BY LARRY NAGER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Garth Brooks wants to sell a million of these two-CD sets today. Not only would that break all sales records, it's the first time a recording artist has raised the possibility of such humongous instant sales.
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ALBUM REVIEW
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GARTH BROOKS
Double Live
Capitol; 3 stars
CD $29.98; cassette $19.98
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Albums usually set records for long-term sales - Pink Floyd's 741 weeks on the charts with Dark Side of the Moon; Michael Jackson's 46-million-selling Thriller took several years to reach that milestone.
But the million-in-a-day stunt is the next logical step for Mr. Brooks, whose virtuoso marketing long ago eclipsed his average-Joe picking and singing.
For example, of the 25 songs, just three are new. But that old wine is served up in a six-pack of new bottles. Double Live is available in half a dozen different - thus collectible - packages: "The First Edition," "Central Park," "Dublin," "World Tour II (96-98)," "Texas Stadium 1993" and "Reunion Arena 1991."
The CDs inside, recorded in concert all over the planet as far back as 1991, recap his amazing career.
Of course, having already released a greatest-hits package in 1994, and a box set earlier this year, Mr. Brooks has done more recapping than a Beverly Hills dentist.
From its opening, an Irish dance tune that leads into the country-bluegrass of "Callin' Baton Rouge," through to "The Dance" finale and the 23 songs in between, all the usual suspects are here.
There's "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)" from his preblockbuster days, and his breakthrough hit, "Friends in Low Places," here in an epic, nine-minute version. "Unanswered Prayers" is sung by his audience ("Very cool," The Garth shouts in encouragement). Steve Wariner shows up to pick and scat on "Longneck Bottle," and Trisha Yearwood duets the new ballad "Wild As the Wind." The other new items are "It's Your Song," sung for his ailing mom, and the bluesy, Hank Jr.-styled rocker, "Tearin' It Up (And Burnin' It Down)."
The new material fits seamlessly with his old faves. Savvy salesman that he is, Mr. Brooks knows not to mess with success. For Garth Heads, that's good news. Double Live is filled with the soft-edged country his fans know and love, from Billy Joel's "Shameless" to the clunky "American Honky Tonk Bar Association."
The country touches are intact, with swinging fiddle and steel on "Longneck Bottle" and Bela Fleck's driving banjo on "Callin' Baton Rouge."
But he has enough pop and rock in his sound to please his non-country following as well.
Live CDs are usually a way for artists to fulfill contract obligation or just "take an album off" - replenish creative juices while recycling old material into new money.
By those modest standards, Double Live succeeds. It's a fine-sounding album that, while it can't re-create the spectacle of a Garth show, does provide a solid career retrospective.
And who knows? Today, he might even sell a million (many stores started selling it at midnight). But as we close 1998, he's spent more than enough time looking back. If Garth wants to be remembered for more than sales records, he might want to try some musical innovations instead of just new marketing twists.
