Season 7 Episode 7: Garth Brooks - Ultimate Hits DVD, Part 4

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Hey everyone, it's dead.

And I'm Pete.

And I'm Jess.

Today we are jumping right back into the ultimate hit DVD.

You know that one that's tucked right there inside the 2013 box set.

Blame it all on my roots.

Five decades of influences.

And we're continuing our deep dive into the music videos that helped define Garth on screen

as much as his music defined him on stage.

In season seven, episode five,

we worked our way through videos nine through 13.

So today we're rolling right into videos 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18.

Starting with video number 14, which is learning to live again.

Learning to live again was written by Stephanie Davis and Don Schlitz.

The music video was directed by John Small.

This is a completely different type of music video than we've seen previously on this disc.

It's set in a recording studio.

So it kind of gives us a glimpse at what it's like to record a song.

I love that we sort of get to see that process here.

Kind of like behind the scenes.

Although I don't think that's actually like them recording this song.

I think it's kind of made up scene of recording a song.

But I do like it.

I like that we kind of get to see that behind the scenes and what it's kind of like.

But without a doubt, my favorite moment is when Garth sings the line, smile my best smile.

And the smile that he gives in that moment.

Oh my god, it's adorable.

Like I get heart eyes and I just stare at him and go, oh, he's so sweet.

So that does it for me.

That scene right there, that one lyric.

And I just smile.

All right, beat over to you.

What are your thoughts on the learning to live again video?

Yeah, learning to live again is just an absolute hidden gem.

I think that this song actually deserves to be a actual music video.

I think that they could have done a lot more with it.

They could have acted it out.

It's an amazing story with amazing lyrics.

And I think that it would have been a very, very good song to put to an actual music video.

And I actually think for as good as this song is in his entire catalog,

they missed a good opportunity here not making this an actual music video.

I don't know if it's me or if it's weird or not weird.

But every time he says the word dev, I always think that you have to.

Like I put you in that song.

Me too.

That's kind of money.

I find it very odd that Garth sings to the wall on and off in this video.

Like I don't know why they're like, hey man, we're over here.

Get around.

Like everybody else is facing one way and he's just singing to some weird wall.

But it's so hard to say anything about this song because the lyrics do such a great job.

Garth's voice, the vocals, they're so great.

Like I just love it.

I love everything about this one.

I just wish we would have seen and acted out music video.

I think that would have been very, very epic.

Jess, what are your thoughts on this one?

I agree.

I think there was a missed opportunity to see this one play out as a traditional video because

it's such a good story.

Like it would have easily been a brilliant and probably beautifully done traditional video.

But I did like the mix of the video and the live studio version here because I mean,

it's not a traditional music video, but it's also not the live performances that we've gotten

in a lot of the other videos and you don't want that to get overdone.

So I think it was a good choice to do this one slightly differently and that it was kind of live studio instead.

My favorite part is where he still plays out the line where he says, oh my god, I've forgotten her name.

Because I love that and he's still like, he's still emoting it in the studio.

And so I love that.

So it was funny to me when you were like, I love the part where he's smiling here because, you know,

we all have our things and that's my favorite part of that video.

And I was so glad I waited for it to be like, what's he going to do on my favorite part?

And I was not disappointed.

Yeah, because you've said in the past that that's your favorite.

I love it from this song.

Yeah.

All right.

Next is video number 15 on the ultimate hits DVD, which is that summer.

That summer was written by Pat Alger, Sandy Mall and Garth Brooks.

And the video was directed by Joe Domeo.

This video is another concert performance video.

So not a traditional music video, but concert.

And for me, I love when Trisha rises up onto the stage in this one.

I love that moment anyways, but also I love that as she rises up and she gets onto the stage,

the look that Robert Bailey gives her is just the sweetest look ever.

Like I just see him and I see how happy it makes him that she's there.

And I can tell that he loves performing with her.

It's just like shining on his face.

So I love that moment.

And I also can't help but kind of laugh when she comes out in this song.

Just knowing now how much we've seen how she doesn't really care for this song.

She doesn't like the storyline of this song.

So when that's the song that she rises up onto the stage,

I just kind of giggle because I'm like, well, that's funny.

I know I know it was Garth like, I have the perfect introduction for you in the show.

Exactly.

So those are the kind of moments for Trisha that really get me.

For me, the main highlight as far as Garth is concerned is I really notice in this video

how he recognizes fans in the audience.

