Customer Reviews

Garth Live from Central Park [VHS]

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Even people that don't care for country music will appreciate this concert, filmed in August of 1997 in Central Park. It is 100% pure entertainment, with no gimmicks, and no outrageous behavior, just brilliant musicianship, great songs, and a lot of love between the audience and Garth.
The band is terrific, among them the incredible Steve McClure (steel guitar) and Jimmy Mattingly (fiddle).
Most of the first hour is filled with eleven songs: "Rodeo", "Papa Loved Mama", "The Beaches of Cheyenne", "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House", "The Thunder Rolls", "We Shall be Free", "Unanswered Prayers", "The River", "That Summer", "Callin' Baton Rouge", and "Shameless".

Billy Joel then joins Garth for ten fantastic minutes, singing "Ain't Goin' Down (Til the Sun Comes Up)", and a jazzy duet of "A New York State of Mind" with Jim Horn on saxophone adding to the magic.
When Garth sings "A New York State of Mind", and hits some of the most beautiful notes I've ever heard from him, one realizes that he would have reached the top of his field no matter what genre of music he chose to perform in.

The next 50 minutes include:
"The Fever", "Friends in Low Places", "The Dance".
Don McClean joins Garth for a marvelous rendition of his "American Pie".
Garth then sings "Much Too Young" and "If Tomorrow Never Comes", and is joined by Billy Joel once more for a rousing finale of Joel's "You May Be Right".
This performance is a refreshing example of superb talent, at its brightest, and is a concert that will provide enjoyment for years of repeated viewing.

I currently own this video and love it. If I didn't have a bunch of his other videos I would certainly wear out this tape. For all of his fans this is a must have. Especially if you can not make it to his concerts. Just recently I had the pleasure of seeing him live and in concert, this video does that it makes you feel as if you are at a concert. It gives out the vibes that he gives. For those that saw it on HBO still need to buy this tape. You missed the stage catching on fire and Garth's reaction to it. Missed Garth and his idol Billy Joel singing their hearts and souls out. Missed great songs such as The River, If Tommorow Never Comes and The Dance. Also missed the high energy song Ain't Goin Down till The Sun Comes Up. BUY THIS VIDEO YOU WON'T REGRET THE MONEY YOU SPENT.

It's all of the good things that others have said but the one thing that struck me most while watching it (shortly after 9/11) was the irony at the end of the song "We Shall Be Free", when a huge banner with the word "Freedom" was unrolled between the 2 World Trade buildings. It still gives me chills.

Garth Brook "Live in Central Park" was such a treat. I've watched it so many times already and cannot sit still! What a surprise to have a fantastic guest sing a few songs with Garth on the video. I got drawn in like I was at a real concert. My family wondered what I was doing clapping in the living room!

This video is a must for all Garth lovers! It is Garth at his best and showing off his full potential. It's got all the usual Garth.....you know, the running, climbing stuff, throwing stuff, laughing, and stirring up all sorts of michief. It includes performances by Billy Joel and Don McLean. Also Garth plays for a croud of 300,000 or so. Wacthing it is the most amazing experience. It makes you want to get excited with "The Fever" sing allong with "Unanswered Prayers" and cry to "The Dance"!!! an experience that will truly leap you out of your seat! Definately the BEST GARTH VIDEO EVER!!!!!!!!

After establishing his dominance over the country music sphere, Garth Brooks decided to take a bit of a risk by bringing his show to New York City (Central Park, to be exact). Boy, did that "gamble" pay off big!

In terms of overall electricity, this show was probably Garth's best. The audience is incredible, Garth's energy isn't lacking, and guest stars Billy Joel and Don McLean only add to the excitement.

About the only down side to the tape is that, for the first time, Garth's vocals leave a little bit to be desired. Maybe this show was more truly "live" than his other television concerts, or maybe his pudginess was finally catching up to him a bit, but either way there was a bit of huffing-and-puffing heard through the microphone as he commenced with his crazy antics. However, there are still enough strong vocal moments to keep the show from turning sour.

Overall, this experience is Garth Brooks at his popularity peak, and it shows. Every song is worthwhile, and there isn't a dull moment (the pacing on this set is probably the best of his career). Enjoy!

Sure, you're thinking, "I can buy 'The Entertainer' DVD set and get this along with other Garth specials; why bother with the VHS?" Here's why: The DVD version is severely edited. First off, as a marketing ploy, two songs were excised from the program and put on the DVD as "bonus tracks." Moreover, there were several between-songs moments that were sacrificed and unfortunately, many were the kinds of things that really helped make the Central Park show a standout Garth event. The highlight was when Garth explained how it was that Billy Joel was still around to come out in the encore and perform on "You May Be Right." They stole the car that Billy came in, is the way Garth explains it to the audience. True? Doubtful, but it's amusing. On the DVD version, Billy Joel is simply all of a sudden on-stage again with no introduction. The DVD version is too perfunctory to really capture the magic of this event, and for that reason, you really owe it to yourself to acquire the original, unedited, VHS release.

Me encanta la voz de Garth Brooks, tenía CD's suyos, y hace 2 años vi sólo la última cancion del Recital por HBO. Desde entonces quería ver el recital entero. Lo encontré ahora, y me pareció espectacular el show. Daría cualquier cosa por haber estado en el recital esa noche.

I went to Central Park for Garth's NYC concert. This video brought back all those exciting feelings of being there. "LIVE" is an appropriate name for the video! You feel like your there. As usual, Garth takes you to a whole other world, gets your adrenalin pumping and by the middle of the show your singing with him at the top of your lungs!!! I adore Garth Brooks, and if you get this video you'll understand why!!!!!

But for some reason, the video must be on some other planet because I can't seem to find it anywhere! A former co-worker brought this video to work one day and let me borrow it. I must have watched it 4 or 5 times that night! It is without a doubt the best live concert video Garth has to date! Special appearances by Billy Joel and Don McClean are the icing on the cake!! Even if you just barely like Garth's music, get your hands on this video! It will completely change the way you "hear" his music forever...I guarantee it!