression like ôEnd of the Worldö and ôYour HusbandÆs CheatinÆ on
Us.ö

Ms. Yearwood is more transparently concerned with morality than Mr. Brooks, who
is instead motivated by passion. His songs arenÆt about intrigue, they just
bleed. And when heÆs severely wounded, his howl is transfixing. ThatÆs the case
on the album closer, ôTacoma,ö a slab of unadulterated white-soul fire in the
vein of Michael McDonald that scorches everything that came before it:

Might leave some tears in Topeka

A couple of sleepless nights in Cheyenne

Every time that I miss you baby

IÆll hit the gas as fast as I can.

This is familiar country structure ù the road song ù but an unleashed Mr. Brooks
takes it from Nashville through Memphis and Muscle Shoals and maybe a Birmingham
church. He is beholden to no one place or style, an upsetter of norms before,
and an upsetter of norms now.



This NFO File was rendered by NFOmation.net

Artist: Garth Brooks
Album: Man Against Machine
Bitrate: 243kbps avg
Quality: EAC Secure Mode / LAME 3.98.4 / -V0 / 44.100Khz
Label: RCA
Genre: Country
Size: 105.65 megs
PlayTime: 0h 57min 45sec total
Rip Date: 2014-11-11
Store Date: 2014-11-10

Track List:
--------
01. Man Against Machine              5:17
02. She's Tired Of Boys              5:08
03. Cold Like That                   5:05
04. All-American Kid                 4:27
05. Mom                              4:03
06. Wrong About You                  1:56
07. Rodeo And Juliet                 2:25
08. Midnight Train                   5:19
09. Cowboys Forever                  3:46
10. People Loving People             3:39
11. Send 'Em On Down The Road        4:14
12. Fish                             4:35
13. You Wreck Me                     4:04
14. Tacoma                           3:47

Release Notes:
--------
More than a decade ago, Garth Brooks did the most admirable thing any successful
performer can do: He walked away.

Yes, country music was shifting underneath his boots, and the pyrotechnics that
made him the most vivid country star of the 1990s were becoming commonplace. Yet
Mr. Brooks’s departure wasn’t a slow fade into irrelevance, but a magician’s
disappearance while standing in a spotlight. He wanted to spend more time with
his family, so poof, there he went.

And poof, he’s back. Leaving on top allows you to return much the same, even
though the planet’s still moving. He has come back to a world, one could argue,
that is far more country than he is, though certainly the markers of
country-ness have changed. In his heyday, Mr. Brooks’s pop theatrics marked him
as an outsider and a challenge to the norm. Now, 13 years since his last album,
he is a figurehead for open-minded values that the genre has fully internalized.
There are new rebels, and Mr. Brooks, 52, is not among them.
Photo
Garth Brooks’s new album, “Man Against Machine.” Credit Sony Music Nashville

So “Man Against Machine” (Pearl/RCA Nashville), his first album of original
music since 2001, is defiantly behind the times, and skillful enough — mostly —
to transcend them. It is grand scale and hammy, in places eye-rollingly schlocky
and in others outrageously moving. As has always been true of Mr. Brooks, there
is no correlation between the quality of a song and how well he sings it: His
most affecting moments are often his corniest.

Unlike, say, George Strait, whose longevity is based on his commitment to the
micro — cowboy nostalgia or stoic romance — Mr. Brooks is a small-town guy
interested in big questions, big systems, big problems with messy solutions.
He’s not political, per se: His preoccupations are more cosmic, like an
Oklahoman Bono. With great success comes the freedom to think on this scale, and
on this new album, Mr. Brooks isn’t shy. The title track is, in essence, an
anti-modern rant taking up the cause of human power over technology, with lyrics
that could have been plucked from a Rush album: “John Henry’s ’bout to show on
the scene/ In this war of man against the machines.”

It’s bracing, awful stuff, so unaware of its absurdity that it is completely
appealing. It was designed with Mr. Brooks’s headset microphone in mind: He’s
not singing, he’s preaching. “People Loving People” is much the same, though
less effective. “Doctor you ain’t got a pill/For whatever’s making this world
ill,” he sings, going on to lament drugs and politics as escapist fantasies.
Even Mr. Brooks’s token cowboy song, “Cowboys Forever,” is really about how
cowboy values are the pillars of a wholesome society: “That one generation
transformed a nation,” he insists, extremely earnestly.

