The very title of Garth Brooks' 2014 comeback Man Against Machine telegraphed how the singer saw himself in the 2010s: he was an outsider, taking on the establishment. Man Against Machine debuted at number one and sold well but it didn't conquer the charts – none of its singles went further than 19 on Billboard's Country Airplay charts – and, in light of this, Brooks did something uncharacteristic: he decided to retreat. On Gunslinger – its title consciously evoking the western themes of No Fences and Ropin' the Wind – Brooks is so unconcerned with hits that he decided that "Baby, Let's Lay Down and Dance," a slice of country-disco that sounds like a kissing cousin to Orleans' "Still the One," was a good idea for a lead single. And, in a way, he's right. Gunslinger has its heart in the past, existing on a plane between Brooks' arena-country '90s hits and his '70s AM influences. The difference is, Brooks is comfortable in his middle age. It's not just that his maturation gives him an easy touch in performance – although that does help – it's that he's no longer obsessed with being the biggest, best star in country music.
This career-defining collection includes 3 different boxed sets: Limited Edition, Original Analog Edition & Digitally Remixed/Remastered Edition. We have also made a small quantity of each of these boxes in an Individually Numbered Series making it highly collectible and one of a kind. Each edition features 5 hit albums including No Fences, The Chase, In Pieces, Fresh Horses & Triple Live, plus CDs with bonus tracks for a total of 7 vinyl albums & 7 CDs in each edition.
The RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet, with the support of Garth Knox (viola) and Piers Lane (piano), continue their excellent survey of Stanford’s neglected chamber works with this recording of his String Quintet No 1 and Piano Quintet. Growing up in his native Dublin in the 1850s and ’60s, Stanford was no stranger to high-quality chamber music, even if visits to Ireland’s capital by pre-eminent executants of the genre were sporadic.
Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson, all members of the truly legendary BAND team up for an acoustic set recorded live at the famous Lone Star Café in New York in 1985. This show was one of several the trio performed at the venue that year, and tragically there would not be many more. Manuel took his own life in March 1986 after performing at The Cheek to Cheek Lounge in Orlando, Florida. This release contains a selection of classic Band songs including Stagefright and Shape I’m In.