Customer Reviews

Chris Gaines Greatist Hits

5 star:		(286)
4 star:		(80)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(23)
1 star:		(77)

 

 

I inadvertently discovered Garth Brooks via this recording. This is because I don't own a single country-western album nor do I listen to country-western. Thus, Brooks was unknown to me. I picked this up in the library as a rock album and enjoyed it enormously. I then read about it and discovered that it was a country-western singer, Garth Brooks, doing the entire rock n' roll album under another name, the fictional Chris Gaines. I've since listened to some of Brooks's other albums (also from the library) and I like him a lot when he veers away from country-western into more of the rock mode. When he is in solid country-western mode, I can do without his singing. So if you are a country-western fan, you may well hate this album. If you are more of a rock or pop fan, Brooks is a really good discovery for you if you are willing to sort through his music, picking out the rock and pop and leaving the country-western in his albums. You can find 2-3 good songs an album doing this generally (on one I found an absolutely bang-up version of "Mr. Blue" and on another my absolute Brooks favorite, "I'm Head Over Heels in Love"). This particular album of his fits me best though because there is NO country-western music on it. So I like ALL of it. I am one of those people for whom virtually all country-western music sounds the same. I am beginning to enjoy aspects of C-W when rock and pop singers incorporate elements of it into their own genres, with Mark Knopfler perhaps doing that best. As a musical hybrid only, I'm liking country-western as it joins onto other musical forms. Brooks also has begun to branch out by appearing with other singers, such as Billy Joel. He does an absolutely incredible live job of "New York State of Mind" with Billy Joel that is not on this album but is well worth hunting down. Ditto for a live performance with Don McLean on "American Pie." I'm sure it is heresy to say this but I wish Brooks would leave country-western music so I wouldn't have to hunt and pick around for his songs.

When this CD first came out, I had only heard its biggest hit, "Lost in You," and didn't realize that it was Garth Brooks or that it was part of this unorthodox project. That song alone made me want to buy the CD, and I have listened to it regularly over the past two years. It's easy for us to comment today about what would or would not have been popular over the past 20 years, because we have such imperfect memories. We can say these songs could never have been hits and that they lack anything remarkable, but then again, how can you explain Men at Work, Men Without Hats and Devo?

The songwriting team of Wayne Kirkpatrick, Gordon Kennedy and Tommy Sims (which won a Grammy for the Eric Clapton hit, "Change the World") also provided most of the studio work and background vocals. And one of the key producers was Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. This was not a half-effort, but instead was a genuine attempt on Brooks' behalf to do something new and unusual. Perhaps his greatest miscalculation was thinking that music fans -- including his most loyal -- would accept something so radically different. Rather, people have lashed out at him for this project as though he betrayed them, to the extent that the accompanying movie project (in which Garth would NOT have starred) has been shelved, if not scrapped.

For all of its flaws, "In the Life of Chris Gaines" is a grossly underrated album which deserves a listen on its own merits, of which there are many.

I couldn't wait to hear this CD. I've never been a Garth fan or country fan, but I love all types of music and love to hear artists challenge themselves. Having said that, this album is the audio equivalent of watching Michael Jordan play baseball. I gave the disc two stars. Garth is a talented enough musician that even his worst is worth one star. He earned his second star just by doing this project. The guy doesn't have to ever record again. He could retire and go play Nintendo. Instead, he decided to have fun. The problem is that it's not as much fun for the listener as it was for him. Here's the situation: Garth took off 20 pounds (!) and put on funky clothes and wigs to become a different character named Chris Gaines. Gaines was to be his "rock" persona. The pictures are brilliant. Gaines looks like he might fit on a mix-tape with the likes of Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nails, Soundgarden, maybe even Beck. The hysterically funny bio inside tells a different story. We're supposed to believe that Chris was part of a pop boy-band in the late 80's who went his own way and sounds a lot like Prince. Mind you, both these possibilities are intriguing and I couldn't wait to hear Garth get goth and/or funky. So what does Chris Gaines actually sound like? Imagine if Dan Fogelberg was still kicking. If Cat Stevens hadn't found Islam. If Harry Chapin had lived. Only one song on this whole CD sounds like it could have been popular in the 80's. The rest sound like mid-to-late 70's country-pop. The sad thing is, I think Garth thinks he made a huge leap from his usual fare. He learned to do some different things with his voice, he hired "rock" musicians (i.e., guys who have backed up Amy Grant and Peter Cetera), he bought hip clothes and had himself a ball. Me? I listened to it twice and took it back. Bottom line is this: It's not bad music at all. It's just not the music that it's supposed to be. Oh well, maybe next year he'll do a CD of Celtic folk tunes.

