Article: Reviews of releases by Garth Brooks, Natalie Merchant, Shakira.(The Dallas Morning News)

GARTH BROOKS "Scarecrow" (Capitol Nashville) Grade: C+

Garth Brooks, like Michael Jackson, is more about the fanfare than the music. Ever since he morphed from country hitmaker to ego-driven superstar _ the transition came after 1991's "Ropin' the Wind" _ the Oklahoma native merged his artistic inclinations with his marketing obsession.

These days, a new Garth Brooks studio album comes with press conferences, million-dollar campaigns, and an excessive desire to sell, sell, sell the product. So once the music arrives, it's hard to separate the art from the commerce. It almost makes you wonder how much each note, each word is worth to him.

Which ...

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