Garth Brooks: The Road I'm On

Pull your jeans up high and tight for this one! After just four strokes of his guitar you will be calling all your big words and telling them to watch this! I had to stop a few minutes into it and call Bobby, Trish, and Karen! I told them "hop on your BIKES, and let's get social!" I threw some chips in a bowl and we watched every episode!!

Mmmnow, I didn't grow up in the country pursay, but dang I like country music. And there ain't no better than garth brooks. This documentary shows just how cold and murderous the record music business industry can be, from that famous 24hr trip to Nashville to Garth's failed 1st marriage because his wife couldn't fill out an application (Illiterate couldn't read good). Garth tells tall tales about coming up an making it big, and boy did he get BIG. Sometimes holding back the tears he gives inspirational advice like compete, compete, compete and when you think you're done compete again...or my fave every blessing is a curse and every curse is blessed (his daddy's sage advice). All the studio and on-stage footage is great, garth hitting every note high and tight, always looking the part in a flashy shirt or Oklahoma state hoodie, always in them hard-working farm stained jeans jeans jeans!! Garth shares intimate parts of his life such as his retirement from late nights and road beave to focus on raising his three unremarkable daughters. Fellow musicians rave on about garth and his slitting the throat of the pop music world. Chris Gaines makes an appearance as the focal star of a concept record loosely based on the life of Australian star Keith urban, wildy new and original, stunningly controversial... I don't wanna run the risk of this turning into a bunch of spoilers so I'll quit with the ramblin. Do yourself a favour, lock yourself or someone else in the house, dig a hole in the backyard and bury your phone, cos you don't wanna miss this for your life. Well done Netflix, well done Garth, well done America!!!

This is one of those times you think "this could've been so much better". I agree with some of the other reviews on here where it seemed like it was a self-promoting documentary. There's aspects of it I enjoyed just from a "oh I forgot about that" standpoint.

Too much of it seemed staged, especially as they are preparing for the big stadium concert there at the end, where he was giving them a peptalk. A pep talk to a band that has been performing in stadiums for 20 years.

And the constant close-ups with him whispering were a bit much.

Full disclosure: I am an Okie who lived in Stillwater shortly after Garth and Sandy were there and later lived down the road from them in Claremore. I am not a country music fan, but all his songs are familiar to me. This two-part four-hour documentary is mostly Garth talking to the camera directly at the questioner and/or the viewer. The photography and editing are excellent, and Garth's retelling of his life story makes it worth the length. This really is the story of his mother and his family. As Garth says, "Inside, I am my mother." The best part is Brooks repeating the philosophy of life imparted by his father and the genuine human being that deals with his fellow musicians and managers. It is clear that when Garth picks up a guitar and steps up to a mike, he is all about the fans. He loves them as much as they love him, and he appreciates what he has achieved. But the overall importance of family--especially his three daughters--is the cornerstone of his life. This was true to the point where he retired from the music business to spend time with them. The dynamics of the first wife, the second wife, the kids, and the older generation are a lesson in living. Nothing about his marital problems or his mother's difficulties is glossed over or lingered on longer than necessary. Even the Chris Gaines episode is explored. This is an open, honest look at a landmark musician and a good man.

I was on the fence as to whether or not I wanted to watch this, but I went for it. First, the guy whispers in all of his interviews in the recording studio. It's creepy. He seems like he is trying to be philosophical and create phrases that will hit everybody in the heart, and to help him achieve that, he whispers quietly and waves his arms. I kept waiting for him to say "We have to keep it down or we'll wake the baby that's sleeping in the next room..." The rest of it feels like Garth is standing behind the camera writing and directing all of what's being said so he can look good. Even the stuff he says is so cheesy it's just not believable. I feel like he had a fairly uncomplicated life and rise to stardom, but he found a way to drag it out into multiple episodes, and make it seem more dramatic than it was... Love the music, but strongly disliked this documentary.