The Chase

Entertainment Weekly - "..not only widens the narrow boundaries of country music subject matter but challenges country's conservative values...THE CHASE contains his boldest and most serious songs...Brooks' most mature and ambitious album.." - Rating: B Q Magazine (11/92, p.100) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "..Brooks is not simply a sartorial presence; he can write a tune or two--eight for this, songs that don't look out of place alongside the two classics he covers...Like Lyle Lovett, he is prepared to experiment.."

He's as big as big gets, and this album is one of the main reasons why: THE CHASE redefined the term "crossover" for the man in the hat and for the new breed of pop radio-friendly country crooners to follow in his chart-busting footsteps. Filled with hit after hit, THE CHASE reads like a primer for the New Country format. Though it maintains a general adherence to the Country tradition behind it, the album boasts a slickness of production and songcraft that have kept Rolls Royce dealers in Nashville busy ever since.
From the opening piano-and-vocal intro of the anthemic "We Shall Be Free", THE CHASE is borne aloft by Brooks's crystal-clear vocals. Whether dipping into the tender strains of "Somewhere Other Than The Night" or swaggering through the pure country stomp of "Dixie Chicken", Brooks maintains an inspiring control over his instrument. Instantly engaging, his delivery is inspiring in both its precision and its honesty--truly a rare combination. Rounding out this stylistic tour de force, THE CHASE closes out with the one-two punch of the bittersweet "Night Rider's Lament" and the stirring "Face To Face".|