Song Review – “Mom” by Garth Brooks
When it comes to Garth’s new album Man Against Machine, I’m not sure if it is possible for his singles strategy to be more ripe for second guessing. The first single “People Loving People” might as well have not even been released. In fact the case could be made that Garth would have been dramatically better off not releasing a single at all at this point. Now that his first song back has flopped, it’s going to make program directors even more reluctant than they were before to feature a 50-something, somewhat pudgy and out-of-touch star that’s an unknown quantity to most of their target demographic. American radio is already on rickety footing when it comes to the public’s attention span as their appetite for technological alternatives to radio continue to grow. To be taking chances on artists whose peak of relevancy was 20 years ago is a gamble, even if their name is Garth.
It’s unquestionable Garth Brooks has a capable team around him to promote his singles, but from the outside looking in it appears he’s surrounded by yes men who will ignore the data they have on his new songs and shoot whatever Garth is most enamored with at any given moment to country radio and hope it flies. Garth just needs to let people know he’s out there making music again with a sensible single that will get decent play; something beyond local headlines declaring he sold out half a dozen shows in six minutes. If Garth hasn’t played your town or you didn’t tune in for the awful American Music Awards, there’s little reason to know he’s back. Instead of letting radio do its job, Garth’s swinging for the home run ball on the first and second pitch, and like when he tried out for the Padres, he’s going down swinging.
No offense to “Mom,” or even “People Loving People.” These are not terrible songs in themselves. There’s just no sensibility to releasing them as singles. “Mom” is one of the few songs on Man Against Machine that actually resides in the sweet spot of Garth’s vocal range, where his bellowing low end can compliment the beginning of each phrase in a way that evokes memories of his early blockbusters. For my liking, I still think the song could be a half step lower, but unlike much of Man Against Machine that captures Garth in this pallid middle range, his voice is an asset in this song.
READ: Album Review Garth Brooks’ “Man Against Machine”
You would have to characterize the instrumentation and approach to “Mom” as traditional. Fiddle, steel guitar, piano, and a slow, reflective rhythm looking to capture memorable, shiver-inducing moments all makes for something refreshing to hear on mainstream country radio, but only if they’ll play it. All the soccer moms that once were one of country’s mainstays have moved on to the AAA and adult contemporary format. 16-year-old boys with their fists pumping to Florida Georgia Line are going to find “Mom” about as fun as a 9 PM curfew. And no matter the appetite of Robin Roberts on Good Morning America and a studio full of shills crying alligator tears, this song simply doesn’t resonate unless you’re suffering from morning sickness.
The problem with “Mom” is it has that mawkish, signature-Garth over-sentimentality that just makes you want to vomit. Are the words themselves terrible? No. But the lyrical payoff’s potency is good for about one pass of the song, if you can’t see the “Mom” hook coming from a mile away, which most listeners will. Where it’s supposed to deliver people to this warm place, instead it instills this rainbow of conflicting emotions, and even weird thoughts of personhood and conception—somewhere a country song shouldn’t go. Some, if not many moms and children’s experiences with them are much less idyllic than is what is portrayed here. Yes, we all love our moms, but the sad reality is some of them are bat shit crazy, and others are completely unprepared for parenthood. What about the babies who get delivered into their arms?
In the mid 90’s this song would have wooed America, and it still will be effective on some of the daytime TV crowd. But today we’re too gripped with irony and sarcasm to let something so sappy and direct resonate widely, which in truth is probably a sad commentary in itself, but a true assessment nonetheless. Garth has compared this to his iconic song “The Dance,” but “Mom” comes nowhere near capturing the universal sentiment or depth “The Dance” does, not matter what decade your perspective is stuck in.
No, this song is not terrible, and it’s not its fault that society these days is so bitter and full of angst that they can’t enjoy a song like this at least a little bit. It may do better than “People Loving People,” but I’m not sure if that’s saying much. Garth has a whole albums worth of songs—arguably all of the ones except the two he’s picked—that will work fine for radio, and one in “Tacoma” that could be huge. But the question is, by the time he gets to them, will everyone have grown tired of Garth 2.0?
– – – – – – – – – – –
One Gun Up for a fairly well-written, traditional, and heartfelt song.
One Gun Down for sappiness, short-sightedness, and over-sentimentality.
kingfish
November 25, 2014 @ 11:52 am
hey, Ty Herndon — you were supposed to be the “next” Garth Brooks. All this crap could have been yours.
ChrisNSC
November 25, 2014 @ 12:05 pm
“The problem with “Mom” is it has that mawkish, signature-Garth over-sentimentality that just makes you want to vomit.”
I think this line perfectly sums up that feeling you get when Garth is at his worst. That’s why I’ve never been able to feel like I was all in as a fan of his. I’ve sometimes wondered if Garth may be a little out of touch with reality and he actually thinks that his releases of this song and “People Loving People” really are going to change the world. If he wants to truly change the world, he should do one thing and that’s put out good, quality, country music and not sappy over emotional crap that is only going to good for wedding dances and baby dedications.
