View source for No Fences

{{Infobox album <!--See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Albums -->
 | name = No Fences
 | type = studio
 | artist = [[Garth Brooks]]
 | cover = 
 | released = August 27, 1990
 | recorded = Jack's Tracks Recording Studio, [[Nashville, TN]], 1990
 | genre = [[Country music|Country]]
 | length = 38:29
 | label = [[Capitol Records Nashville|Capitol Nashville]]
 | producer = [[Allen Reynolds]]
 | prev_title = [[Garth Brooks (album)|Garth Brooks]]<br />(1989)
 | next_title = [[Ropin' the Wind]]<br />(1991)
}}
{{Album reviews
|rev1 = [[About.com]]
|rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite web |last=Coleman |first=Kathy |url=http://countrymusic.about.com/od/cdreviewsal/fr/NoFences.htm |title=Garth Brooks - 'No Fences' |publisher=[[About.com]] |accessdate=2012-08-29 |archive-date=2012-06-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120625170010/http://countrymusic.about.com/od/cdreviewsal/fr/NoFences.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|rev2 = [[Allmusic]]
|rev2score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite web|last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |url={{Allmusic|class=album |id=r123490 |pure_url=yes}} |title=No Fences - Garth Brooks |publisher=[[Allmusic]] |date=1990-08-27 |accessdate=2012-08-29}}</ref>
|rev3 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
|rev3score = A<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Alanna Nash |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20190108,00.html |title=No Fences Review |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=1990-09-21 |accessdate=2012-08-29 |archive-date=2012-10-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015044541/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20190108,00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|rev4 = [[Robert Christgau]]
|rev4score = {{Rating-Christgau|hm2}}<ref>{{cite web|last=Christgau |first=Robert |authorlink=Robert Christgau |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=garth+brooks |title=CG: Garth Brooks |publisher=RobertChristgau.com |accessdate=2013-04-13}}</ref>
|rev5 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
|rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{Cite book| last = Brackett  | first = Nathan  | authorlink =   |author2=Christian Hoard   | title = The Rolling Stone Album Guide  | publisher = Simon and Schuster  | year = 2004  | location = New York City, New York  | page = 105  | isbn = 0-7432-0169-8  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=t9eocwUfoSoC&dq=rolling+stone+garth+brooks+album+guide&pg=PA105}}</ref>
}}<!-- Automatically generated by DASHBot-->

'''''No Fences''''' is the second studio album by the American [[country music]] artist [[Garth Brooks]]. It was released on August 27, 1990, and reached #1 on ''Billboard's'' [[Top Country Albums]] chart. The album also reached #3 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]. On the latter chart it stayed in the top 40 for 126 weeks,<ref>Whitburn, Joel. ''The Billboard Book of Top 40 Albums'', 3rd edition,  Billboard Books, 1995, p. 46.</ref> only one week less than [[Shania Twain]]'s ''[[Come On Over (Shania Twain album)|Come On Over]]'', the [[Soundscan]] era's record holder. No Fences remains Brooks' best-selling studio album to date with 17 million copies shipped in the US, 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 [[Garth Brooks (album)|U.S. debut]] as bonus tracks).

Some of Brooks' most famous songs appear on ''No Fences'', including: "[[The Thunder Rolls]]" ([[Country Music Association|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 [[Trisha Yearwood (album)|debut album]].

Brooks later re-recorded the track "[[Wild Horses (Garth Brooks song)|Wild Horses]]", and released the new recording as a single in early 2001, reaching #7 on the country chart.

