*CHRIS GAINES GREATEST HITS Garth Brooks Capitol Records

Garth Brooks has just turned either the smartest or dumbest trick in modern music.

The country king must be tired of wearing boots and a cowboy hat – since today he exits the corrals of Nashville to take a stab at mainstream pop.

Brooks, who devised a beard in the character Chris Gaines, offers melodies heavily influenced by classic rock and pop stars, including Paul Simon, Steely Dan, Bee Gees and even Bob Dylan.

This is hardly a dud, though it’s a little too heavy-handed on the soft-rock material. In the end, the album illustrates there’s very little difference between modern country and pop.