So for me, having experienced that now,

so many times myself seeing other people get to experience that in this video,

just makes me so happy because I know in that moment,

like he's made a distinct impression on their life in that moment

because it's happened to me and I know what that feels like.

And so for me, that just hits differently now.

Had I watched this five years ago and never have experienced him seeing me in the audience,

it wouldn't hit me as much.

But in this one, I really does.

Like, I just was so happy for them.

And it also helped me to relive those moments as well.

So that's what really got me in this video.

Pete, what did you think of it?

Yeah, that summer in itself is an absolute, you know, dream of a song.

This song, again, in my opinion, I think that it actually could have had its own music video.

It may have been hard to put something together in a couple of minute music video,

but I think that it had a good opportunity there.

I'm sure that you guys noticed.

But only more.

If you guys see how young Robert and Vicki are when Trisha comes up and they show,

I'm like, oh, and then you see Trisha's old guitar, but I guess he's played with both of them.

Eddie comes out and he's on the guitar behind Garth.

And I'm like, holy moly look how young he is.

He's like super small and I'm like, that's wild.

Wild to see how young these guys are.

I know I don't want this to get like too out of control or whatever,

but it's crazy to me to see now.

Obviously after Garth and Trisha have been married and all that stuff.

It to me is so obvious that it, or in my opinion, again, just my opinion.

It just seemed like they were so in love at the time that they recorded this concert video.

Like there was just something there.

Like this is something there, right?

I don't know.

Garth, he doesn't, like he didn't have a ring.

I was like, look at that ring.

Oh, what are we doing here man?

Why is this so early on?

So yeah, I was like, wow, but then I'm looking.

I'm like, you got this shirt that Garth's wearing.

Wild shirt.

So what in the Star Trek world?

Is that shirt that Palmer's wearing?

Next guy.

I'm like, you what are you wearing man?

Take, don't, don't, don't wear that anymore.

But I, yeah, there's a lot of crazy things in this song, this video that I,

that I know.

But it was a fun one.

I enjoyed it.

Just what about you?

Same.

I love this one.

I always remember this video in particular because of Trisha's intro.

So I know that she's going to come up out of the floor in that moment.

And I love that.

I love when she does that Garth gets that little waiver or laugh in his voice when he sees

the crowds response to her coming up out of the floor and that's so sweet and just fun.

I love seeing them have fun together at that time, kind of back in that time period because

it was early and they were still kind of finding their way.

And so I enjoy watching those earlier videos.

Not that I don't love watching them perform together now.

But I like to go back and watch the old stuff.

And when he makes his way across the stage and bows to her whenever she comes up, I always

love that part.

I think that's probably my favorite part of the video.

And did you guys notice that he, like he goes for the fist bump and then the camera pans

out and you miss it.

And then it comes back just in time for her to drop her hand.

So you don't get to see it.

But I was like, man, they cut off the, because now they do that all the time.

Like even just still now, like he'll give her a little fist bump.

And so I was like, I never noticed that before and all the times that I watched the videos.

It's time I saw him go in for, I probably never have like looked at it that closely before.

But I saw him going in for the fist bump and was like, man, they screwed it up on the camera angles

and they paned out to the car.

The camera man.

Yeah.

Just dropped the ball and that went totally right.

Totally ruined it.

And the other thing that occurred to me was just remembering that this is Garf's official video.

And I mean, I think of how many times he did that song live, a million, billion times.

But he chose one of the performances that Trisha was in to use as the official video.

And so I think it's cool.

Then now anytime how willing he always is to share the limelight and like just kind of stand back and be a part of, you know, everyone's excitement when she comes in the room.

And so that occurred to me as I was watching it that I was like, man, he had a million choices for what he wanted to use.

And he used, because you know, most artists, he goes pretty big, not necessarily a bad thing, but just as by virtue of being a performer of any kind.

That's typically true.

And so it just struck me that he chose to share that stage in that moment when he could have just had a video that was all him and not include her or anyone else.

So true.

Yeah.

All right.

Now onto the 16th video on the DVD video number 16 is standing outside the fire.

The song was written by Jenny Yates and Garth Brooks.

And this was another video directed by John Small.

The music video for standing outside the fire tells such a powerful story.

And that goes beyond like a typical performance clip to me.

So I'm glad that they did this as a music video and not a concert performance.

And instead of focusing on Garth, the video actually centers on a young man with Down syndrome chasing his dream of becoming a high school athlete.

But for me, you know, that is not the story that the lyrics tell.