If he wanted to release this song as a single, why not make it a 4th or 5th cut from the album. Would have put it coming out close to May to tie in with Mother’s Day and make a little more sense. Trigger I think you’ve said it already in another article that he has chosen to surround himself with “Yes Men” who aren’t willing to protect him from his own narcissism. That seems evident with this choice. The Great Garth Comeback in my opinion so far has been a disappointment and a flop.
ShadeGrown
November 25, 2014 @ 6:49 pm
Couldn’t agree more. And overly sentimental/dramatic songs are what drove me away from mainstream country in the first place. It’s a plague.
Robby
December 1, 2014 @ 6:36 am
Me too. That “quivery” thing he forces in his singing style, and sappy songs turned me off to Garth Brooks very early in the game.
Phil
December 1, 2014 @ 2:42 pm
We live through that whole weird Chris Gaines alter ego joke and you’ve just only wondered if Garth Brooks can get a little out of touch with reality?
Klancy
November 25, 2014 @ 12:22 pm
I think “Send Them Down the Road” would have better choice for a single. Has a similar feel but comes across as less sappy
Albert
November 25, 2014 @ 12:33 pm
I’m a bit confused by your thoughts above Trigger. It seems to me that you’re suggesting Garth should be ‘playing the commercial radio game’ and trying to compete with what’s on playlists in an effort to reach their current target demographic ( young and mostly uninitiated ) .
First off , I think we can safely say that Garth and his money do not need to play the radio game to be financially successful . I’d bet he’s ‘comfortable’ in that area of his life . He’s selling out concerts faster than people can keep count and adding shows at almost every stop on his tour . Ticket revenues AND the merchandising alone for a mammoth outing like this should take care of any little financial concerns Garth may have , I would think. Not to mention the ongoing sales of his entire catalog , his performance and writing royalties and sales of the new album online , in shops or at the shows .
I think Garth may actually be using those particular singles as artistic and industry statements. Anyone who’s listened to his latest album ( which, BTW , I personally give three thumbs up and I am NOT a Garth fan ) knows he isn’t trend-chasing with ANY of the material on that collection which suggests to me that he doesn’t like that radio crap any more than most serious country music fans do . But Garth CAN do more about that than most serious country fans can and throwing these two songs at radio to see if they’ll stick might just be his way of sending his message . They are , like them or not , both songs with more heart than nearly everything on mainstream radio stations ….country OR pop . Garth , unlike so many would- be up- and-comers, has NOTHING to lose by making a statement with those two songs . He isn’t at the mercy of radio , labels , the taxman , or listeners . I believe he’s using his success and stature to stand for the kinds of songs he truly believes people need and want to hear . No …they aren’t what radio is playing and I think that’s exactly WHY he put them out . They ARE indicative of the strong songs and statements on much of the new record though . His fan base ( and it is massive ) was established long ago and , obviously , still support and are loyal to him ….new fans would be icing on the Garth cake . And let’s not forget that gigantic Garth ego ( read stubbornness ) when it comes to calling the shots . ( No shows in Ireland ?…turn those boats around ) . Its worked very well for him so far .
I may have this all wrong but I believe it’s Garth’s way or the highway especially at this point in his career . Why the hell would he want to ‘come back’ with a bunch of tailgate partying , day-drinking ” girl you make my speakers go boom-boom” songs after all he’s accomplished in his career ?
If you can’t do exactly what you want to do musically when you’re as wealthy and successful as Garth and have a fan base who’ll rejoice when you do , when CAN you do that ?
Tom
November 25, 2014 @ 1:27 pm
You may be onto something, but I’ll take it a step farther.
Garth is all about the album sales. He want’s to be the biggest selling artist in history. He doesn’t care about the money because he’s got plenty. And he’s not concerned about hit singles. He just wants people to buy the album.
He’s in the process of trying to remove his music from every outlet that might allow a listener to buy or listen to a single song, but the one thing he can’t control is radio. He can’t avoid releasing singles because he needs to convey to the average listener that he has music out there, but he doesn’t want to run the risk of having people be satisfied with hearing the best cuts on the radio because he needs them to buy the album.
I’m completely pulling this out of my butt, but I think it’s possible (not probable) that he’s intentionally releasing the weaker cuts to radio in order to push people into buying the album so they can hear the better music that they know is on there because, well, he’s Garth.
Sure, it’s far-fetched. But this is the guy who brought us Chris Gaines. Anything is possible.
dan
December 4, 2014 @ 11:21 pm
all this talk about Garth being the biggest seller of all ”¦.you can’t be serious ”¦are you forgetting elvis ”¦(a billion) and a little combo called the beatles (a billion) ”¦heck bob dylan has sold almost as much as brooks
Trigger
November 25, 2014 @ 4:14 pm
First off, please understand that I wrote the review for this song and graded it based on the merit of the song itself and nothing else. Since reviews are inherently boring, I tend to also use them as springboards to address other issues either facing artist, or bigger trends in music.