Mr. Brooks is a populist, the type of guy who, to prime the pump for his return,
released a boxed set of cover songs from several genres exclusively through
Walmart. It served as a memory trigger for his fans, naturally, but also for
anyone who liked any kind of music at any time in the last six decades.
Continue reading the main story Continue reading the main story
Continue reading the main story

But while that genre catholicity has always been part of Mr. Brooks’s arsenal,
he’s too savvy to ignore the country base. He nods to that world here on the
fiddle-heavy “All-American Kid,” which feels as if it might veer skeptical but
never goes there, instead neatly telling the story of a local football hero who
goes off to war, then comes home. (It’s even more tepid in the wake of Kenny
Chesney’s sleeker and more modern “American Kids.”)

And there’s the parable “Fish,” in which Mr. Brooks learns the wisdom of
simplicity, and the rejection of big-city capitalism, from a guy with a fishing
rod. Again, it’s brutally hackneyed material — less complicated and less funny
than Brad Paisley’s “I’m Gonna Miss Her” — but Mr. Brooks takes it so seriously
it’s hard not to be charmed.

That sincerity also enlivens the code-red melodrama of “Cold Like That,” with
its meatily pounded piano, and the grade-A treacle of “Mom,” which is framed as
a conversation between a frightened baby and God, sung heartily by Mr. Brooks,
who never met a hokey concept he didn’t squeeze tight. (See “Rodeo and Juliet,”
with faux-Shakespearean language sprinkled throughout.) It’s less evident on the
grade-D treacle of “Send ’Em on Down the Road,” about a father learning to let
go.

When Mr. Brooks is most potent on this album, besides his mystic feel-good
moments, is when singing about love, usually of the broken kind. On “You Wreck
Me,” he’s excellent with the emotionally spent verses, though there’s tension
between those and the almost-bright chorus laden with cheapo slide guitar.
“Midnight Train” is bursting with dark imagery: “Whiskey bottle on the
floor/King James Bible from the drawer/Neither won but Lord they’ve done their
best.”
Continue reading the main story
Interactive Feature: Fall Arts Preview - Times 100

“She’s Tired of Boys” is a classic Brooks love song, with a crucial, unusual
detail that makes it stand out. In this case, it’s a May-December romance
between a young, white-collar woman and an older blue-collar guy: “When she
walked on to the job site we damn near died/She was a young man’s dream full of
college and pride.”

The detail is there to grab your attention, but it’s not played lazily, for
laughs or shock. And the song is given added poignancy with a chorus featuring
lovely harmony sung by Mr. Brooks’s wife, Trisha Yearwood, who adds a layer of
empowered fatigue to Mr. Brooks’s knowing wink.

Like Mr. Brooks, Ms. Yearwood was a country star of the 1990s, though a less
divisive one. And like Mr. Brooks, Ms. Yearwood has new music, too: There are
six new songs on her greatest-hits album, “PrizeFighter: Hit After Hit”
(Gwendolyn/RCA Nashville), which will be released next week. She, too, has been
largely silent of late, with no album of new material since 2007. But on her new
tracks here, she’s still full of easy smolder, especially on songs about
romantic transgression like “End of the World” and “Your Husband’s Cheatin’ on
Us.”

Ms. Yearwood is more transparently concerned with morality than Mr. Brooks, who
is instead motivated by passion. His songs aren’t about intrigue, they just
bleed. And when he’s severely wounded, his howl is transfixing. That’s the case
on the album closer, “Tacoma,” a slab of unadulterated white-soul fire in the
vein of Michael McDonald that scorches everything that came before it:

Might leave some tears in Topeka

A couple of sleepless nights in Cheyenne

Every time that I miss you baby

I’ll hit the gas as fast as I can.

This is familiar country structure — the road song — but an unleashed Mr. Brooks
takes it from Nashville through Memphis and Muscle Shoals and maybe a Birmingham
church. He is beholden to no one place or style, an upsetter of norms before,
and an upsetter of norms now.



This NFO File was rendered by NFOmation.net


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