European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 12, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Entertainment Brooks new single May be too Liberal for country fans by Dennis Hunt and j. Martin Mcomber los Angeles times Garth Brooks May be the biggest Selling Star in the history of country music but his socially conscious single we shall be free has proved too progressive for country radio. The gospel Flavoured Call for racial and sexual tolerance has failed to break into the top 10 on billboard Magazine s country radio Chart. The record the first Brooks single in three years to fall Short of the top 10, appears stalled at no. 12 after just eight weeks on the country Chart. The record s inability to reach the top of that Chart is being viewed within music and broadcasting circles As a rejection by Many radio programmers of the song s unusually tolerant a for country a message. Quot some program directors did t agree with the message and they were backing away from the record Quot said Larry Pareigis program director of Krak pm in Sacramento Calif. Quot in talking to other program directors they re saying that Garth s one world message was the real  Wade Jessen music program director of ism am pm in Nashville tenn., agreed Quot part of the country audience is not an audience that s in agreement with that kind of  Sample lyrics when we re free to love anyone we choose when this world s big enough for All different views when we All can worship from our own kind of Pew then we shall be free. Quot to me the Issue was primarily one of Content Quot said one Nashville insider who asked not to be identified. Quot programmers Garth Brooks new single is about an important Issue for the Singer tolerance. Not Are wary of playing the record because they Don t think their audiences will accept it. Quot but they probably won t admit that because they have nothing to gain and considerable to lose by doing so. It s a Touchy  unlike billboard s widely watched pop singles Chart which measures actual record sales and airplay the Trade Magazine s country Chart is based solely on airplay. Radio station programmers select and play singles based on artist popularity test marketing and listener reaction. We shall be free was heavily played initially but airplay dropped off considerably in subsequent weeks. The song co written by Stephanie Davis and part of Brooks new the Chase album grew out of a conversation about the los Angeles riots Brooks said during an interview before the single was released in september. Quot tolerance is an important Issue to me Quot he said. Quot just like we might today ask our grandparents How anyone could have Ever judged a Man by his skin our Gran kids will say How could anyone Ever think someone s sexual preference affected How their mind works Quot Jay Orr who covers country music for the Nashville Tenn Banner said we shall be free is a Quot More overt statement of an artist s politics Quot than is usually found in country music. Quot they radio stations Don t want to play something that will cause people to tune out whether it is from the lyrics or the  despite the song s Cool reception Orr said the fact that it received airplay at All shows a growth in country audiences willingness to accept More socially themed lyrics. Quot i think it is a very positive thing for country music. That it can take in different Points of View Quot he said. Quot other artists have made overt statements but they tended to be More right Wing. Five years ago this song would have sounded  there have been a handful of country tunes with Liberal or progressive messages but records with conservative themes have typically enjoyed much More support. Among the most notable hits in this vein Merle Haggard s okie from Muskogee in 1969 and Lee Greenwood s god bless the Usa in 1984. The failure of we shall be free to break into the country top 10, however does t seem to have affected sales of the new album. The Chase has been no. 1 on the country and pop sales charts since it was  boys Back on charts with new disc new sound by Dave Larsen Cox news service rap music s Appeal to the Beattie boys Quot has always been its tendency toward innovation Quot says a boy Mike d. Quot what rap came out of was a group in a Park and you know a Guy who had a do with two turntables to provide music for this group Quot the rapper born Michael Diamond explains. Quot so he had to figure out innovative ways to make it work taking old records and cutting them up and coming up with a whole musical  As rap moved to clubs and recorded formats Quot the records that got the most respect and the most props were the ones that came out and broke the most ground a that came out of nowhere and changed the Way everybody  the Beattie boys licensed to Iii the first rap album Ever to reach no. 1, was one such record but Mike d s comments can also apply to the group s latest release. Check your head which has returned the Trio to the top 10. The beauties a Mike dad Rock Adam Morovitz and Mca Adam Yauch a began As a new York City Punk band in 1981, but put Down their instruments when they picked up the fight for your right to party in 1986 and became rap superstars. On Check your head the a boys 6 stripes Magazine november 12, 1992 break new ground by backing their raps with a Funky melange of live instrumentation and samples producing what details Magazine called their Quot most inspired album to  the Trio took a different approach from 1989 s Sample saturated Paul s boutique which brought the group More critical respect than commercial Success to keep its sound fresh and innovative. Quot we wanted to do something new and at the same be we already had the background of playing instruments because we started out As a hard Core band Quot Mike d says. Check your head grew out of late night Jam sessions at the beauties a son studio in los Angeles a hip hop Haven Complete with an indoor basketball hoop and skateboard ramps. Although Check your head has been hailed As the Trio s Quot third masterpiece Quot by the Village voice the album has also been criticized for the murky Quality of its vocal mixes which entertainment weekly said sound As if they were recorded underwater. Quot we rocked a distorted Mike effect that has confused a lot of people Quot Mike d concedes laughing. Quot there s some people who realize How Fly it is but there s some people that just Aren t with it. You can t please All the people. Quot some people think it was by Accident but really they Don t understand that we tried a Bunch of different microphones until we could find mikes that sounded that bad Quot of course the new style has made for some changes in the beauties stage show. Quot it Means that we be got to run around a lot a from the instruments to the  the group a joined on stage by a do a keyboardist and a percussionist a has taken to using what Mike d Calls Quot Blind set lists Quot with the rappers rarely knowing where they la be or what they la be doing next. Quot what we got into in Japan was like one of us would make a set list and not Tell anybody else or show it to anybody else before we d go on stage so that Way it would be like a Jolt of Surprise Quot he explains. Quot you d get out there do the first song and then you kind of see what goes on. Kind of Tike rotating musical chairs cause some songs i la be playing Drums and some songs All three of us Are up front rapping and some songs i m up front and everybody else is playing  the Beattie boys Ever changing set lists keeps the Trio s performances As close to the Edge As its sound. Quot to me that s always what rap is based on Quot Mike d says Quot just constant evolution and constant