The eight songwriters on this album have written songs for the likes of
the Everly Brothers,
Dolly Parton,
Reba McEntire,
Trisha Yearwood,
George Jones,
Roy Orbison, and
Patty Loveless, to name only a few. This esteemed and distinguished group would occasionally organize shows dedicated only to the songs they wrote both for and with the musical marvel named
Garth Brooks. Enthusiastic audience response to those shows was the moment of conception for this album. This 16-song collection features each songwriter putting his or her own mark on stripped-down, acoustic versions of such masterpieces as "The Thunder Rolls," "Unanswered Prayers," "If Tomorrow Never Comes," "The Dance," and "Friends in Low Places." One new song made the cut: the unconventional and deviant "Pains," a sequel to "Friends in Low Places." The album comes complete with a booklet of intriguing liner notes, including a "conversation" with the man himself. It's an interesting album if you're curious about what a recording artist actually hears when considering a song for his or her album -- nothing big, nothing overproduced, just the words and the melody. It's also quite interesting to hear the transformation from how the song probably started to how
Garth Brooks fans know it. ~ Maria Konicki Dinoia