I don’t do too many live album reviews for a handful of reasons, the primary one being they end up effectively being a compilation of hit songs for many artists and not necessarily a true reflection of what an album stands for. We’ve made exceptions this year (1971’s At Fillmore East by The Allman Brothers Band being a prime example of a live album that is a definite part of their discography), but by and large I’ve stayed away from them.
Garth Brooks’ Double Live is another exception. If you didn’t grow up in the 90’s it’s easy to forget that Brooks was an absolute powerhouse during that time. He was effectively the face of pop music who just happened to be a country star, and almost singlehandedly turned mainstream music listeners into country fans nearly every single night. The term “cultural icon” gets thrown around pretty haphazardly by many (myself included), but if anyone fit the bill in 1998, that person’s name was Garth Brooks.
Double Live is a collection of live songs from his two-year world tour that stretched from 1996-98, and includes effectively every hit. Outside of his massive stardom, what makes this album especially unique is Garth’s reputation for putting on an incredible live show. Similar to the equally legendary Bruce Springsteen, Brooks is known for his epic and lengthy live shows that pushed the three hour mark consistently. He’s a true performer in every send of the word and it comes through clear as day throughout this entire record.
A perfect example of all of this is during “Unanswered Prayers”. From the first note the entire crowd is singing along with every word, and in fact, Brooks completely steps away from the mic during the entirety of the first chorus to let the crowd carry that entire section. You know you’ve hit a completely different level of superstardom when as a lead singer you can step away from the mic for 30 seconds during a stripped down acoustic song and it sounds even more epic than if you were belting your heart out for the world to hear.
Standout Songs: “Shameless”, “Callin’ Baton Rouge”, “It’s Your Song”, “The Thunder Rolls”, “Friends In Low Places”, “The Beaches of Cheyenne”