You know, it doesn't spell it out directly.

You don't know going into this video automatically what the story is.

But the storyline in the video perfectly embodies the song's message.

So I think that's super cool.

I mean, you know, you have a song about courage and inclusion.

And then you come up with this storyline for the video.

So I love that about this video.

It's so powerful, not at all like what if you just were to hear the song and then turn on the video.

It's not for me the first thing that comes to mind.

It is for me definitely one of the most impactful storytelling videos that Garth has.

I mean, it's bold, it's heartfelt.

So I love it.

This one for me is impossible to forget.

I think the only thing on it that really throws me a little though.

I understand fire has to get represented in standing outside the fire.

So I see having fire in the video.

But having the school on fire, it seems like such an odd choice to me.

And I can't tell if it's distance for when this video was made or if I always felt like that.

But it's just odd.

Like let's set the school on fire.

I'm always like a little.

So Pete, what do you think about it?

Yeah, standing outside the fire like this instantly hit me and got me emotional.

It had been a long minute since I'd seen this one.

And it's almost one of those songs or those videos you can carry around because Auntie like you were saying.

The song for me, the lyrics.

Obviously seeing this video multiple times before.

But yes, originally just listening to the song.

This isn't what you would get from the lyrics.

So it's almost like you can carry this video around in your back pocket.

When you need a little reminder that you know you just everybody needs to love one another.

Whether they have disabilities or they don't like it's just a great story.

A true reminder that if you believe in something that you want, you work hard for it.

Anything is possible from the dad not you know he didn't believe that it was a good idea.

Didn't believe that a son could do it to you know being overprotective to the mom who supported it.

And pushed you know their son along the way.

To in the end you know as the song's finishing up.

The dad was the first one there to make sure that nobody assisted it to let him do it on his own.

And complete what he started.

And there's just so much about in amazing.

So I never thought about that you know like you said about the school is not fire.

Are you just talking about the bleachers?

No, because at the beginning, Garth and the band is standing inside the school and like a wall of the school is on fire.

Things are falling down.

And then yeah eventually it's the bleachers are on fire and like the tower thing falls over and right.

So I mean that's a little disturbing.

But the first part of the fire is the school.

I didn't think of it either.

Yeah, that's a crazy thing because I never put that together that it was inside the school.

Because I guess that that would bother me a little bit more than you know just the bleachers or whatever.

Like I didn't think nothing about that.

I know whatever goes with it.

But yeah, anyways that's interesting that I missed that part of it.

But I thought that it was a great video, very, very impactful.

And even now like listening to the song or thinking about it, the lyrics are putting the video.

It's really hard to put the two of them together, but it does just fit.

Like it really does work.

I love everything about the message and I watched it over and over again.

I think it was my wife was sitting down with me when we were researching and she was watching it.

I think it was the first time she saw it.

She was just mesmerized by it.

So yeah, it definitely does have an impact on everybody.

Jess, what about you?

What are your thoughts on standing outside the fire?

I agree.

I think this is one of Garth's best videos ever.

One of the things that stood out to me about it with just the message and the young man that had down syndrome was just that this was before inclusion was pushed as much as it is now.

So it wasn't maybe people's knee jerk reaction to include people who had any kind of disability or difference or anything like that.

So again, it was kind of before it's time and he was always pushing boundaries and putting things out there that maybe weren't really out there in the forefront yet.

So props to him for doing that.

It was a good idea for the video.

And obviously he doesn't like completely right produced and everything come up with the concept of, you know, I'm sure he had to help with that.

Please give him credit for everything.

But he has final say so.

And, you know, to go, yes, this is the way I want to go.

This is what I want to do.

I think that that was a great choice.

And like you guys talked about, it just had a lot of angles.

It was a lot of good points.

It was a mom advocating for her child and the child wouldn't give up.

And, you know, the dad learns a lesson through his son's perseverance and the son learns a lesson even through the dad of that, you know,

even if his dad was right and he got hurt, he could do hard things.

He could still get up.

He could still go on and tackle something again.

So I love that.

I love that there's a lot going on and so many good lessons in there.

I also loved seeing kind of Garth sitting there stoic in the fire because that reminded me of the thunder rolls where he looks at the camera at the end.

And he's like the onlooker to everything that's happening.

But it's that kind of like the look on his face like he's feeling the story and feeling the moment and the weight of what's happened there.

And so it was just very well done.

I think and I'm very glad that of all the ones that got a traditional video that this one got one for sure.

