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.

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.

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.

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.