European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 30, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse We a Vas Sente Tai n m e it 10 leaders in country s invasion of pop Chart by Robert Hilburn los Angeles times now that millions of pop fans have embraced Garth Brooks Many of them May be eager for More country heroes. At least that s what Nashville is hoping in an Era of unprecedented country sales. Record companies Are flooding the Market with new country acts hoping to Cash in on what they see As a major shift in mainstream taste. They Hope that pop fans who find it hard to relate to pop s dominant hard Rock dance and rap styles will find country s emphasis on Lile s everyday trials and dreams More involving. Buyer beware. Few of the horde of country hopefuls possess even a fraction of Brooks electrifying showmanship and warmly convincing Persona. So who will be the new country stars of the 90s? Here Are 10 possibilities with their Best albums. They Are still Long shots at this Point to shape country music a la Merle Haggard George Jones and Emmylou Harris. Still they show enough Promise to be placed in the forefront of the new crop. Some a notably Alan Jackson and Vince Gill a have already achieved almost As much attention As Randy Travis Clint Black and Dwight Yoakam who were left off the list because their careers Are so established. Unlike Travis and Black however these artists Best work appears to lie ahead. A Jackson a tall lanky georgian with pinup Good looks sounded so understated on his 1989 debut album Here in the real world that it was easy to Overlook him. But that understated Charm has proved to be part of his Appeal Lackson s Best songs a including Here in the real world and i d love you All Over again both from the debut collection a have the same warmly affectionate tone As such Brooks hits As unanswered prayers. Bonus Points Jackson writes most of his own material which is extremely helpful because material is As important in country As pitching is in baseball. A Gill who also writes most it ins own songs has been around a Long time but Travis Tritt sings Clever lyrics with a hard Edge. Alan Jackson s debut album produced two no. 1 hits. The vitality of his music increased so much after moving to Mca two years ago and working with producer Tony brow a that it makes sense to think of him As an emerging artist. He sings in a smooth disarming Way that could make him connect strongly with the pop audience that has discovered Brooks. Pocket full of cold s title song a tale of infidelity has bittersweet twists but the album s most compelling moment is Gill s show stopping vocal on look at us a tale of romantic Good Fortune. A Travis Tritt has an explosive Edge that with artistic growth could shoot him past All the Competition. He has a hard Edge to his vocals and a cocky self assured manner think of the Early John Mellen Campas demonstrated on it s All about to change. Tritt understands the Way teasing wordplay and humor can be used to mask pain. A texan Mark Chesnutt arrived in 1 990 with a valuable endorsement. Quot country music has seen quite a few male singers in the last few years Quot George Jones wrote. Quot but i think this boy. Is the real Chesnutt did t write any of the songs on too cold at Home but he has an excellent sense of material. A you know someone has a feel Tor Down Home country when he mentions i Lank Williams in the first h seconds of his debut album and sings with so much of the Honky Tonk authenticity of Lones that it is almost chilling. Sammy Kershaw displays All sorts of vocal twists and turns in his highly rewarding Don 7 co near the water. Like Chesnutt he does t write his own songs but that did t Stop him from finding a solid Bunch of tunes. A standout Larry Bastian and Dewayne Blackwell s Yard Sale about a divorced Man watching his memories being carried away. A when a Young Singer goes from Charlie Rich and Johnny Cash to Duke Ellington songs in a single album she either has remarkably Eclectic tastes or she s confused about musical direction. The intriguing thing about Shelby Lynne in Tough All Over is that both options seem to apply. There is something electric about her however and the future is Bright if she can just find the right emotional tone. A there s a hint of Rock seems to fit Kelly Willis Perky vocal style and May help lure pop fans As Well As c country ones. In her 1990 debut Well travelled love she moved appealingly from the Sassy rejoinder of Mas Palermo s my hot it Art s in i rouble tonight to the romantic adventure of John Hiatt s drive South. But there s a problem. I Fer new album hang hang does t Lealev have a lot of bang. A Mark Collie s not from Bakersfield calif., but there s a bit of the old Buck Owens and Early Haggard instrumental Wallop in several of the tracks on his debut package Hardin county line. I be matches the beat with some vocals that while Lac King Kershaw or Tritt aggressiveness declare then Independence from the Nashville Herd. Collie also displays in his Best songs a wry mixture of humor and heartache. A where Jones bite was the Model Loi most of the male artists on the list of Diffie on a thousand winding roads leans More to Haggard s subtlety. You can almost feel some of Haggard s Tulare dust blowing through such nostalgic tracks As Home Diffie who writes some of his own songs in t flashy but there is Craft in maternal ranging from Western swing to Honky Tonk lament. A Trisha Yearwood s current c Oun Tiv lot is the robust s what 11 Iki about of but she seems most promising on slower tunes inc luding the romantic masquerade / Ike we never i lad a broken i least and the despairing Jukebox tailored victim of tin came by arc Xis and Mark san it lers the Challenge is to define her artistic tin a Challenge even Brooks still fares. Pop a singles 1 jump Kus Kross 2 save the Best for last Vanessa Williams 3 tears in heaven Eric Clapton 4 Bohemian rhapsody Queen 5 my lovin in Vogue 6 Ain t 2 ppoud2 beg tic 7 make it happen Mariah Ca of 8 Iive and learn Jno Pur v y everything about you 1 Eva in i r. Top a albums country a singles ramp by singles jazz a albums adrenaline do Leppard totally crossed out Kris Kross human touch Bruce Springsteen soundtrack to Wayne s world various artists blood sugar sex Mayk Rod hot Chili peppers Wynonna a Norr i never mind n a rop1n the wind As ugly As they / y a Joe a nil a Apay. A a b docs to of us v there Ain t nothing wrong with the radio Aaron Tippin 2 Neon Moon Brooks and Dunn 3 some kind of trouble Tanya Tucker 4 today a lonely fool Tracy Lawrence 5 past the Point of Rescue Hal Ketchum 6 papa loved mama Liberty 7 Burn me Down Marty Stuart 8 old flames have new names Mark Oheson to 9 some girls do Sawyer Brown a no min i is i a ill f j dying 1 t i t Don t be afraid Aaron Hall 2 goodbye Tovin Campbell 3 All woman Lisa Stansfield 4 Why me baby Korth sweat 5 Uve and learn Joe Public 6 my lovin you re never Gonna get it in Vogue 7 jump Kris Kross 8 it s of a Obj and eco mans 9 make it happen 10 come and i at k to Mejt 1 Lush life Joo Henderson 2 you gotta pay Thuc band Ai t r y i Scriln 3 in Tribuzi e Diane 4 play but by Orr and i a Lorea 5 As serenity approx civil s or a Roberts to the Gershwin connection in. J r y a. N 7 hear i r j Fiol d f a m in. H i ice 1 it Hihi d Light Many f it a tur m or it f ,1-1 i pm m go d n a. 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