==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."''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.angelfire.com/ks/Gbrooks/cds.html |title=Garth'S Cd'S |publisher=Angelfire.com |accessdate=2012-03-03 |archive-date=2012-11-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111061504/http://www.angelfire.com/ks/Gbrooks/cds.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Track listing==
# "[[The Thunder Rolls]]" ([[Pat Alger]], Garth Brooks) – 3:42
# "New Way to Fly" (Kim Williams, Brooks) – 3:54
# "[[Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House]]" (Bobby Boyd, [[Warren Haynes]], [[Dennis Robbins]]) – 2:31
# "Victim of the Game" ([[Mark D. Sanders]], Brooks) – 3:06
# "[[Friends in Low Places]]" ([[DeWayne Blackwell]], Earl "Bud" Lee) – 4:18
# "This Ain't Tennessee" (Jim Shaw, Larry Bastian) - 4:08<sup>A</sup>
# "[[Wild Horses (Garth Brooks song)|Wild Horses]]" (Bill Shore, [[David Wills (singer)|David Wills]]) – 3:08
# "[[Unanswered Prayers]]" (Alger, Larry Bastian, Brooks) – 3:23
# "Same Old Story" ([[Tony Arata]]) – 2:52
# "[[Mr. Blue]]" (Blackwell) – 3:16
# "Wolves" ([[Stephanie Davis (singer-songwriter)|Stephanie Davis]]) – 4:08

<sup>A</sup>This track was not on the original release of the album. It first appeared when the album was re-released as part of Brooks' first ''[[The Limited Series (1998 album)|Limited Series]]'' box set collection, and remained part of subsequent releases of the album until 2014, when it was released digitally for the first time.

==Chart performance==
''No Fences'' peaked at #3 on the U.S. [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], and peaked at #1 on the [[Top Country Albums]] selling 238,000 copies, his first #1 Country album.

{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

=== Charts ===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Charts (1990 to 1994)
!Peak<br />position
|-
|align="left"|Australian Albums Chart<ref>{{cite web|url=https://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Garth+Brooks&titel=No+Fences&cat=a|title=australian-charts.com - Garth Brooks - No Fences|website=australian-charts.com}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|11
|-
|align="left"|Canadian ''RPM'' Top Albums
| style="text-align:center;"|49
|-
|align="left"|Canadian ''RPM'' Country Albums
| style="text-align:center;"|2
|-
|align="left"|[[European Albums Chart]]<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SAgEAAAAMBAJ|title=Hits of the World - Eurochart|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|publisher=[[Nielsen Business Media, Inc.]]|date=17 May 1994|page=43}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|69
|-
|align="left"|Irish Albums Chart<ref name=autogenerated3>{{Cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_billboard_1994-04-23_106_17/page/47|title=Hits of the World - Ireland|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|publisher=[[Nielsen Business Media, Inc.]]|date=23 April 1994|page=47}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
|align="left"|U.S. [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]<ref name="billboard.com">{{cite web|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=garth brooks|chart=all}} |title=No Fences - Garth Brooks |publisher=Billboard.com |date= |accessdate=2012-08-29}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|3
|-
|align="left"|U.S. ''Billboard'' [[Top Country Albums]]<ref name="billboard.com"/>
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|}

{{col-2}}

===Sales and certifications===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Region
!Provider
!Certification
!Sales/Shipments
|-
|Australia
| style="text-align:center;"|[[Australian Recording Industry Association|ARIA]]
|Platinum <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-accreditations.htm|title=Accreditations|accessdate=16 April 2015}}</ref>
|70,000
|-
|Canada
| style="text-align:center;"|[[CRIA]]
|7x Platinum
|700,000+
|-
|Ireland
| style="text-align:center;"|[[Irish Recorded Music Association|IRMA]]
|5x Platinum
|75,000
|-
|United States
| style="text-align:center;"|[[RIAA]]
|17x Platinum
|17,000,000
|-
|'''World-Wide'''
| 
|
|'''17,845,000+'''
|}
{{col-end}}

===End of decade charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Chart (1990–1999)
!Position
|-
| U.S. ''Billboard'' 200<ref name="1990sbb">{{cite book | author = Geoff Mayfield | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=9w0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA4 | title = 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 | publisher = [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | date = December 25, 1999 | accessdate = October 15, 2010}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|4
|}

