In Pieces

IN A recent issue of Hot Press, I hastily claimed that, given a choice of the latest country releases, I'd opt for Clint Black's album, No Time To Kill. A lapse in memory obviously made me forget Dwight Yoakam's This Time which is, undoubtedly, the best country album released this year.

Indeed, when it comes to stylistic diversity in terms of songs, singing and a laser-sharp sense of musicianship, This Time remains the country album by which I'd measure all new country collections, including the latest by Garth Brooks. Happily, I can report that it comes close to Dwight, though pound-for-pound I'd still opt for the latter.

Not that Garth Brooks will be bothered. Industry sources suggest that by Christmas the sales of In Pieces will bring his total unit sales in Ireland alone to 100,000 - a phenomenal figure for a country star! But, then, part of Garth's problem is that, although rooted equally in country and rock and able to appeal to both audiences, his best album so far has been his first, No Fences, which was also his purest, country a la George Strait.

On subsequent albums, with tracks like Billy Joel's 'Shameless', and Lowell George's 'Dixie Chicken', Brooks has tended to aim more for the market opened up by the unexpected success of No Fences in the pop charts. However, although they may be perfect for his rock 'n' roll based live performances, such songs rarely stand up to repeated listening on his albums, or come across quite as true as his country cuts.

Thankfully, on In Pieces, Garth Brooks' concessions to his rock audience are more subtle, with elements like the lead guitar line in the album's opener, 'Standing Outside The Fire' neatly balanced by some equally wild fiddle playing.

Better again, is 'The Night I Called the Old Man Out', which blends the contemporary theme of a father and son reduced to fisticuffs with '90's style country-rock riffs and a suitably ambivalent vocal part. In this, as with his earlier tale of familial violence, 'The Thunder Rolls', Brooks also reveals himself as eager to push country beyond some of its more commonplace concerns.

Another track, 'The American Honky-Tonk Bar Association' gleefully hauls up-to-date at least one aspect of his original anthem for underdogs, 'Friends In Low Places'.

And yet, as with the first songs I was drawn to by Brooks, 'If Tomorrow Never Comes' and 'The Dance', it is ballads like 'Night Night a Day' which work best and probably account for a large measure of his popularity among us dark-hearted Irish. In a similar mode, 'The Red Stroke', will no doubt, become a favourite on late-night radio.

However, my opinion of the man would really soar if the album's final track, 'The Cowboy Song', had been replaced by one about the plight and experiences of Native Americans - Bill Miller's 'The Red Road' would be a suitable candidate. Maybe next time?

As one of the most popular singers in America, Garth Brooks really has a responsibility to do more with his fame than amass ever-increasing amounts of cash.

• Joe Jackson