At Garth’s press conference when he announced his new album, he said that once he’s made the music in the studio, it’s his job to do everything he can to get that music in front of as many people as possible. He also said that this approach had caused him some friction and controversy in his career. Yes, I think Garth chose the two single because they may have been his favorite on the album, but he also wants them to succeed, and the album to succeed. Remember, the reason Garth doesn’t like iTunes is because they won’t let him sell an album cohesively.
My point is that if Garth wants to get his music out to as many people as possible, as he has stated he wants to do in a recent press conference, then it would be better to release a single like “Tacoma,” “All-American Kid,” “Cowboys Forever,” etc. Remember, “Tacoma” was supposed to be the first single. It was even sent to radio stations before being pulled at the 11th hour, and “People Loving People” was prepped to replace it. My guess is “Tacoma” scored this highest in testing and that’s what the label wanted to release. But then Garth laid down the veto.
The point of releasing singles is to promote your album to radio, and this is especially true for Garth who is pretty much the last artist on earth that sells his music in album form only. It is my opinion Garth would do a better job getting his music to people, INCLUDING songs like “Mom” and “People Loving People,” if he would release more sensible single.
We’re just learning today that “Mom” might be off to a good start on radio, Maybe the female demo the song appeals to will be dedicated enough for it to do well. But I still think he should have held off and maybe released it 3rd or 4th. When “People Loving People” bombed, it forced his hand to release a new single sooner.
Shot Jackson
November 25, 2014 @ 12:59 pm
If you think Garth doesn’t want radio to put his music in heavy rotation you’re kidding yourself. He’s out to prove he can do it better than the current status quo. The problem his are just as bad but in a different way than current country radio. Good for him and all his money, I guess.
LucyStag
November 25, 2014 @ 1:25 pm
The subtext on this site is frequently, “God, popular country is so bad, I now miss Garth Brooks!!!!” but I have tried to listen to him, and man. Blech. He sounds just as generic country deep, but soulless to me as everyone else does. I even tried “Friends in Low Places” and I hated his dang voice.
Or maybe he was just dominating the airwaves back when I first learned to hate pop country. I just don’t get the appeal of him. Maybe I heard too many Chris Gaines jokes to understand.
markf
November 25, 2014 @ 5:20 pm
“I hated his dang voice.”
me too.
I haven’t listened to one song of his for more than about ten seconds.
He always sounds just a little out of tune to me.
Selling records, and concert tickets, doesn’t necessarily make you a great man.
LucyStag
November 25, 2014 @ 5:27 pm
I dunno. Out of tune in an artful way works. I’m just now listening to Lavender Country, a bizarre, kind of great gay country album from the early ’70s.
Or, like “Close Up the Honkytonks” by Flying Burrito Brothers. Lots of old, old country from the ’20s and ’30s isn’t exactly vocally flawless. That’s generally what I like.
Garth Brooks just drips with mediocrity to me.
ShadeGrown
November 25, 2014 @ 6:53 pm
Yeah, I was a big fan as a kid in the early nineties but 95% of his stuff is awful. I can’t even bring myself to listen to samples of this new album.
Tom
November 25, 2014 @ 9:34 pm
You were a big fan of Lavender Country in the ’90s?
ShadeGrown
November 26, 2014 @ 6:47 pm
Follow the dotted line
Summer Jam
November 26, 2014 @ 1:11 am
I cannot stand Garth Brooks either. I have never liked him. I have never liked “friends in low places” or any of his other music except “more than a memory” and “people loving people”. His voice is terrible IMO….I’d rather listen to Cole Swindell. And he’s extremely arrogant. All around dont like him.
pgwenz
November 25, 2014 @ 1:59 pm
I would guess that Garth recorded this (and subsequently made it a single) because when he heard it, it stirred emotions in him that reminded him of his own mother, whom he was obviously very close to. The lyrics moved him, which is what he believes a good song should do. True, I may be biased because I have loved Garth for years, and true you can see the hook coming from a mile away. But give the man credit for trying to find material that is meant to strike emotion, not just recycle the standard clichés of pickup trucks on a dirt road in the moonlight with my objectified woman by my side handing me a beer from the cooler by the riverbank on a Friday night.
Brett Dale
November 25, 2014 @ 2:24 pm
Trigger: If you have been following his world tour, he definitely still has the demographic that Radio wants, 40% of his tickets are sold to people under 25.
This is Garth Brooks we are talking about, he has sold a million tickets to his tour in just a bit over two months, so why wouldnt Radio want to play him?
The song Mom is great.
I think a lot of people just hate on garth because its Garth.