No, it's not typical Garth. It's not even country music. Once you eliminate those preconceived notions you can really listen to this CD. I have heard people call this the "worst CD ever" and "Garth's mistake" and I can't understand why. This album is brillant. I listen to "Chris" constantly and have purchased 3 of them (one for car, home, and office). Some of the tunes are very mellow, such as "It Doesn't Matter to the Sun", "Maybe", and "Drifting Away". Other songs have a soft edge to them, such as "Snow In July" and "White Flag". It's a nice balance, although his softer songs are superior to his attempt at edge.
The best song on the album is "Drifting Away", a ballad about a man in love who cannot committ. The "skip over" song is the one released as a single, "Right Now", a rap attempt with the chorus of the 60's song "Everybody Get Together, Try To Love One Another Right Now". Forget it's Garth singing, forget Garth is country. and don't read the liner notes (which makes it sound like a "concept album") and enjoy it for what it is - good music. This album should be in an "adult comtemporary" or "vocals" category, not country. Give this CD some respect!

If your a straight up country music lover this not the Cd for you. There will be a couple of songs you will like but not many. I am the someone who enjoys everthing from country, Pop, to Soft Rock. If that's you, you will probably find this CD pretty entertaining as I did. I love good vocals and rythms and there's plenty. Garth did a great job showing more of his excellent talent and versitility. He is definitely second to none.

believe it or not, BAD MARKETING. There was hype, but alot of it was negative, probably because this was percieved as a cross-over attempt by garth Brooks, not a pre-soundtrack to the supposed "movie" (I still think there really isn't going to be an actual movie). The Vh1 special was really cool, but that was the only positive media produced for the Cd, and it really came too late. I bought the album after buying the single for "Lost in You", and I really enjoyed it. By all accounts, it was better put together than most greatest hits collections by non-fictional artists. i still can't believe it's Garth Brook's voice! His voice is transformed into a smooth pop tone, twang-free(thank the lord!). The best songs are "Lost in You"(beautiful song), "Unsigned Letter" (my personal fav, it has a good beat and great lyrics), "it don't matter to the sun", "that's the way I remember it" and "White Flag". I especially enjoy the overall look of the whole package. The back-stories "Chris Gaines" gives toward every song is really cool. The reason marketing wasn't handled correctly was because of radio releases. "Lost in You" was a good first single, but I don't know why "Right Now" is the second single. It's an OK song, but it comes off really cheesy with extended listening. With better marketing, the Cd would have gone platinum in a hurry, and the reduced price would've been applied. It's a steal now at ten bucks, and I recommend it to everybody even more greatly now beacause of the great price. Get it, you'll like it.

Don't get me wrong... I LOVE this cd. I listen to it practically everyday. But I find myself getting half way through the cd... and rather then finishing it, starting back at the beginning. The cd starts off playing music that actually reminds me of memories of the past, and fill me with emotion. But it seems like the rest of cd... is like a space filler, they ran out of good song ideas and filled it with plain annoying songs. I recommend it, definetly buy it... the beginning way makes up for the end, but don't be dissapointed, because I told you so.

I think this is fun stuff. A great artist stretching the boundries and getting out of the box everyone has placed them in. I wish they would've gone ahead with the movie. Garth's videos were done so well, I think a movie would've only been better. Different writers and producers along the "timeline" of Gaines career would've given a greater range in style/sound, and moved even further from the Garth Brooks sound. But I do like it overall.

"That's the Way...", "Unsigned Letter", and "It Don't Matter..." are good songs. "White Flag" is my favorite.

Come on Garth resurrect this thing and do an indie film; play out your vision for this! Your instincts have served you pretty well so far.

This is a great album! Unfortunately, it does not appeal to Garth Brooks' traditional audience (coutnry fans) and pop fans are probably put off by the fact that it is a Garth Brooks album. So it's no wonder it hasn't been a commercial success, but pop fans need to give it a chance! My husband, who only tolerates Garth in his country incarnation, is a fan of '80s/early '90s pop and alternative and LOVED this album. Give it a try!

Let's face it. All of us who saw Garth Brooks perform Billy Joel's "Shameless" on the CMA awards in the early nineties ( a shameless act, perhaps?) knew the truth immediately. This guy is not country. With its Keith Richards-influenced guitar riff, "Shameless" seemed to indicate more that the Rolling Stones had gone country, the obligatory steel guitar aside. Now, millions of fans, millions of albums and ten years after, GB drops the steel guitar and the country music mask that never fit quite right and plays rock `n roll. And plays it well. To borrow a title from an early TV special on the subject, "THIS is Garth Brooks."

And Brooks is still full of surprises. He enlists the stunning musicianship and songslinging abilities of Gordon Kennedy, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Phil Madiera, and Tommy Sims from the burgeoning contemporary Christian market. And while one readily hears the influence of the Beatles, John Mellencamp, Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty, and Bob Seger in the mix (sometimes I even think I'm hearing a touch of Pink Floyd meets the Artist Formerly Known As in there), less familiar influences from other projects are evident-particularly Kennedy's work with the now defunct PFR and Dogs of Peace. So too, with Madiera. His B-3 craftsmanship echoes his work on Phil Keaggy's "Find Me in These Fields."

Interesting isn't it that GB must shamelessly (and here, no pun is intended) (and I'm fairly shameless about that) assume an alter ego/pseudonym to express himself fully? With "Chris Gaines," GB is finally able to pay proper homage to his Pantheon of Influence and in so doing, update the sound of classic rock and R and B and bring it firmly into the future. Thanks, Garth. Sometimes the most refreshing fragrance blows from a forest you've visited long ago. Rock on.