The Way I Should
Her political record, with a Mark Knopfler guitar, Earl Scruggs on banjo and a duet with Delbert McClinton.
Iris DeMent, 1996
- Released
- 8 October 1996
- Studio
- Scruggs Sound, Berry Hill
- Label
- Warner Bros.
- Producer
- Randy Scruggs
- Length
- 50:07
Randy Scruggs produced it and Chuck Ainlay recorded and mixed it at Scruggs Sound in Berry Hill. It is her most political work, with songs that touch on sexual abuse, religion, government policy and Vietnam. Wasteland of the Free is its protest song. She wrote I'll Take My Sorrow Straight and Trouble with Elmer McCall, and This Kind of Happy with Merle Haggard.
Mark Knopfler plays National guitar on the title track, Earl Scruggs plays banjo on Quality Time, Lonnie Mack plays electric guitar on Trouble, and Delbert McClinton sings and plays harmonica on it. The album peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and was nominated for Best Contemporary Folk Album at the 40th Grammys.
Track listing
- When My Mornin' Comes Around3:49
- There's a Wall in Washington5:19
- Wasteland of the Free5:13
- I'll Take My Sorrow Straight3:24
- This Kind of Happy3:43
- The Way I Should4:24
- Letter to Mom3:15
- Keep Me God3:46
- Quality Time4:03
- Walkin' Home5:39
- Trouble7:32
Personnel
- Iris DeMent vocals, piano, guitar
- Randy Scruggs producer, guitar
- Chuck Ainlay recording and mixing engineer
- Mark Knopfler National guitar on The Way I Should
- Chuck Leavell organ, piano, accordion
- Lonnie Mack electric guitar on Trouble
- Brent Mason electric guitar solo on This Kind of Happy
- Paul Franklin steel guitar
- John Jennings guitar, EBow, 6-string bass
- Delbert McClinton harmonica, duet vocal on Trouble
- Dave Pomeroy bass
- Tom Roady tambourine
- Tammy Rogers fiddle, mandolin, violin, cello, viola
- Harry Stinson drums
- Earl Scruggs banjo on Quality Time
- Steuart Smith guitar, slide guitar
- Bekka Bramlett background vocals on Wasteland of the Free
- Billy Burnette background vocals on Wasteland of the Free
- Russ Taff background vocals on Wasteland of the Free
More from Iris DeMent
Infamous Angel (1992), My Life (1994), Lifeline (2004), Sing the Delta (2012), The Trackless Woods (2015), Workin' on a World (2023)
Sources
- The Way I Should, Wikipedia
- The Way I Should (Warner Bros. 9 46188-2), Discogs
- The Way I Should (master release), Discogs