Double Live (CD - 1998)

Personnel includes: Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood (vocals); Charles Cochran (conductor); Jimmy Mattingly (acoustic guitar, mandolin, fiddle); Debbie Nims (acoustic guitar, mandolin, background vocals); Steve Wariner, Stephanie Davis (acoustic guitar, background vocals); Mark Casstevens, Ty England (acoustic guitar); James Garver (electric guitar, background vocals); Steve McClure (electric & steel guitars); Chris Leuzinger, Gordon Kennedy, John Kinsch, Keith Urban (electric guitar); Bruce Bouton (steel guitar); Bela Fleck (banjo); Terry McMillan (harmonica); David Gant, Bobby Wood (keyboards); Mark Greenwood (bass, background vocals); Betsy Smittle (bass); Mike Palmer (drums); Susan Ashton (background vocals); The Nashville String Machine.

Engineer includes: John Harris, Guy Charbonneau, Steve Smith.

Includes liner notes by Garth Brooks.

All tracks have been digitally mastered using HDCD technology.

Personnel includes: Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood (vocals); Charles Cochran (conductor); Jimmy Mattingly (acoustic guitar, mandolin, fiddle); Debbie Nims (acoustic guitar, mandolin, background vocals); Steve Wariner, Stephanie Davis (acoustic guitar, background vocals); Mark Casstevens, Ty England (acoustic guitar); James Garver (electric guitar, background vocals); Steve McClure (electric & steel guitars); Chris Leuzinger, Gordon Kennedy, John Kinsch, Keith Urban (electric guitar); Bruce Bouton (steel guitar); Bela Fleck (banjo); Terry McMillan (harmonica); David Gant, Bobby Wood (keyboards); Mark Greenwood (bass, background vocals); Betsy Smittle (bass); Mike Palmer (drums); Susan Ashton (background vocals); The Nashville String Machine.

Engineer includes: John Harris, Guy Charbonneau, Steve Smith.

Includes liner notes by Garth Brooks.

Garth Brooks' first live album, the generically titled Double Live, is a professionally entertaining album with a few nice bonuses -- including extra verses for "Friends in Low Places" and "The Thunder Rolls," plus three new songs: the dedicated-to-mama "It's Your Song," the Trisha Yearwood duet "Wild as the Wind," and the rocker "Tearin' It Up (And Burnin' It Down)" -- but much of this record is either identical to the studio counterparts or offers nothing new. Brooks makes no attempt to camouflage his studio trickery -- it's clear that the intros to "Two Pina Coladas," "The River," and "We Shall Be Free" are pasted on in the studio -- and even when the crowd intrudes on "The Fever," it feels forced, not like the genuine kinetic energy that can be captured on a live recording. Part of the problem is that the album is a compilation, selecting 25 songs from 25 different dates. Even with studio polish (and there is quite a lot of that), an album culled from such a wide variety of sources can't help but feel patchwork, and Double Live does. The handful of new twists will surely satisfy diehards, yet Double Live simply isn't that interesting for the average Garth fan. It's the kind of record that's touted as an event upon its original release, but years later, it seems like little more than a curio. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