Trigger
November 25, 2014 @ 3:32 pm
He’s sold a million tickets, but only 150,000 copies of his comeback album. That’s over 1 million less than Taylor Swift did on her debut, and nearly half of what Brantley Gilbert did with his last album in the first few weeks. “Mom” was the “most added” on radio so maybe it will make a big racket on the charts, who knows. I do not hate Garth. I gave “Man Against Machine” a positive review. But I think this might be the weakest song on the album. That’s my opinion of course. If you have a different one I respect that.
bamstrait
November 25, 2014 @ 4:38 pm
On its first week his new album came fourth.
In it’s third week Taylor Swift sold 312k, pushing her total sales to over 2 million.
Foo Fighters
Pink Floyd
Garth
Though he sells massive amount of tickets, those have to be very disappointing numbers for his cd.
GregN
November 25, 2014 @ 4:49 pm
I think he’s missing the boat by not being on iTunes.
Houston Erwin
November 25, 2014 @ 4:54 pm
Definitely. Even Florida Georgia Line had a better openning week with 170k. I dont think that will even put him in the top 5 for album debuts this year. FGL, Miranda, Brantley, Jason, and Eric all pulled better numbers than that.
ElectricOutcast
November 25, 2014 @ 6:05 pm
Can we please take into consideration that maybe a good chunk of people probably bought this album at Ghost-tunes either alongside the digital bundle or by itself and from what I’m hearing the RIAA hasn’t taken those sales into account. I’m just basing what I heard from the grapevine and from personal experience in that I pre-ordered mine at GhostTunes
Trigger
November 25, 2014 @ 9:33 pm
Soundscan has been around since 1991. Garth can’t blame technology for getting the better of him on this one. Mom and pop record shops who sell 12 CD’s a day are patched into the network and are reporting sales to it. The fact that GhostTunes isn’t only speaks once again to the poor roll out of Garth’s album. Garth owns GhostTunes. If he wants them to report, then he needs to make that happen. I have no doubt there’s a lot of accumulated sales there, but we can’t just assume what those sales are. That was the whole reason SoundScan was put in place to give the industry accurate reporting. The reason sales numbers matter is because they’re a gauge of impact of a particular album. Sales beget sales. That is why it is imperative if there are a ton of sales at GhostTunes for Garth to report them. But until then, we can only go off the numbers supplied.
Andrew
November 25, 2014 @ 7:24 pm
My understanding is that Ghost Tunes isn’t reporting to Sound Scan, so those sales numbers are almost certainly a lot lower than the reality.
Brett Dale
November 26, 2014 @ 2:39 am
Totally fair enough and good points.
Tom
November 25, 2014 @ 3:42 pm
“I think a lot of people just hate on garth because its Garth.”
At the same time, a lot of people love on Garth because it’s Garth.
Hank
November 25, 2014 @ 2:32 pm
I like Garth and I think his new record is good. This is one of the few songs on there that I skip though cause, like most seem to agree, it’s too sappy. However, he just performed it on Ellen and my mom absolutely loved it.
Trigger
November 25, 2014 @ 3:33 pm
There will be a demo of daytime TV moms (and I don’t mean that disparagingly) who will really get into this song, and that’s great. “The Dance” was something everyone could get into.
Grady Smith
November 25, 2014 @ 3:57 pm
To me, “She’s Tired of Boys” is the obvious radio smash of the album, and I’m very surprised he isn’t pushing it. “Tacoma” is my favorite by far, but “Boys” has a hook that sounds in line with his biggest hits. Regarding “Mom,” I think the whole thing doesn’t work, mostly because of the bizarre framing device that finds a baby in Heaven talking to God about going to Earth. I’m not sure any tradition, secular or religious, has ever contemplated that situation.
Houston Erwin
November 25, 2014 @ 4:45 pm
My problem with this song, and really Garth in general, is that he tries too hard to make himself seem like the most genuine guy in the biz when I get the vibe that he is probably far from it. Ive listened to a few of his interviews and I just feel like he is manipulative in the things he says to get his way. Because of that, when he releases these overly sappy songs I can’t help but gag when people fall for the act.
Albert
November 25, 2014 @ 5:18 pm
Totally hear you on that Houston Erwin . That’s a big part of why I’ve never been a Garth fan ( his voice and , to my ear , so many mediocre songs are the other part )
However I’m completely supportive of his attempt to put out a record of substance in these times .
Tom
November 26, 2014 @ 8:42 am
I’ve felt that way for many years as well. He screwed Lisa Sanderson over pretty well, promised her the moon to leave an executive position with 20th Century Fox to head up Red Strokes Entertainment when he decided he wanted to be an actor and screenwriter. Instead of collecting the big salary and bonuses she was promised, she was kicked to the curb when he lost interest and sued for repayment of a loan. Unfortunately, the loan was documented but the promises of compensation weren’t which left her on the hook for the loan when it went to court. Seems like if he was such a great guy he would have said “Sorry it didn’t work out for you like I thought it would, let’s just forget about that loan.” Not that he HAD to do that, but if he was really a wonderful, generous guy you’d think he would have.
