In Pieces

In Pieces is the fifth studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on August 31, 1993. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and the Top Country Albums chart. It was also a huge hit outside the United States. In Great Britain it was Brooks' highest placed album on the charts. It reached the top ten of the country album charts before it was issued officially (due to imports from both the United States and Ireland). Critics felt that this would ruin the album's sales once it was issued. However, when it was eventually issued in Britain in early 1994 it went to #1 on the country charts and reached #2 in the pop charts and also produced two top 40 hit singles on the British pop charts.

The track "Callin' Baton Rouge" was previously a #37 peaking single in 1987 for the New Grass Revival, whose members back Brooks on his rendition. It was the first time the group had recorded together since they disbanded in 1989.

In an interview with BBC Radio DJ Richard Wooton, Brooks stated that the track "The Cowboy Song" (which was composed in 1987 by Roy Robinson) was found in a trash can by someone on his team who liked the song and played the track to him.

Background
Brooks commented on the album saying:
"In Pieces was just time to smile. It was time to laugh, it was time to get loud. It's definitely the most live album that we've ever cut. I think the band went to a different level on this. They seemed to play more like a band that had been together for years than studio musicians that come together and play at time to time. So this one is all there for me. I like to listen to it loud, and I just love the stuff like Baton Rouge and Ain't Going Down Til The Sun Comes Up. From One Night A Day, all the way to the very last song, The Cowboy Song, which is definitely my favorite off In Pieces and it will stand up with anything that I have cut over the past five years. Like the other things, I'm very proud of this one and I hope you like it.''''

Track listing
The track ordering has varied on different releases of this album.

Original release
"Standing Outside the Fire" (Jenny Yates, Garth Brooks) – 3:52
"The Night I Called the Old Man Out" (Pat Alger, Kim Williams, Brooks) – 3:12
"American Honky-Tonk Bar Association" (Bryan Kennedy, Jim Rushing) – 3:33
"One Night a Day" (Gary Burr, Pete Wasner) – 4:15
"Kickin' and Screamin'" (Tony Arata) – 4:02
"Ain't Goin' Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up)" (Kent Blazy, Williams, Brooks) – 4:33
"The Red Strokes" (James Garver, Lisa Sanderson, Yates, Brooks) – 3:44
"Callin' Baton Rouge" (Dennis Linde) – 2:38
"The Night Will Only Know" (Stephanie Davis, Yates, Brooks) – 3:55
"The Cowboy Song" (Roy Robinson) – 3:59

Limited series
"Standing Outside the Fire"
"The Night I Called the Old Man Out"
"American Honky-Tonk Bar Association"
"One Night a Day"
"Kickin' and Screamin'"
"Anonymous" (Tony Arata, Jon Schwabe) – 2:55
"Ain't Goin' Down ('Til The Sun Comes Up)"
"The Red Strokes"
"Callin' Baton Rouge"
"The Night Will Only Know"
"The Cowboy Song"

Subsequent releases (also known as The Remastered series)
"Standing Outside the Fire"
"The Night I Called the Old Man Out"
"American Honky-Tonk Bar Association"
"One Night a Day"
"Ain't Goin' Down ('Til The Sun Comes Up)"
"Anonymous"
"Kickin' and Screamin'"
"The Red Strokes"
"Callin' Baton Rouge"
"The Night Will Only Know"
"The Cowboy Song"

Chart performanceIn Pieces debuted at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200, becoming his third, and #1 on the Top Country Albums, becoming his fourth #1 Country album. In July 1998, In Pieces'' was certified 8 x Platinum by the RIAA.

Charts

End of decade charts

Sales and certifications

Singles

Chart Successions

Personnel
Garth Brooks - lead and backing vocals, guitar

Additional musicians and staff
Sam Bacco - percussion
Bruce Bouton - pedal steel guitar 
Sam Bush - mandolin , fiddle , backing vocals 
Mark Casstevens - acoustic guitar
Mike Chapman - bass guitar, Synclavier programming 
Kathy Chiavola - backing vocals
John Cowan - backing vocals 
Helen Darling - backing vocals
Jerry Douglas - dobro 
Bobby Emmons - Hammond B-3 organ 
Ty England - acoustic guitar, backing vocals 
Béla Fleck - banjo 
Pat Flynn - acoustic guitar 
Rob Hajacos - fiddle 
Jim Horn - saxophone 
Roy Huskey, Jr. - bass 
Chris Leuzinger - acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Steve McClure - electric guitar, pedal steel guitar 
Terry McMillan - harmonica
Ferrell Morris - percussion
Denny Purcell - digital remastering
Mike Palmer - drums, percussion 
Allen Reynolds - producer
Milton Sledge - drums, percussion
Bobby Wood - piano, keyboards
Trisha Yearwood - background vocals

References

1993 albums
Garth Brooks albums