The Way I Should

The Way I Should is the third album released by singer-songwriter Iris DeMent. It peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.

The Way I Should
Studio album by Iris DeMent
Released	October 8, 1996
Studio	Scruggs Sound Studio, Smithville, Tennessee
Genre	Country Folk
Length	50:07
Label	Warner
Producer	Randy Scruggs
Iris DeMent chronology
My Life (1993) The Way I Should (1996) Lifeline (2004)

Guests include guitarist Mark Knopfler and Delbert McClinton, who duets with DeMent on "Trouble".

The album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards.

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Chicago Tribune	[2]
Christgau's Consumer Guide	A[3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[4]
Entertainment Weekly	A−[5]
Los Angeles Times	[6]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide	[7]
Orlando Sentinel	[8]
Spin	4/10[9]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"When My Mornin' Comes Around"		3:49
2.	"There's a Wall in Washington"		5:19
3.	"Wasteland of the Free"		5:13
4.	"I'll Take My Sorrow Straight"	Iris DeMent; Elmer McCall	3:24
5.	"This Kind of Happy"	Iris DeMent; Merle Haggard	3:43
6.	"The Way I Should"		4:24
7.	"Letter to Mom"		3:15
8.	"Keep Me God"		3:46
9.	"Quality Time"		4:03
10.	"Walkin' Home"		5:39
11.	"Trouble" (duet with Delbert McClinton)	Iris DeMent; Elmer McCall	7:32
Total length:			50:07

All tracks are written by Iris DeMent, except as noted

Personnel

• Iris DeMent – vocals, guitar, piano
• Mark Knopfler – National guitar (track 6)
• Chuck Leavell – organ, piano, accordion
• Lonnie Mack – electric guitar (track 11)
• Brent Mason – electric guitar solo (track 5)
• Paul Franklin – steel guitar
• John Jennings – guitar, EBow, 6-string bass
• Bekka Bramlett – background vocals (track 3)
• Billy Burnette – background vocals (track 3)
• Melodie Crittenden – background vocals (tracks 6, 9)
• Delbert McClinton – harmonica, vocals (track 11)
• Dave Pomeroy – bass
• Tom Roady – tambourine
• Tammy Rogers – fiddle, mandolin, violin, cello, viola
• Harry Stinson – drums
• Russ Taff – background vocals (track 3)
• Earl Scruggs – banjo (track 9)
• Randy Scruggs – guitar
• Stuart Smith – guitar, slide guitar

Production notes

• Produced by Randy Scruggs
• Engineered and mixed by Chuck Ainlay
• Mastered by Denny Purcell
• Assistant Engineers – Chris Rua and Graham Lewis
• Photography by Debbie Spinelli and Rocky Schenck
• Art direction and design by Stephen Walker and Terry Robertson

References

1. Ankeny, Jason. "The Way I Should Review". AllMusic. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
2. Kot, Greg (October 1, 1996). "Iris DeMent The Way I Should (Warner)". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on March 27, 2018. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
3. Christgau, Robert (October 1, 2000). "Iris DeMent: The Way I Should". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan Publishing. ISBN 9780312245603.
4. Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857125958.
5. Scherman, Tony (October 1, 1996). "Iris Dement". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
6. HOCHMAN, STEVE (November 9, 1996). "Albums Reviews / Pop". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
7. Kot, Greg (2004). "Iris DeMent". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. p. 228. ISBN 9780743201698.
8. Gettelman, Parry (November 8, 1996). "Iris Dement". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
9. Hunter, James (November 1996). "Iris DeMent: The Way I Should". Spin. SPIN Media LLC. pp. 125–126.