There was a book written a few years ago from a diehard fan’s perspective called The Garth Factor. It’s pretty awful in that it acknowledges very little wrongdoing on Garth’s part during the first segment of his career, and piles pages of forgiveness on the few wrongs that it does acknowledge. But if you can read it objectively with the understanding that it was written from a fan’s biased perspective, it does give a pretty detailed timeline of Garth’s career.
luckyoldsun
November 25, 2014 @ 5:49 pm
I watched and listened to the first minute of that video link and then clicked it off. I just couldn’t take it. The song sucks and it doesn’t make me want to hear anything else from the album
If Garth were doing a children’s album, a song like that might be fine–Hey, Woody Guthrie did a lot of hokey children’s songs and that’s one of the things that made him great–but it simply does not belong on a mainstream, general interest album.
Leather Telecaster
November 25, 2014 @ 6:57 pm
You know, I am just starting to notice that a lot of Alan Jackson’s lyrics are lame also.
And I do respect the man for his dedication to the legends of country.
“Mom…” I’ll take a pass….
luckyoldsun
November 25, 2014 @ 9:03 pm
I like Alan Jackson–His early stuff is fabulous– but I agree that in later years, his lyrical content just got too small–to the point of banality. It was like all he was interested in was sitting at home playing with his old cars and eating baloney sandwiches. He did a song called, I believe, “1976.” I’m not saying every artist should be Johnny Cash with “What Is Truth?”–but all that Alan Jackson seemed to think was important about 1976 was “Rocky” and the “Six Million Dollar Man.”
Camie jo
December 3, 2014 @ 12:08 pm
There’s something to be said for being “hungry enough”. When you’re well-fed, over-stuffed, and too much of the good life has caught up with you…it does come across.
Seriously, Tim McGraw got that ‘lean mean machine’ look back and I’ll be darned if it hasn’t helped jump start his hit making machine. It works.
Paunchy with long tailed shirts to cover up years of biscuits and blackeyed peas does not appeal to the younger fans. Jowls, rolly-polly pork bellies don’t cut it either.
You can’t have it both ways. Women are held up to these ultra-high standards…legs and all about that ‘bass’….whatever.
If these older guys want it, they’d better look hungry for it. Otherwise, kiss the big career comeback goodbye.
Cooper
November 25, 2014 @ 8:37 pm
I agree with an above poster that “She’s Tired of Boys” and “Tacoma” are the strongest two on the album and could have been huge hits. Hopefully, Garth will wise up and right these last two wrongs by releasing those songs next.
Richard
November 25, 2014 @ 9:33 pm
Not the best song on the record, but it does give something to sing at church on Mother’s Day.
Eric
November 26, 2014 @ 12:11 am
This is a beautiful song, both lyrically and musically. As is always the case whenever a really good country song with a traditional sound comes on the radio, I first felt jarred and then got the physical chills.
If this is one of the worst songs on “Man Against Machine”, then I am enthusiastically interested in listening to what the rest of the album has to offer.
skeeter
November 26, 2014 @ 6:59 am
Somebody commented in the last Garth story here that they found him and his music “insufferable”. I couldn’t agree more. The sappy, aw-shucks, take off my hat and stare adoringly at the crowd cuz I know how much you love me shtick makes me wanna stick a hot fork in my eye.
There is so much awesome country music out there – much of which Ive discovered via this site – that I cant even wrap my head around the appeal of Garth, FGL, Luke Bryan, Brantly Gilbert and all the other BS that packs the amphitheaters all summer.
I’ll take Justin Payne or Sturgill at my local dive all day.
Albert
November 26, 2014 @ 2:03 pm
“The sappy, aw-shucks, take off my hat and stare adoringly at the crowd cuz I know how much you love me shtick makes me wanna stick a hot fork in my eye.”
I totally hear you, Skeeter . .and please pass that fork to me when you’re done with it . The man is so over-the-top-phoney on stage and in many interviews its very hard to reconcile that he’s capable of putting together as solid and substance-filled a record as this one. BUT I’m certain that if you are fan of traditional , well -crafted narrative -type songwriting , downloading even just the lyrics to most of G’s new record will may help you appreciate what I believe he’s trying to do here. If you are, on the other hand , a fan of contemporary mainstream country , I’d suggest not to bother .
April
November 26, 2014 @ 8:45 am
I have already commented on the song and why I love it due to pure bias. I think this song will be successful in a special/different way then just radio play. It has the appeal and staying power of a song like Heartlands I Loved Her First where people now have a go to mother son first dance at weddings or a song to play on sappy slide shows. When I had my son I tried so hard to find good mother son songs and there are not many out there. A lot of father son and daddy daughter seems to be the highest, so this song was well timed for me. It is over sentimental but that’s why it works. I agree though it’s ridiculous to compare it to The Dance or If Tomorrow Never Comes.