===Singles===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Single
! colspan="4"| Peak chart positions
|- style="font-size:smaller;"
! style="width:40px;"| [[Hot Country Songs|US Country]]
! style="width:40px;"| [[Billboard Hot 100|US]]
! style="width:40px;"| [[RPM (magazine)|CAN Country]]
! style="width:40px;"| [[UK Singles Chart|UK]]
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1990
| style="text-align:left;"| "Friends in Low Places"
| 1
| —
| 1
| 36
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "Unanswered Prayers"
| 1
| —
| 1
| —
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1991
| style="text-align:left;"| "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House"
| 1
| —
| 1
| —
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "The Thunder Rolls"
| 1
| —
| 1
| —
|-
| 2000
| style="text-align:left;"| "Wild Horses" <small>(re-recording)</small>
| 7
| 50
| —
| —
|}

===Chart successions===
{{s-start}}
{{Succession box
  | before = "Talk To Me" by [[Frances Black]]
  | title  = [[Irish Albums Chart]]
  | years  = 7 April 1994 – 5 May 1994 (4 weeks)<br />26 May 1994 - 16th June 1994 (3 weeks)
  | after  = "Talk To Me" by [[Frances Black]]<br />"[[Music for the Jilted Generation]]" by [[The Prodigy]]
}}
{{s-bef | before= ''[[Killin' Time (Clint Black album)|Killin' Time]]'' by [[Clint Black]]}}
{{s-ttl | title= [[Top Country Albums]] [[List of number-one country albums of 1990 (U.S.)|number-one album]] | years= October 13 - November 24, 1990}}
{{s-aft | after=  ''[[Heroes & Friends]]'' by [[Randy Travis]]}}
{{s-bef | before= ''Heroes & Friends'' by Randy Travis}}
{{s-ttl | title= [[Top Country Albums]] number-one album | years= December 1–22, 1990}}
{{s-aft | after=  ''[[Put Yourself in My Shoes]]'' by Clint Black}}
{{s-bef | before= ''Put Yourself in My Shoes'' by Clint Black}}
{{s-ttl | title= [[Top Country Albums]] [[List of number-one country albums of 1991 (U.S.)|number-one album]] | years= February 9 - May 18, 1991}}
{{s-aft | after=  ''[[Eagle When She Flies]]'' by [[Dolly Parton]]}}
{{s-bef | before= ''Eagle When She Flies'' by Dolly Parton}}
{{s-ttl | title= [[Top Country Albums]] number-one album | years= May 25 - September 28, 1991}}
{{s-aft | after=  ''[[Ropin' The Wind]]'' by Garth Brooks}}
{{s-bef | before= ''[[Killin' Time (Clint Black album)|Killin' Time]]'' by [[Clint Black]]}}
{{s-ttl | title= Top Country Albums [[Billboard Year-End|number-one album of the year]]
| years=1991}}
{{s-aft | after= ''[[Ropin' the Wind]]'' by Garth Brooks}}
{{s-end}}

==Personnel==
<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=No Fences |others=Garth Brooks |year=1990 |type=CD |publisher=Capitol Records |id=93866}}</ref>

===Musicians===
* Garth Brooks - [[guitar]], [[Singing|vocals]]
* Pat Alger - guitar, backing vocals
* Bruce Bouton - [[steel guitar]], backing vocals
* Mark Casstevens - guitar
* Mike Chapman - acoustic bass, backing vocals
* Johnny Christopher - guitar
* [[Ty England]] - acoustic guitar, backing vocals
* Dave Gant - keyboards, fiddle, backing vocals
* [[Jim Garver|James Garver]] - electric guitar, backing vocals
* Rob Hajacos - [[fiddle]], backing vocals
* Chris Leuzinger - guitar
* [[Nashville String Machine]] - strings
* Edgar Meyer - acoustic bass
* Steve McClure - electric and steel guitars
* Mike Palmer - drums, percussion
* Brian Petree - vocals, stage manager
* Milton Sledge - [[Drum kit|drums]], acoustic bass
* Bobby Wood - [[piano]], [[Keyboard instrument|keyboards]], backing vocals

===Backing 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
* Joe Loesch - Special Effects

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Garth Brooks}}

[[Category:1990 albums]]
[[Category:Garth Brooks albums]]