The Bottom Line
Pros
- "Lost In You"
- "Driftin' Away"
- "Unsigned Letter"
Cons
- People just didn't get the idea of an album to introduce a fictional movie character's music.
Description
- Album of Greatest Hits from the fictional character, Chris Gaines.
- Released on Capitol Nashville.
- Garth Brooks singing pop/rock music.
Guide Review - Garth Brooks - 'Garth Brooks... in the Life of Chris Gaines'
When Garth first took on the project of creating a background and a "sound" for Chris Gaines, he knew that there would be some people that would just not understand what he was doing. He didn't back away from the challenge of creating an identity for Chris, nor a look for him. Instead, he went in full speed ahead, typical Garth-fashion, and developed an intricate history for the character, which included his birthday, parents, musical interests, even his discography, along with the artwork.It seemed the majority of people were confused by this, and the press has continued to report on Garth's "identity crisis" and his efforts to "be a rock star." I count myself among the minority who do "get it," and love the music and lyrics, for the very reason that the music is really enjoyable to listen to.
My thoughts on some of the songs: "Lost In You" - The first single from the album, and boy what a difference in Garth's voice here. He sings this in a falsetto. It's very R&B and has a real "Babyface" sound to it. "Driftin' Away" - Garth brings down the tempo of the album with this soulful ballad. This has to be my favorite cut on the album. Unsigned Letter - Love this one! Very reminiscent of the Wallflowers. "Maybe" - One word. Beatles. On the liner notes, Garth, (as Chris) mentions that the sound was intentional. This was recorded by Alison Krauss + Union Station, who released it as a single.