Morgan
November 26, 2014 @ 9:37 am
It’s hard to believe that a piece of garbage like this article could ever be published. This arrogant fool clearly knows nothing about country music or music in general for that matter. Garth is a true musician. He’s not just some greedy business man who came back to country to fill his bank account up. He doesn’t need the money. He came back because he loves music and he loves his fans. He knows what they want and he gave them exactly what theyou wanted. Another concert tour and a great album. Thank you Garth. Your brilliant. Regardless of what this loud mouthed pig who wrote this article thinks.
Ranger
November 26, 2014 @ 10:25 am
Maybe you should develop better reading skills.
Morgan
November 26, 2014 @ 10:47 am
I read the article just fine.
Tom
November 26, 2014 @ 10:29 am
And in other news, some people have so much blind love for Garth Brooks that they consider any statement with even a hint of criticism a sacrilege.
Morgan
November 26, 2014 @ 10:45 am
Constructive criticism is one thing. Talking down to Garth and making harsh assumptions about Garth and the current country music fans is ignorant and sloppy.
Trigger
November 26, 2014 @ 12:07 pm
Morgan,
First off, you don’t have to talk like I’m not in the room. I value your feedback and everyone’s feedback, so I read all of these comments. Secondly, though I understand your knowledge of this site may not go beyond this article, concluding I know “nothing” about country music is an assumption. Thirdly, I did not write this review to attack or even degrade Garth Brooks. Like with all my criticisms, they are being offered up in an attempt to be constructive and offer insight into a point of view. Everyone’s opinions are different and valuable. This just happens to be mine. If you had been following this site, you would have seen over the past 18 months an earnest hope that Garth’s comeback could send shock waves throughout country music to hopefully improve it in some measurable way. I certainly never said He’s a “greedy business man who came back to country to fill his bank account up,” though I’m sure there’s many who have that opinion. Garth has said himself that he wants to get his music to as many people as possible, and in my opinion he would be better served in doing that by releasing different singles. That is my professional opinion, laid out here in detail with rationalized thoughts. If you disagree, I fully understand. But nobody’s opinion is invalid.
Morgan
November 26, 2014 @ 5:06 pm
You’re right. I was way too harsh and unfair. Sorry for my rudeness. I’m just a really passionate music fan. Especially when it comes to Garth.
Tom
November 27, 2014 @ 6:43 pm
You come across as more of a.passionate Garth fan, especially when it comes to music.
Morgan
November 27, 2014 @ 7:53 pm
I just got offended by the personal attacks against Garth in the article. Calling him pudgy and out of touch is pretty rude. Oh well, that’s just an opinion I guess. Maybe I’m pudgy and out of touch as well.
Trigger
November 28, 2014 @ 11:44 am
Garth Brooks is pudgy and out of touch. It may be rude, but it doesn’t mean it’s not right. I’m a little bit surprised people think this is a harsh review. If you want to see a harsh review:
https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/florida-georgia-lines-anything-goes-is-the-worst-album-in-the-history-of-country-music
Summer Jam,
Though I appreciate you coming to the defense of this article, I don’t appreciate you personally attacking other commenters. Morgan has a right to her opinion as do all of us, and I welcome dissent to my opinions on this website.
Camie jo
November 29, 2014 @ 5:40 am
He has to lose the lard and jowls. Why? Because his knees can’t hold him up like they used to. He’s fallen twice on stage and I don’t want to see him get hurt.
Either forget flying through the air or recruit Tim McGraw as his trainer.
Sisternumber7
November 26, 2014 @ 2:21 pm
Lighten up Morgan. Not sure why your post is so hostile or includes name calling and a personal character attack. I find many of Triggers articles to be interesting and insightful. Do I always agree with his take on a particular issue? –Absolutely not. Trigger, along with several recurring posters on this site, certainly seem to know a heck of a lot more about what”™s going on in country music than I do, so for me, this website is helpful.
Summer Jam
November 27, 2014 @ 1:42 am
You’re right, Garth is “brilliant”, he knows a sucker when he sees one (all of his fans!). Nothing like “retiring” for several years, then getting greedy again and coming back to music to make some fast bucks. Obviously, you arent too “brilliant” as you claim Garth is, you cannot even use the correct “you’re” in a sentence.
Saying that Trigger “knows nothing about country music” makes you look like the biggest moron on the planet. Have you ever read through this site? YOU don’t know ANYTHING about country music if you think Trigger doesn’t, and if you are a defensive Brooks fan. Get out.
Morgan
November 27, 2014 @ 8:50 am
Seems like your nothing more than a defensive Trigger fan who hates garth brooks for selfish personal reasons. Time to grow up and get some taste. Garth is pure talent. You have problems if you think otherwise.
Ron
November 27, 2014 @ 9:16 am
Why? What is wrong with a difference of opinion and taste. I’ve never liked Garth either from the very beginning. He’s got a few songs but overall I’m not a fan.
