Highways & Dancehalls
Garth Brooks's friend and sideman Tyler England carried a stigma of one-hit hat act after his 1995 Top 10 single "Should've Asked Her Faster." That was regrettable, since his traditionalist integrity surpassed anything in Brooks's own musical arsenal. That hasn't changed four years after England's last album. And Brooks, producer of his comeback effort, wisely accentuates his friend's honky-tonk strengths, starting with the lighthearted "My Baby No Esta Aqui No More" and continuing through "She's Gonna Miss Me When He's Gone" andBruce Robison's "She Don't Care About Me." "Should've Asked Her Faster," remade here as a duet withSteve Wariner, smokes nearly as much as the original hit. England's three story-songs--"I Knew I Loved You," Robison's moving "Travelin' Soldier," and "Collect from Wichita"--are models of finesse and thoughtful understatement. RevivingJohn Conlee's obscure 1979 ballad "Forever," he fearlessly maneuvers through a string arrangement that could overwhelm a lesser vocalist. Not only does this magnificent effort ratify England's talent, it also reflects well on Brooks as a producer.--Rich Kienzle