Scarecrow (Garth Brooks album)

Scarecrow
Studio album by Garth Brooks
Released	November 13, 2001
Studio	Jack's Tracks Recording Studio
Genre	Country
Length	48:21
Label	Capitol Nashville
Producer	Allen Reynolds
Garth Brooks chronology
Sevens (1997) Scarecrow (2001) The Limited Series (2005)

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	(77/100)
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
BBC Music	(favorable)
Billboard	(favorable)
E! Online	B
Entertainment Weekly	B
Plugged In	(mixed)
Q
Robert Christgau
Rolling Stone
The Village Voice	(mixed)

Scarecrow is the eighth studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on November 13, 2001, and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, and the Top Country Albums chart. It has been certified 5× platinum RIAA and was named Best Selling Album at the 2002 Canadian Country Music Association Awards. It was the last album by Brooks before his thirteen-year hiatus.

Background

Brooks commented on the album saying:

"At the end of last year I made a commitment to Capitol (Records) that I would try to bring them one more album. This is the result of that effort, a real labor of love, that I'm proud to hold up next to all of our previous releases. For the first time in my life I think I made a happy album. It's heavy on steel guitars, but you're not aware of it in some places because the musicians are so good at what they do."

Content

Singles released from this album include "Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?)" (a duet with George Jones, also found on Jones's 2001 album The Rock: Stone Cold Country 2001), "Wrapped Up in You", "Squeeze Me In" (a duet with Trisha Yearwood), "Thicker Than Blood", and "Why Ain't I Running". Of these, "Wrapped Up in You" was the highest peaking, reaching #5 on the Hot Country Songs charts. Prior to the album's release, "When You Come Back to Me Again" had charted on the country charts as a selection from the soundtrack to the film Frequency.

Several of the tracks on this album were originally recorded by other artists. "Pushing Up Daisies" was originally recorded by Kevin Welch on his 1995 album Life Down Here on Earth, while "Big Money" was originally recorded under the title "It Pays Big Money" by Mark Chesnutt on his 2000 album Lost in the Feeling. Additionally, "Don't Cross the River" was previously recorded by America on their 1972 album Homecoming. "Squeeze Me In" was previously recorded by Lee Roy Parnell on his 1995 album We All Get Lucky Sometimes.

Track listing

1. "Why Ain't I Running" (Kent Blazy, Tony Arata, Garth Brooks) – 4:32
2. "Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?)" (Kim Williams, Amanda Williams, Keith Anderson, George Ducas, Blazy) – 2:28
   • duet with George Jones
3. "Wrapped Up in You" (Wayne Kirkpatrick) – 4:42
4. "The Storm" (Blazy, K. Williams, Brooks) – 4:37
5. "Thicker Than Blood" (Jenny Yates, Brooks) – 2:53
6. "Big Money" (Shawn Camp, Randy Hardison, Wynn Varble) – 3:59
7. "Squeeze Me In" (Delbert McClinton, Gary Nicholson) – 3:30
   • duet with Trisha Yearwood
8. "Mr. Midnight" (J.R. Cobb, Buddy Buie, Tom Douglas) – 4:03
9. "Pushing Up Daisies" (John Hadley, Kevin Welch, Gary Scruggs) – 4:18
10. "Rodeo or Mexico" (Bryan Kennedy, Paul Kennerley, Brooks) – 4:22
11. "Don't Cross the River" (Dan Peek) – 4:05
12. "When You Come Back to Me Again" (theme from the movie Frequency) (Yates, Brooks) – 4:44