I don’t even fault people who like FGL, Jason Aldean and the like. I think it is horrible music but to each their own. I just wish they would get out of country music.
I prefer my country with a little more twang. I’m glad you enjoy Garth but that doesn’t imply you have better taste than anyone else.
Summer Jam
November 27, 2014 @ 12:55 pm
There is a ton of things wrong with what you just said. So “something is wrong with me” if I dont like Brooks? That is your OPINION. And actually no, I’m not a “defensive Trigger fan”, I’m fairly new to this site. The only person that needs to grow up is the airhead that is coming on here defending Brooks and acting like you personally know him when you don’t. Brooks is old news and hes back because of his greed. And I have plenty of “taste”, thank you very much. Did you not read a few comments below this where I said I “I”™m a very loyal country music listener, and I love almost every country artist out there”? Apparently you cannot read?
Morgan
November 27, 2014 @ 7:45 pm
First off, you need a grammar lesson. Secondly, you need to stop hating on famous people. Your a jealous pig. Time to grow up and stop acting like a foolish, petty jerk.
Summer Jam
November 28, 2014 @ 1:13 pm
You know nothing about me. Yeah, I’m such a loser! I own a business with an income of over $200k a year and I’m only 22. So yes, I’m a very big loser. Sorry but just because someone doesn’t like Brooks doesn’t make them an “uneducated loser”. I’m done arguing with such an arrogant child. Have a good day!
Summer Jam
November 27, 2014 @ 8:20 pm
You are pathetic. Sorry but I’m NOT jealous in the slightest bit of Brooks, nor am I a pig. You are extremely ignorant and need to grow up yourself instead of telling others to grow up just because you don’t like your opinion. You are extremely rude. And you seriously said something about my grammar? You cannot even use the correct “you’re”. Just shut up, stop making a fool of yourself.
Morgan
November 27, 2014 @ 8:26 pm
You’re = you are. As in, you’re an uneducated loser.
MikeO
November 26, 2014 @ 1:42 pm
this cream puff takes the cake. canceled all talk show appearances because of Furguson. Meow… soft as a roasted marshmallow he is.
Sisternumber7
November 26, 2014 @ 2:25 pm
I am around the same age as Brooks and I bought and enjoyed listening to most of his albums way back when. I thought he was good but not necessarily great. Many of Brooks songs were fun to sing along to but only a few really got under my skin. So when Brooks made his return with this new album I was more curious than excited. Based on the first two nice but super sappy songs that have been released, this album is underwhelming and weak. Certainly not something I am willing to spend my money on at this point.
alwayslovegarth86
November 26, 2014 @ 5:31 pm
First off let me say I know everyone is entitled to their opinions. I have been a die hard Garth Brooks fan since the debut of his very first album. I am more than thrilled he is back and hope I get to see him in concert again. I cannot understand why so many dislike the song, Mom. It is beautiful and heartfelt. Personally I believe Garth Brooks loves his fans. And this fan will always love him. One last thing…..HATERS ARE ALWAYS GONNA HATE but Garth will keep on going because of his deep loyalty to his fans everywhere.
Summer Jam
November 27, 2014 @ 1:37 am
I can’t figure out whether you are trolling, or if you are serious. If serious, you are sticking your head where the sun don’t shine. Brooks loyal to his fans? That’s HILARIOUS. Brooks has always been a VERY greedy, arrogant SOB that is in the music industry for MONEY. He does NOT care about you or any of his other fans, he only came back because he was probably running low on money and knows that “coming out of retirement” would garner him some fast, easy big bucks. I’m a very loyal country music listener, and I love almost every country artist out there. But Brooks? I would never give that man a DIME. I do not support arrogance and pure greed.
Morgan
November 27, 2014 @ 7:50 pm
You really need to do your homework before you start running your mouth. Look at how little Garth charges for his concert tickets? He charges like half of what people like Jason Aldean do. You’re looking like an idiot here man. Time to shut it down and admit that you’re wrong.
Summer Jam
November 27, 2014 @ 8:22 pm
You are a sad individual. Find something better to do than defend Brooks online. No one gives the slightest F what you have to say, nor does Brooks. You are making a huge fool of yourself.
Morgan
November 27, 2014 @ 8:42 pm
Time to hop down from your high horse there bud. Talking down to me because I’m sticking up for a guy whose being bashed by a jealous hick like yourself is what’s really embarrassing. It’s easy to hate successful people and get away with it. That’s ok though, people like you will always fall in life. That’s enough punishment for you.
Summer Jam
November 28, 2014 @ 1:11 pm
Thanks for the laugh. That was hilarious.
Summer Jam
November 28, 2014 @ 1:16 pm
“jealous hick” – I’m not a hick, nor am I jealous in the slightest bit as I stated before. that seems to be the only defense you have.
