1. The Thunder Rolls

2. New Way To Fly

3. Two Of A Kind Workin' On A Full House

4. Victim Of The Game

5. Friends in Low Places

6. Wild Horses

7. Unanswered Prayers

8. Same Old Story

9. Mr. Blue

10. Wolves

I started listening to country music ten years ago, once the lyrics that made pop accessible melted away into thumping beats and indecipherable mumbles. Garth Brooks' "No Fences", as inspired by Billy Joel and James Taylor, literally SPOKE to me as I turned 30 in 1991. Back then, and still as I near 40, he wrote songs that were passionate, understated, and sincere, like the Piano Man and Sweet Baby James in their heydays. On "No Fences" he pours his heart and soul into every note of every song, from the unforgettable "Unanswered Prayers" to his own now-signature tale, "Friends In Low Places." He is all of these characters and none of them still, just a storyteller by the fire, but possessed by his protagonists. Few artists have succeeded in blending seamlessly the melody of pop and the resonance and grit of country - but Brooks pulls it off. "No Fences" is the first of a succession of brilliant American fare that made Brooks the unparalleled success of the 90s. It's easy to see why "No Fences" launched Garth's career into the stratosphere, up there with the Beatles and Elton John. He crafts universal themes with every one of his instruments as a songwriter, vocalist and musician.

At once epic ("The Thunder Rolls") and soft ("New Way to Fly") "No Fences" will stand the test of time and emerge as the 1990's version of "Tapestry" or "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road." Fun, clever, and emotionally charged all at the same time, Brooks delivers a heartfelt, magical set.

This is Garth's best album. There is not a bad song on this album, and there are many underrated songs that never got radio play. "New Way To Fly," "Wild Horses," "Wolves," and "Victim Of The Game" are some of the best songs in Garth's collection. Throw in "Friends In Low Places," "Same Old Story," "The Thunder Rolls," "Two Of A Kind Workin' On A Full House," and "Unanswered Prayers" and you have one of the classic country albums of all time. I even liked the cheesy "Mr. Blue." This is a must have for any country fan.

Garth Brooks has been very fortunate in terms of being blessed with a wonderful talent as a musician. He has also been very lucky in that his talent has received recognition and made him successful in the music business, indeed, over the past 15 years he has sold more albums in the United States than any other artist.

Out of his 12 albums, all of which I like very much, I would say this is one of his best.

I became a Brooks fan at the age of 12 after seeing his "This is Garth Brooks" tour video/show on BBC television here in the U. K and remember my Mother buying this on cassette in about 1992, 1993. Pretty soon that cassette was mine! I had always liked Country music, but really got into it after hearing this album and it's follow-ups from Brooks (namely "The Chase" and "Ropin' The Wind").

My favourite songs on "No Fences" are "Friends in low places", "The Thunder Rolls" and "A New Way to fly", which give a good mixture of pop and country. "Unanswered Prayers" (a love song about happiness not being about getting what you want, but wanting what you've got) is just one of those all-time classic songs that any artist would be blessed to find one song like this in their whole career, Brooks himself has been blessed with many songs like this during his recording career.

I would recommend this album to anyone who loves good music. Garth is one of the best at making great songs, be they country or otherwise. This is one of his early albums, but still ranks up their in terms of legendary status. These 10 songs (11 on the re-issue) haven't dated at all, despite them being recorded almost a decade and a half ago!

As with his first album, this sophomore effort on the part of Garth Brooks is perfectly named. "No Fences" very directly expresses Garths intention to go beyond the boundaries that other artist in country music set. This album gave us the first glimpse into Garth's true rock-and-roll roots. Though still more conventional than his later albums, Garth shifted from the twangy highs and lows of "Garth Brooks" and focused on a more polished style, filled with an eclectic and diverse range of sounds.

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.

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.