Yeah.

I can't imagine it being any other story.

Yeah.

I would have been disappointed if this had been a concert video performance.

Yeah.

All right.

Let's get into the 17th video on the DVD.

Video number 17 is ain't going down till the sun comes up.

The song was written by Kim Williams, Kent Blaisey and Garth Brooks.

And the video was directed by Maurice Linenan.

This is another concert performance video.

However, this one is done differently than the ones we've seen up to now.

This is not Garth singing the song in real time.

It's just snippets of the absolute craziest moments in a bunch of different concerts set to this song in particular.

It is absolute chaos.

You get the leap out of the stage at the beginning.

There's silly string.

Garth leaping out on the ladders, spraying water all over everybody.

And so many other crazy crazy things.

And yet somehow it just all works to this song.

It's perfect chaos set to the perfect music.

And I love that Garth captured all of that craziness that was going on at the hype of his career.

To catch all of that on film and be able to put it out there so that now in 2026 he can look back and see what it was like then.

He was crazy dude jumping on those ladders way out into the audience.

He certainly couldn't do that now.

I couldn't do that now.

I couldn't have probably done it then.

But I love that he's captured all of that on film.

Yeah.

And he gets to look back on it and see it now.

Okay.

What do you think of this one?

Yeah.

Ain't going down is a badass song from start to finish and that stage jump intro was about his badass as they come.

Like he got some serious air on that one.

We get to see over and over again the energy that he brings and we talk about it all the time.

This song is pure proven video that it shows that this song brings it as well or better than any or all of them.

I mean the energy like you said that they capture in all these different shows that he doesn't put them together.

It's edited that way but it shows how this song just shows up every time time in and time again you know with that kind of energy.

One thing that I noticed is the amount of young kids that I see in this video.

There's a lot of young kids in this video and I wonder how many of those kids have been to shows after the return.

And like what they look like now like you know those people that were so intrigued those young kids that were singing those lyrics back to him back then.

Like did they come back to the return shows like we did right.

Another cool thing I noticed that you had mentioned was the water bottles like that's a part of the song that you know he does.

He throws the water he did it in Central Park he does it in a lot of his life show.

But one where we didn't see it is we didn't see it at the Caesars one man show like he didn't didn't bring it there.

It wasn't I don't I mean I didn't get to go to a win show but I didn't see it on the DVD there.

But there's a lot of time Central Park I know he does it some of the stadium stadium shows he did.

So that was always pretty cool something always you know remind me you know about that it's crazy.

It's like when that part of the song comes on when I'm listening to it.

I just wonder if I had a water bottle if I just start splashing what do you do just start splashing people with it.

But yeah I don't know I think it's a great song a lot of fun and just a ton of energy just what are your thoughts on it.

Yeah I agree pretty much I have the same notes just that this one had to be live.

There is no other option for this song in my opinion.

I love the water bottles I love all the different interactions with the audience.

There was so much of it in that video and just all such a fun time and like you said such fun memories for him and for them.

And this it perfectly captures all the craziness and the high geeks of those early days and the kind of the just high octane level that they had back then.

They still are pretty crazy on stage I mean they get around they have a good time.

But this was just I mean those 90s shows we can go back and look at it now like I'm so sad I never got to go to any of them.

But I'm so so grateful for the videos that we have because that was just on a whole other level for sure.

Yeah he was at the pinnacle for sure.

Yeah so good and I was at a couple of those.

Oh yeah but you always have that over me.

It's true.

No way to go back and get it now.

I got splashed with water bottles so I've had that happen to me.

You're like I was so close.

Now on to the 18th video which is today's last video.

Video number 18 on the ultimate hits DVD in the blame it all of my roots box set is Colin Baton Rouge.

The song was written by Dennis Lind and the video was directed by Bud Schatzel.

Honestly for me this video is kind of the opposite of when we just talked about.

So if I had to rate the videos in today's episode this one just gets kind of a meh from me.

Yeah especially when you consider the song it's Colin Baton Rouge.

Yeah say can I interrupt you because literally my notes are super short.

I have one line by one line for this video was I miss Jimmy.

Because I was like this song is the fiddle like the whole it's the fiddle break is this whole song.

And that guy was great like the original guy touring back then was wonderful and didn't miss a note.

But he didn't look like he was having any fun.

I kept waiting I was like I was going to smile he's going to like no.

And I was unlike nothing against this guy for sure.

But I miss Jimmy like that's what I miss out of that.