“It”™s easy to hate successful people and get away with it. That”™s ok though, people like you will always fall in life.” – I own a business with an income of over $200k a year and am only 22. So yes, I will always fail 🙂
Get a life.
Morgan
November 28, 2014 @ 3:29 pm
Your a joke. Measuring your success based off of your income. You truly need to get a life and stop bashing others because they’re different than you. You seem to be fueled solely by hatred. Pretty sad stuff.
Trigger
November 28, 2014 @ 3:32 pm
Any further comments by either of you two in this thread will be deleted. Nobody wants to see your back and forths.
Thanks,
Ron
November 27, 2014 @ 9:00 am
And here we go with the moronic “haters gonna hate” crap.
When did it become unfashionable to critique something? Books, movies, music, etc. have been reviewed for as long as I have been alive. However in recent years it has become unacceptable to some to negatively criticize their favorites. Fanbots on Twitter and the internet seem to jump into defense mode when their favorite is criticized and frequently use the lame “haters” comment.
Personally I enjoy good commentary. In fact, I even dislike a few things that some of my favorite artists have done (Willie’s reggae and some of Springsteen’s albums for example). I don’t understand the blind acceptance that everything that artist X does is wonderful and must be defended as if the artist’s life depended on it.
BwareDWare94
November 26, 2014 @ 8:42 pm
Oh great. Melodrama.
Awful, awful song.
Trainwreck92
November 26, 2014 @ 10:42 pm
I rather listen to “Mom” by Lucero.
Tom
December 1, 2014 @ 7:45 am
I’d rather listen to “Stacy’s Mom” by whoever it was that recorded that song.
Jack Williams
December 1, 2014 @ 8:05 am
Fountains of Wayne. You’re welcome.
Ethan
November 27, 2014 @ 9:20 am
In full disclosure, I am a huge Garth Brooks fan but I have to agree that Mom is a bad choice for a single. Releasing People Loving People as a single was a mistake too. If you listen to His new album, there are much better single worthy songs than these two. Wrong About You, Midnight Train, Cold Like That and Tacoma are just a few of the awesome songs he could have released. I also feel some of the criticism he receives is unwarranted but I also recognize he has set himself up for some of it.
Amy
November 27, 2014 @ 5:12 pm
Maybe he is intentionally releasing less radio-friendly, weaker singles first to stretch the overall longevity of the album? He’s in the news now because of his tour, but maybe in a few months he’ll still be in the news because of the stronger singles staring to be played on radio?
Tom
December 1, 2014 @ 8:52 am
You may be onto something. It seems like there’s always an angle with him, so it may be that he’s just throwing these out as sacrificial lambs and saving the stronger radio cuts for the time when the hype about the comeback doesn’t drive sales as much.
Sherrine
November 28, 2014 @ 11:17 am
Garth came out of retirement? That’s what I get for not watching Ellen.
Phil
December 1, 2014 @ 2:46 pm
I just had to point out it’s amusing that he basically still looks and acts the same except his neck is fat and he gave up tucking in his shirt. I don’t have any room to talk but you think the thought of going back on TV and on stage would be some motivation to clean up your eating and hit the gym (as long as you don’t totally go nuts like Mr. Vein Tim McGraw who seems to be working on becoming the mid life crises anorexic poster child).
Tom
December 3, 2014 @ 11:37 am
At least Garth still sports an actual cowboy hat rather than a black plastic prize from a carnival game.
Bluezinger
December 19, 2014 @ 8:24 am
I’ve read this review a few times and pondered on it many days before I decided to comment. I’ve recorded with Garth since the very first CD and I played all the guitars on the song “Mom”, so maybe I am a little biased. But, I am sorry to see so many people not receptive to the song, and many people considering it “sappy”. I think it is a sad commentary that people view a song like this that way. Being a parent myself, and loving my kids and their mom deeply, and then missing my own mom, who passed away a few days after Christmas a little over 10 years ago, this song resonates very well with me. And I know the day we cut it was one of the most special moments I’ve ever had in the studio, as most of the guys moms have passed on, and there was not a dry eye in the house. Maybe we are just a bunch of over sentimental old guys but it really meant something to us. With all due respect Trigger, I think it’s a bit over the top to say someone’s music makes you want to vomit. I know it’s hard to believe in these days and times but not all music is made for total commercial purposes. Some people make music for a deeper purpose, and because it means something special to them. As in Garth’s case with the song ‘Mom” because he lost his mom to cancer. Some people put a lot of heart and soul into their music and I know this was the case here. Anyway, that’s my two cents worth. Merry Christmas everyone……
Kate
January 18, 2015 @ 6:44 pm
I love Garth; he, Vince, and Reba were the reasons for my initial introduction to country music in the 90s. He was the first concert that I ever went to. I was so excited to see him come out of retirement.
But wow, have I ever been underwhelmed by his comeback. Both this song and its predecessor were terrible, insincere crud imo.