No Fences | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 27, 1990 | |||
Recorded | 1989–1990 | |||
Studio | Jack's Tracks Recording Studio, Nashville | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 38:29 | |||
Label | Capitol Nashville | |||
Producer | Allen Reynolds | |||
Garth Brooks chronology | ||||
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Singles from No Fences | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
About.com | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Christgau's Consumer Guide | ![]() ![]() |
Entertainment Weekly | A[4] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
No Fences is the second studio album by the American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on August 27, 1990, and reached No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart. The album also reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200. On the latter chart it stayed in the top 40 for 126 weeks.[6] No Fences remains Brooks' best-selling studio album to date with 18 million copies shipped in the US,[7] and is the album that made him an international star. It was his first album issued in Europe (the original European release contained the four singles from his US debut as bonus tracks).
Singles[edit]
Some of Brooks' most famous songs appear on No Fences, including: "The Thunder Rolls" (CMA's 1991 Video of the Year), "Friends in Low Places" (Academy of Country Music's 1990 Single of the Year), "Unanswered Prayers" and "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House". A cover version of The Fleetwoods' "Mr. Blue" appears on the album. The album itself was named Album of the Year by the ACM in 1990. It reached Number 1 on the British country music charts (earning Brooks his first gold album in that country) and remained charted for over five years.
The track "Victim of the Game" was later covered by Brooks's friend and future wife Trisha Yearwood for her 1991 eponymous debut album.
Brooks later re-recorded the track "Wild Horses", and released the new recording as a single in early 2001, reaching #7 on the country chart.
25th anniversary reissue[edit]
In September 2015, it was announced No Fences would be reissued later in the year to commemorate its 25-year release anniversary. The release would include a new version of "Friends in Low Places", featuring George Strait, Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line, and Keith Urban singing along with Brooks. The album release has since been delayed due to royalty disputes.[8]
Track listing[edit]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "The Thunder Rolls" | Pat Alger, Garth Brooks | 3:43 |
2. | "New Way to Fly" | Brooks, Kim Williams | 3:55 |
3. | "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House" | Bobby Boyd, Warren Haynes, Dennis Robbins | 2:33 |
4. | "Victim of the Game" | Brooks, Mark D. Sanders | 3:09 |
5. | "Friends in Low Places" | DeWayne Blackwell, Earl Bud Lee | 4:18 |
6. | "Wild Horses" | Bill Shore, David Wills | 3:12 |
7. | "Unanswered Prayers" | Alger, Larry Bastian, Brooks | 3:26 |
8. | "Same Old Story" | Tony Arata | 2:53 |
9. | "Mr. Blue" | Blackwell | 3:17 |
10. | "Wolves" | Stephanie Davis | 4:06 |
Total length: | 34:34 |
Personnel[edit]
The following credits are sourced from liner notes included with the album's release.[9]
Musicians
- Pat Alger – acoustic guitar, harmony and backing vocals
- Bruce Bouton – pedal steel guitar, harmony and backing vocals
- Tim Bowers – bass guitar, harmony and backing vocals
- Garth Brooks – lead, harmony and backing vocals, acoustic guitar
- Mark Casstevens – acoustic guitar
- Mike Chapman – bass guitar, harmony and backing vocals
- Johnny Christopher – acoustic guitar
- Ty England – acoustic guitar, harmony and backing vocals
- Dave Gant – piano, keyboard, organ, fiddle, harmony and backing vocals
- James Garver – electric guitar, harmony and backing vocals
- Rob Hajacos – fiddle, harmony and backing vocals
- Chris Leuzinger – electric guitar
- Steve McClure – electric and pedal steel guitars
- Edgar Meyer – double bass
- Mike Palmer – drums, percussion
- Brian Petree – harmony and backing vocals
- Milton Sledge – drums
- Bobby Wood – piano, keyboards, organ, harmony and backing vocals
- Nashville String Machine – string orchestra
Backing and harmony vocalists
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Recording
- Denny Purcell – mastering engineer
- Mark Miller – recording and mixing engineer
- Dan Heins – harmony and backing vocals, audio engineer
Charts[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
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Year-end charts[edit]
Decade-end charts[edit]
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Certifications[edit]
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[24] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada)[25] | 7× Platinum | 700,000^ |
Ireland (IRMA)[26] | 5× Platinum | 75,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[27] | 18× Platinum | 18,000,000![]() |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Coleman, Kathy. "Garth Brooks – 'No Fences'". About.com. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "No Fences – Garth Brooks". AllMusic. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "CG: Garth Brooks". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved April 13, 2013.
- ^ Alanna Nash (September 21, 1990). "No Fences Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
- ^ Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 105. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
rolling stone garth brooks album guide.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel. The Billboard Book of Top 40 Albums, 3rd edition, Billboard Books, 1995, p. 46.
- ^ "RIAA – Searchable Database". Retrieved 16 August 2015.
- ^ Newman, Melinda. "Garth Brooks' All-Star 'Friends in Low Places' & Album Reissue On Hold Over Royalty Dispute: Exclusive". Billboard.com. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
- ^ No Fences (CD). Garth Brooks. Capitol Records. 1990. 93866.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Australiancharts.com – Garth Brooks – No Fences". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Hits of the World – Eurochart". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 17 May 1994. p. 43.
- ^ "Hits of the World – Ireland". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 23 April 1994. p. 47.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|url=
(help) - ^ "Garth Brooks Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Garth Brooks Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1991". Billboard. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1991". Billboard. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1992". Billboard. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1992". Billboard. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1993". Billboard. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1993". Billboard. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1994". Billboard. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade – The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia’s Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 42.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Garth Brooks – No Fences". Music Canada.
- ^ Duffy, Thom (January 29, 1994). "EMI Makes Brooks Ana International Priority". Billboard. p. 100. Retrieved June 9, 2020 – via Google Books.
- ^ "American album certifications – Garth Brooks – No Fences". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 19, 2020.