Garth Brooks - No Fences

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Free Music Notes for No Fences

Free Music Review: This Album Is Perfectly Named (II)
Hit: 5 Stars

The first song from the album "The Thunder Rolls" perfectly demonstrates this transition. It tells of a cheating husband, driving home in the middle of an intense thunderstorm from his adultress to a wife that waits anxiously by the telephone, hoping that nothing has happened, and at the same time suspecting that she knows what has been happening all along.
The song was controversal for its time, and too controversal in its original form. The song contains a third verse (not on the album) that was considered so violent by record execs at Capitol, it was cut from the recording. Garth introduced the verse to audiences while touring, and it met with resounding success, but was never recorded until the "Double Live" album.

Garth's departure from traditional country stylings would become more appearant in future albums, but this album still contained some songs that would be considered standards in the industry. "Wild Horses", a song about a rodeo-riders conflict between settling down and being "dragged" away to the rodeo, is pure country, more in keeping with the stylings of George Strait (a singer Garth has admitted to emulating throughout his career).

The biggest hits of this album, in stark contrast to "Garth Brooks" were a trifecta of pieces that were stylistically, very oppossed to one another, and suprisingly, equally riveting in their own way.

"Two Of A Kind, Working On A Full House" became a staple piece for Garth, using a catchy "hook" analagous with poker to describe the relationship of two lovers-husband and wife-and their intentions of having a family. The catchy melody and clever lyrics gave the song a clever spin that audiences loved.

"Unanswered Prayers", more in keeping with songs like "If Tomorrow Never Comes" and "The Dance" was a ballad that almost anyone could relate to. The song suggests that sometimes things happen according to God's plan, not our own desires. Almost religious in its message, the song was a stark contrast to the irreverant "Friends In Low Places", the biggest hit off this album, and, next to "The Dance", probably Garth's biggest hit ever.

"Low Places" is a straight-out honkey tonk, neon-lights, good-times-with-good-friends bar song. Where "The Dance" is profound, "Friends In Low Places" is fun, and audiences around the globe love it. This song was so successful that it climbed the charts of not only country radio, but Billboard's top 100, and peaked out as a number 1 on radio in all markets!

This album would be the last ignitor to launch Garth's career from mere artist to true country superstar. It would put his name in every household and introduce him to a world of music fans who had, before this point, shunned country music.

Though some critics consider this an inferior album to "Garth Brooks", it is nonetheless a strong effort and a great collection of songs.

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