I was like man he and Garth would be hamming it up.

They'd be running around.

He'd be grinning that big grin while he was on the fiddle that was yeah that was my note.

So sorry I interrupted yours.

But that was all I had.

My literal note for this video.

No I'm with you.

It was I can't wait I was like it's going to the video is going to start any second.

It's really going to and it just didn't.

Yeah.

And I mean don't get me wrong.

I love the song of course.

But since we're talking about videos here.

I had to keep reminding myself you you love the song but we're not talking about the song.

We're talking about videos and so that's why I finally just had to say it was meh.

Because I love the song but we're talking videos.

So it's for me this is just another concert performance video and absolutely nothing grabbed me.

The only thing I did notice so your note was about Jimmy missing Jimmy.

Mine one note was that guitar that Garth was playing.

It looks so alien in his hands.

Because I'm so used to him with the big acoustic guitar.

And then it seemed like that was a little tiny electric guitar.

And it was like a baby.

I was like that is so weird looking.

And that's what I kept focusing on there is that small guitar again.

So for me that's the only thing that stood out.

All right Pete.

Jess and I have talked.

What about you?

Yeah you know Call and Baton Rouge it's fun, loud and exciting.

It's always one that we talk about how much fun it is.

I know that this song couldn't have been made into a video that would have done it justice.

But putting this video in this DVD I feel did the song a disservice or a disjustice.

Like it just wasn't it just they missed a big one here like it was it there was no excitement.

Like coming off of ankle and down to Call and Baton Rouge.

It just went from like 100 to 25 like it's like killed it.

When you see the fans in the audience they seem to be having a much better time than the band and the people are on stage that are playing.

And it's like where's the disconnect because you never see that now like when that when call and comes on that place like the lights are bright.

The whole place like to close the top off the place.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It caused an earthquake.

Yeah right exactly.

And I just didn't know it was from this video.

No but it did.

No absolutely not.

I didn't get it.

The smallest amount of research I did.

I think I watched the video once through and I was like there's no need to watch that again.

I'm not going to find anything in it that I didn't see before.

It is a fun as song.

I love it.

I love it to death.

It's a great song.

We're talking videos.

Yep.

Not a video.

And Jess I don't need to ask you thoughts because they missed it with that.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

All right.

Just like that.

We've officially covered videos one through 18 on this DVD.

Which means we are deep into this DVD now.

We're getting there.

We've chugged past the halfway mark.

It has for me.

I don't know about you guys because we haven't talked about it but for me.

It has been so much fun re-watching these videos.

Oh yeah.

Especially because we don't have live Garth concerts.

We no longer have inside studio G every Monday.

So I really have been missing seeing him.

Yeah.

And so to go back and watch these has kind of filled that hole a little bit like it's like oh my little there's a little hole in my heart for Garth.

So it's filled in a little bit.

I still would rather see him live.

For me it takes me back to like shows that we go to like when he sings the song right like call him Baton Ridge.

You know like it takes me back to a show that we were at in San Diego or or or Vegas or wherever it might be.

Right.

So that's pretty cool about it like you said because not having him right now.

It does.

It kind of takes you back to those memories and you can watch that video.

And then I pull up a video on my phone right of being at the concert.

How different it is and how the lighting in the stage and everything is so different nowadays.

So that's what I've been doing with it.

I've enjoyed it thoroughly.

Yeah.

I've really liked it.

And if you guys out there have liked listening to this too, you should go back and watch these videos.

If you haven't had the chance or if you don't own the set, go find the set.

Or if you already have it, put that DVD in.

I know DVDs are a hassle.

Find an old DVD player.

If you don't own one, go to a goodwill buy one.

You can get them for pretty cheap 15 bucks and watch these videos.

It is so much fun.

So do that and stay tuned for more.

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New episodes of Garthology drop on the 7th, 17th, and 27th of each month.

So if like us, you're missing Garth, please join us for an episode as we discuss the life and career,

an unforgettable sound of our favorite artists of all time.

Okay guys, till next time.

Thanks for joining us for today's episode of Garthology.

And I'm Deb.

I'm Pete.

And I'm Jess.

And we'll see you guys next time.

Bye.

Bye everybody.

Bye everyone.

And remember, love will always win.

I was waiting for Bo.

I was like, where is he?

I was too.

He dipped out today.

He's got my phone.

He was like, no.

Now, at some point during this recording, I'm going to go.

Here's my water.

Now on to the 16th.

How do you say that word again?

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