Garth Brooks Album: “This Is Garth Brooks”

Up until the early 1990s, country music was populated by guys in sparkly jumpsuits with perfectly coiffed hairdos singing ponderous, slow ballads. It took a rock-and-roll fan from Oklahoma to change all that, and this tape showcases the transformation in full.

As soon as Garth Brooks burst onto the country music scene in the late 1980s, it quickly become clear that country music would never be the same. Garth kept the simple themes of country songs, but packaged it like a rock-and-roll arena show, the kind of performances he was mesmerized by in his own youth. Stadiums started filling up to seeing this rockin' cowboy, and the rest is history.

With his high-octane show and high-energy persona, Garth Brooks captivated music audiences like nobody had ever seen (or may ever see again). Plus, it didn't take political/lifestyle statements (e.g. Toby Keith) or outlandish antics (ala Lady Gaga) to fill the seats...just good old fashion country music with a rocking backbeat and energized vocals.

This tape, probably more than any other, showcases that frantic side of Garth, the one that can never stand still and is always jumping around and looking for new ways to get the audience involved in the performance. Though the Central Park concert may be his best ever effort, "This Is Garth Brooks" deserves a top spot for its showcasing of Garth's pizzazz.

If you are already a Garth fan and haven't seen this tape, where have you been all these years?! If you are a little wary of the Garthster, this is as good a place as any to be introduced to his rollicking style of showmanship. Either way, there isn't much here that is not to like.