Search - Garth Brooks :: Sevens

One of the best albums ever put out by ANYONE!

R. Spencer | London, England | 01/03/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Garth Brooks is one of music's greatest. He most certainly is my favourite singer and entertainer in the music business. For almost three decades Brooks has enjoyed a career in music, that saw him eventually get his record deal with EMI's Capitol Records division in 1989. His debut album "Garth Brooks" rose to the top of the charts and follow-up album's "No Fences" and "Ropin' The Wind" cemented his success both commercially and musically.



Between his debut and this set there had been a total of 9 albums to his credit. His previous studio album had been "Fresh Horses" and although it had done very well, critics were beginning to claim Brooks was washed up and running out of ideas. This album is proof, if any was needed, that they were wrong.



The album starts with "Longneck Bottle" (a track written by Brooks' friend and fellow Country singer Steve Warierner), a hard hitting Country song with a humours streak about whether to say in the bar or go home ("Longneck Bottle let go of my hand/Jukebox don't play that song again/I got a girl at home that loves me/She won't understand"). This was the 1st single off the set and the one that was played on radio stations the world over before the album was put out.



It was immediately followed by "How you ever gonna know?", this has to be my favourite track on the CD, Brooks' deliverance of powerful lyrics has always been one of his many greatest assets as a performer and this song puts that gift to good use ("How you ever gonna know/What it's like to be there/How you ever gonna know/How it feels to fly/How you ever gonna know?/ If you never dare to try) the song also features the somewhat tongue in cheek lyric "Listen no to the critics who put there own dreams on the shelf/If you wanna get the truth to admit it you gotta find out for yourself" no whilst this fits in perfectly with the rest of the song, one can't help but wonder if Garth was talking about the music critics who were claming his career was coming to a close.



The next two songs "Shes Gonna Make It" and "I don't have to wonder" are about loves turned bad, in "Gonna Make It" the song is about a man who wants to get back with his wife ("The crazy thing about it, is she'd take him back, but the fool in him that walked out, is the fool that just won't ask") while "Don't Have To Wonder" is about a man who sees his ex-lover marry someone else and end's up killing himself in the last verse.



It's probably a good thing the next song is "Two Pina Colladas" which is another tale of love turned bad, but rather than killing himself, this time Brooks just goes out and get's drunk. Probably a much better alternative.



"Cowboy Cadalac" echo's Brooks' classic 1994 rocking country hit "Ain't Going Down ('Til The Sun Comes Up)", while "Fit for a king" takes us to the beliefs of Christianity and is from a poor mans point of view. "Do what you gotta do" also echo's the message from a previous Brooks' hit "Standing Outside the fire", with it's never give up on your dreams message.

"You Move Me", on the other hand is a tender love ballad, that shows Brooks talents off wonderfully.



"In Anothers Eyes", another ballad, is a duet with Trisha Yearwood, whilst "When there's noone around" is a song about being your own best friend (This is a glimpse of a child that's within/He's so immature but he's still my best friend.. he's the kid that I am when there's no one around"), meanwhile "Friend to me" is a tribute to best friends, even when they can be the most annoying person in the world ("Times i'd rather kill you than listen to your "honesty"/But you've always been a friend to me").



Brooks then treats us to a fine rocker "Take The Keys To My Heart" (great lyrics in this one, he compares his heart to a car and then says "Fill 'Er Up").



I mentioned that "How you ever gonan know?" was my favorte track on this CD , but the final cut "Bellau Wood" has got to be a close 2nd (Interestingly this is Garths favourite cut on this album, followed by "How you ever.."). "Bellau Wood" is a beautiful song about a Christmas truce being declared by the American and German soldiers during the war.



It is a fitting ending to the "Sevens" album, an album of wonderful lyrics, wonderful musicians and one of the greatest singers of all-time taking the lead.



If you're a major Garth fan they you should already own this. If you are big or casual fan you might not. If not I can highly recommend it and if you don't own a Garth album, this is a good an introduction to his talent than "No Fences" or "Ropin' The Wind" (plus you get more bang for your back, 14 great songs on 1 CD!).

This is Garth Brooks, the singer of songs, showcased at his best."

Another bold and outstanding Garth album.

Shane OBrien | Portland, Oregon | 05/30/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Even though, some argue that Sevens didin't reflect much of Garth's personality, This is another Garth Album with very bold songs, in my opinion. Like The Chase, which was said to have been his most bold album with his most serious songs. I believe this album is the same idea, only maybe even more bold with some of the most powerful and inspirational songs. Garth said himself that this was a very personal album. Here are some of my favorites. How You Ever Gonna Know, a purely inspirational song to motivate yourself to have courage and go out and try something new, even if it is really risky and uncomfortable, because if you never try, you'll never know how it feels to do something like flying. Fit For a King, one of Garth's most powerful and bold songs, about a homeless preacher, who despite haing no home, his appearance and his weak condition, he bleives and preaches that his torn rags will be fit for a king someday in heaven. My favorite is Do What You Gotta Do, it doesn't motivate you to try something scary like How You Ever Gonna Know, it keeps you moving on in your hardest times of life, and tells you that you have the truth in life and you can't let anything anyone says get to you, if you wanna be a hero or make a diference, and that you have the power in yourself to make it through life and reach your dreams. It has some echos of Standing Outside The Fire, with fire being used as a metaphor for standing for what you beleive in. There's the duet with Shania Twain, In Another's Eyes, When There's No One Aroud, a beautiful song about his imaginary friends and self-images, and his imagination in the middle of the night when he's alone. A Friend to me, another good song, either about a friend he had growing up, or about his wife, I'm not sure. The last is Belleau Wood, a Christmas Ballad, set in Germany during World War II, a song aobut tolerance, where he says that heaven isn't beyond the clouds, it's just beyond the fear, when he could die if he was worng. Every other song on this album I like, there's probably not any Garth song I don't like, he sings and writes songs like no other country artist."