No Fences is the second studio album by American
country musicCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist
Garth BrooksTroyal Garth Brooks , best known as Garth Brooks, is an American country music artist who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
. It was released on August 27, 1990 and reached #3 on the
Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, and #1 on
Billboard's Top Country Albums chart.
No Fences remains Brooks' best-selling album to date with 17 million copies sold in the US, and is the album that made him an international star and was his first album issued in
Great BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
(the original release in that country contained four bonus tracks, the singles from his previous U.S debut).
Some of Brooks most famous songs appear on
No Fences, including: "The Thunder Rolls" (
CMAThe Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
's 1991 Video of the Year), "
Friends in Low Places"Friends in Low Places" is a song released by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was the first single from his second album, No Fences. The song spent four weeks at #1 on the U.S...
" (
Academy of Country MusicThe Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
's 1990 Single of the Year), "
Unanswered Prayers"Unanswered Prayers" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American Country Music artist Garth Brooks which hit #1 on the country billboard charts in 1990. It debuted on his second album No Fences and also appears on The Hits, The Limited Series, and Double Live...
" and "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House". A cover version of
The FleetwoodsThe Fleetwoods were a singing trio from Olympia, Washington, United States; formed in the late 1950s. They were responsible for eleven hit songs, beginning with "Come Softly to Me"...
' "
Mr. Blue"Mr. Blue" is a popular song written by and first recorded by DeWayne Blackwell in 1959. It became a hit for The Fleetwoods, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1959 and giving the group its second chart-topping hit of the year.-Cover versions:...
" 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 Garth's friend and future wife
Trisha YearwoodPatricia Lynn Yearwood, professionally known as Trisha Yearwood , is an American country music artist. She is best known for her ballads about vulnerable young women from a female perspective that have been described by some music critics as "strong" and "confident."Trisha Yearwood signed with MCA...
for her 1991 eponymous
debut albumTrisha Yearwood is the eponymous debut album by future country music superstar Trisha Yearwood. It features her first Billboard Hot Country Songs hit "She's in Love with the Boy", which reached the top of the country charts in June of 1991...
.
Brooks later re-recorded the track "
Wild Horses"Wild Horses" is the title of a song co-written by Bill Shore and David Wills. It was recorded by American country music artist Garth Brooks and was featured on his breakthrough album No Fences in 1990. The song was previously an album cut on the album and was released as a single in 2000 with a...
," and released the new recording as a single in early 2001, reaching #7 on the country charts with it.
Background
Brooks commented on this album, saying:
"No Fences definitely, hands down would be the people's favorite album that we have done so far. It's by far our biggest selling album. With songs like Friends In Low Places, Two of a Kind, Unanswered Prayers, and especially The Thunder Rolls with all the attention it got with the video situation that it went through. It's probably not surprising that this is the biggest selling album of our collection. The number that we have sold surprises me to death, and this is a good time for me to say thanks to those people who have it. To those people who might be thinking about getting Fences, if you do, I hope that you don't feel like you've been let down. It's an album that I stand by, I'm very proud of. An album that I pull out from time to time and listen and hold my head up and say, yeah I'll still stand by it."
Track listing
- "The Thunder Rolls" (Pat Alger
Pat Alger is a country music songwriter, singer and guitarist.-Biography:Alger attended Georgia Tech studying architecture but decided to concentrate on writing songs. He started as a solo folk performer at folk clubs...
, Garth Brooks) – 3:42
- "New Way to Fly" (Kim Williams, Brooks) – 3:54
- "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House
"Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House" is the title of a country music song co-written by Dennis Robbins, Bobby Boyd, and Warren Dale Haynes. Robbins himself originally recorded the song and charted at #71 with it on the Billboard country charts in 1987...
" (Bobby Boyd, Warren HaynesWarren Haynes is an American rock and blues guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. Haynes is best known for his work as long time guitarist with The Allman Brothers Band and as founding member of the jam band Gov't Mule. Early in his career he was a guitarist for David Allan Coe and The Dickey...
, Dennis RobbinsDennis Robbins is an American musician who first made himself known as a guitarist in the band The Rockets. After his departure from The Rockets, he began a career in country music, recording two major-label albums and several singles of his own, in addition to writing hit singles for Shenandoah...
) – 2:31
- "Victim of the Game" (Mark D. Sanders
Mark Daniel Sanders is an American Country Music songwriter. He has written 14 No. 1 hits, 50 singles, and over 200 cuts, including the famous Lee Ann Womack single “I Hope You Dance,” co-written with Tia Sillers.-Early life:...
, Brooks) – 3:06
- "Friends in Low Places
"Friends in Low Places" is a song released by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was the first single from his second album, No Fences. The song spent four weeks at #1 on the U.S...
" (DeWayne Blackwell, Earl "Bud" Lee) – 4:18
- "This Ain't Tennessee" (Jim Shaw, Larry Bastian) - 4:08A
- "Wild Horses
"Wild Horses" is the title of a song co-written by Bill Shore and David Wills. It was recorded by American country music artist Garth Brooks and was featured on his breakthrough album No Fences in 1990. The song was previously an album cut on the album and was released as a single in 2000 with a...
" (Bill Shore, David WillsDavid Wills is an American country music singer-songwriter. Wills released three studio albums and charted more than twenty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart between 1975 and 1988...