As the '90s drew to a close, their most popular artist was hell-bent on shattering all the sales records that lay in his path. He had already proven himself not only to be the most popular country artist, but he held the record for the most popular male recording artist, demolishing the record held by one of his idols, Billy Joel. All that was left was the Holy Grail -- toppling the Beatles' status as the best-selling artist of all time. A difficult task, to be sure, but one that was conceivably within Garth Brooks' reach. To make sure he reached this milestone, Brooks began releasing multi-disc sets, since each individual disc within a set counts as a unit toward the final sales, thereby insuring an inflated sales total. The five-disc box The Limited Series was the first in this series, followed by Double Live, Brooks' first live album, in the fall of 1998. The generic titles of both sets suggest that both albums shouldn't be viewed as anything more than product, since Garth couldn't be bothered to think of an actual title; he just called it what it is. And the title alone isn't what suggests that Double Live is product: the elaborate marketing plan -- where the disc retails for the low price of $13.99 during the "holiday" season, where the album has a different cover, photos and Brooks-penned liner notes every million copies pressed, where the cassette has completely different artwork than the CD -- ensures that he'll move as many units as possible in as short a time as possible (initial reports suggested that Brooks, his label EMI, and his favorite retailer, Wal-Mart, planned to move a million copies in one week.). It could be seen that this method is designed as some sort of treat for his fans, since it offers them an unprecedented selection of choices (that's Brooks' point of view), but it could also be seen as a way to milk sales out of an unnecessary album. Sure, Double Live is a professionally entertaining album with a few nice bonuses -- including extra verses for "Friends in Low Places" and "The Thunder Rolls," plus three new songs: the dedicated-to-mama "It's Your Song," the Trisha Yearwood duet "Wild as the Wind," and the rocker "Tearin' It Up (And Burnin' It Down)" -- but much of this record is either identical to the studio counterparts or offers nothing new whatsoever. Brooks makes no attempt to camouflage his studio trickery -- it's clear that the intros to "Two Pina Coladas," "The River" and "We Shall Be Free" are pasted on in the studio -- and even when the crowd intrudes on "The Fever," it feels forced, not like the genuine kinetic energy that can be captured on a live recording. Part of the problem is that the album is a compilation, selecting 25 songs from 25 different dates. Even with studio polish (and there is quite a lot of that), an album culled from such a wide variety of sources can't help but feel patchwork, and Double Live does. Despite the handful of new twists on familiar material, which will surely satisfy the diehards, Double Live simply isn't that interesting for the average Garth fan. It's the kind of record that's hyped as an event upon its original release, but will be seen as little more than a curio a few years after its release. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Making a live Garth Brooks album is like trying to catch lightning in a bottle. His concerts--part revival meeting, part love-in, part circus--are spectacles best experienced on a first hand basis. But this comes as close as a mere CD can to presenting the full Garth experience. Wisely, Brooks has chosen to make the audience the star on many tracks. Hearing thousands of fans singing along to "Unanswered Prayers" and "The Dance" is a goosebump-inducing experience. Songs like "Shameless," "The Beaches of Cheyenne" and "That Summer," all fine in their studio versions, take on a new vibrancy live.

But it's the upbeat songs that really shine. As Brooks and his crack band tear through rave-ups like "Ain't Goin' Down" and "The Fever," his voice takes on an edge of maniacal glee that drives the audience--and him--into a frenzy. And if the prospect of a live Garth souvenir isn't enough, Brooks has thrown in three new songs, including a duet with Trisha Yearwood ("Wild As the Wind"). The CD is also available in at least seven collectable versions, each with a different cover. Garth devotees can't go wrong with DOUBLE LIVE, and casual fans will welcome having all his hits in one handy package.

Making a live Garth Brooks album is like trying to catch lightning in a bottle. His concerts--part revival meeting, part love-in, part circus--are spectacles best experienced on a first hand basis. But this comes as close as a mere CD can to presenting the full Garth experience. Wisely, Brooks has chosen to make the audience the star on many tracks. Hearing thousands of fans singing along to "Unanswered Prayers" and "The Dance" is a goosebump-inducing experience. Songs like "Shameless," "The Beaches of Cheyenne" and "That Summer," all fine in their studio versions, take on a new vibrancy live.

But it's the upbeat songs that really shine. As Brooks and his crack band tear through rave-ups like "Ain't Goin' Down" and "The Fever," his voice takes on an edge of maniacal glee that drives the audience--and him--into a frenzy. And if the prospect of a live Garth souvenir isn't enough, Brooks has thrown in three new songs, including a duet with Trisha Yearwood ("Wild As the Wind"). The CD is also available in at least seven collectable versions, each with a different cover. Garth devotees can't go wrong with DOUBLE LIVE, and casual fans will welcome having all his hits in one handy package. minimize