Garth Brooks: In Pieces (Liberty/All formats)
Stephen Dalton, New Musical Express, 5 February 1994
A GENUINE multi-platinum crossover phenomenon in the US, Brooks has yet to make any serious mark over here. Raised on Kiss and Queen, the 31-year-old Okie's awesome Stateside success hinges on his incorporation of stadium rock's showmanship and techno-flash slickness into country without alienating its Stetson-hatted heartland. Consequently, he regularly clocks up sales figures to rival Jacko and Madonna with a polished MOR hybrid which is only 'country' in the way Whitney is 'soul' and Pearl Jam are 'alternative'. An impressive balancing act, sure, but more a victory for marketing than music.
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