) – 3:08
- "Unanswered Prayers
"Unanswered Prayers" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American Country Music artist Garth Brooks which hit #1 on the country billboard charts in 1990. It debuted on his second album No Fences and also appears on The Hits, The Limited Series, and Double Live...
" (Alger, Larry Bastian, Brooks) – 3:23
- "Same Old Story" (Tony Arata
Tony Arata is an American singer-songwriter. He was born and grew up in Savannah, Georgia, attended the Georgia Southern University, and moved to Nashville in 1986....
) – 2:52
- "Mr. Blue
"Mr. Blue" is a popular song written by and first recorded by DeWayne Blackwell in 1959. It became a hit for The Fleetwoods, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1959 and giving the group its second chart-topping hit of the year.-Cover versions:...
" (Blackwell) – 3:16
- "Wolves" (Stephanie Davis
Stephanie Davis is a Montana-based singer-songwriter, poet, and musician. Her songs have been recorded by Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, Joey and Rory, and others. She is a frequent performer on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” and at cowboy poetry gatherings and...
) – 4:08
AThis track was not on the original release of the album. It first appeared when the album was re-released as part of Brooks' first
Limited Series box set collection, and has since been part of subsequent releases of the album.
Chart performance
No Fences peaked at #3 on the U.S.
Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, and peaked at #1 on the Top Country Albums selling 238,000 copies, his first #1 Country album.
Charts
| Charts (1990/1992) |
Peak
position |
| Canadian RPM Top Albums |
49 |
| Canadian RPM Country Albums |
2 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
|
3 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums |
1 |
Sales and Certifications
| Region |
Provider |
Certification |
Sales/Shipments |
| Canada |
CRIA A cria is the name for a baby camelid such as a llama, alpaca, vicuña, or guanaco. It comes from the Spanish word cría, meaning "baby". Its false cognate in English, crya , was coined by British sailors who explored Chile in the 18th century and were quick to describe the camelids onomatopoeically...
|
7x Platinum |
700,000+ |
| United States |
RIAA |
17x Platinum |
17,900,000 |
| World-Wide |
|
|
23,000,000 |
End of decade charts
| Chart (1990–1999) |
Position |
| U.S. Billboard 200 |
4 |
Singles
| Year |
Single |
Peak chart positions |
| US Country Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
|
US The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
|
CAN Country RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
|
UK The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
|
| 1990 |
"Friends in Low Places" |
1 |
— |
1 |
36 |
| "Unanswered Prayers" |
1 |
— |
1 |
— |
| 1991 |
"Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House" |
1 |
— |
1 |
— |
| "The Thunder Rolls" |
1 |
— |
1 |
— |
| 2000 |
"Wild Horses" (re-recording) |
7 |
50 |
— |
— |
Musicians
- Garth Brooks - guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocalsSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
- Chris Leuzinger - guitar
- Pat Alger - guitar, background vocals
- Johnny Christopher - guitar
- Mark Casstevens - guitar
- Bruce Bouton - steel guitar
Steel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
, background vocals
- Rob Hajacos - fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, background vocals
- Bobby Wood - piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, keyboardA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, background vocals
- Edgar Meyer - acoustic bass
- Milton Sledge - drums
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, acoustic bass
- Mike Chapman - acoustic bass, background vocals
- Mike Palmer - Drums, Percussion
- Dave Gant - Vocals, Keyboards, Fiddle
- Steve McClure - Guitar (Electric), Guitar (Steel)
- Ty England
Gary Tyler "Ty" England is an American country music singer and guitarist. Initially a member of Garth Brooks' band, England began his solo career in 1995, recording a self-titled debut album on RCA Records. A second album, Two Ways to Fall, followed in 1996...
- Vocals, Guitar (Acoustic)
- Brian Petree - Vocals, Stage Manager
- James Garver - Guitar, Fiddle, Vocals
- Nashville String Machine
Nashville String Machine is a musical collective comprising session musicians and has been credited on recordings as far back as 1974. The Nashville String Machine's composition varies from project to project. It has appeared as large as an orchestra, or as small as a duo.-Notable members:Being a...
- strings
Background and Harmony Vocalists
Friends in Low Places
- Pat Alger
- Al "Shaggy" Barclay
- Dewayne Blackwell
- Bruce Bouton
- Tim Bowers
- Sandy Brooks
- Stephanie C. Brown
- Mike Chapman
- Bob Doyle
- The Englands (plus one)
- Dave Gant
- Rob Hajacos
- Joe Harris
- Dan Heins
- Rusty "Race Horse" Jones
- Steve King
- Earl of Bud Lee
- Pam "The Chick" Lewis
- Buddy Mondlock
- Steve Morley
- Mike "Palmerman"
- Brian Petree
- Dale Pierce
- Jim Rooney
- Tami Rose
- Lee Sartin
- Charlie Stefl
- Scott Stem
- Bobby Wood
Unanswered Prayers
- Wendy Johnson
- Jennifer O'Brien
- Hurshel Wiginton
- Curtis Young
Wolves
- Indian River
- David McVay
- Stephen Tolman
- Neil Thrasher
- Curry Worsham
Production
- Virginia Team - Art Direction
- Denny Purcell - Mastering
- Mary Beth Felts - Make-Up
- Beverly Parker - Photography
- Jerry Joyner - Design
- Mark Miller - Mixing, Engineer
- Dan Heins - Vocals, Audio Engineer