Alternate track listing from 2014 re-release

1. "Why Ain't I Running" (Kent Blazy, Tony Arata, Garth Brooks) – 4:32
2. "Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?)" (Kim Williams, Amanda Williams, Keith Anderson, George Ducas, Blazy) – 2:28
   • duet with George Jones
3. "More Than a Memory" (Lee Brice, Billy Montana, Kyle Jacobs) – 3:25
4. "Thicker Than Blood" (Jenny Yates, Brooks) – 2:53
5. "Wrapped Up in You" (Wayne Kirkpatrick) – 4:42
6. "The Storm" (Blazy, K. Williams, Brooks) – 4:37
7. "Big Money" (Shawn Camp, Randy Hardison, Wynn Varble) – 3:59
8. "Squeeze Me In" (Delbert McClinton, Gary Nicholson) – 3:30
   • duet with Trisha Yearwood
9. "Mr. Midnight" (J.R. Cobb, Buddy Buie, Tom Douglas) – 4:03
10. "Good Ride Cowboy" (Jerrod Niemann, Bryan Kennedy, Richie Brown, Bob Doyle) – 3:26
11. "Pushing Up Daisies" (John Hadley, Kevin Welch, Gary Scruggs) – 4:18
12. "Rodeo or Mexico" (Bryan Kennedy, Paul Kennerley, Brooks) – 4:22
13. "Don't Cross the River" (Dan Peek) – 4:05
14. "When You Come Back to Me Again" (theme from the movie Frequency) (Yates, Brooks) – 4:44

Charts and sales performance

In the United States, Scarecrow debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, becoming his eighth No. 1 album on the chart, and No. 1 on the Top Country Albums, becoming his eleventh No. 1 Country album. In January 2006, Scarecrow was certified 5× Platinum by the RIAA.

Charts

Charts (2001)	Peak position
Australian Albums Chart	71
Canadian Albums Chart	4
German Albums Chart	58
Irish Albums Chart	6
Norwegian Albums Chart	32
Swiss Albums Chart	77
U.S. Billboard 200	1
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums	1

Sales and certifications

Region	Provider	Certification	Sales/Shipments
Canada	CRIA	Platinum	100,000
United States	RIAA	5× Platinum	5,000,000
Worldwide			11,000,000

Preceded by Britney by Britney Spears	Billboard 200 number-one album December 1–7, 2001	Succeeded by Fantasies & Delusions by Billy Joel
Preceded by The Road Less Traveled by George Strait	Top Country Albums number-one album December 1, 2001 – January 18, 2002	Succeeded by O Brother, Where Art Thou? by Various Artists

Credits

Compiled from liner notes.

Technical

• Recorded and mixed by Mark Miller at Jack's Tracks Recording Studio
• Additional recording by Keith Stegall at The Sound Station
• Engineered by John Kelton
• Mastered by Denny Purcell at Georgetown Masters
• Digital editing by Eric Conn and Carlos Grier

Musicians

• Drums and percussion: Milton Sledge ("Wrapped Up in You": Sam Bacco; "Thicker Than Blood", "Squeeze Me In" and "Don't Cross the River" percussion: Sam Bacco; "Rodeo or Mexico" additional percussion: Sam Bacco)
• Bass: Mike Chapman ("Wrapped Up in You": Jimmie Lee Sloas)
• Acoustic guitar: Mark Casstevens ("Wrapped Up In You": Wayne Kirkpatrick, "Don't Cross the River": Pat Flynn)
• Electric guitar: Chris Leuzinger
• Keyboards: Bobby Wood
• Steel and slide guitars: Bruce Bouton
• Fiddle: Rob Hajacos ("Wrapped Up in You" and "Don't Cross the River": Jimmy Mattingly)
• Accordion: Joey Miskulin
• Harmonica: Terry McMillan
• Banjo: Béla Fleck
• Mandolin: Sam Bush
• Dobro: Jerry Douglas
• String arrangements: Dennis Burnside

Art

• Production: Carlton Davis
• Production assistant: Denise Jarvis
• Art direction: Virginia Team
• Design: Chris Ferra
• Photography: Bev Parker
• Make-up: Mary Beth Felts
• Digital imaging: Colourworks

Other websites

• Scarecrow at Metacritic