Fretplay.com Iris DeMent CD reviews Iris DeMent guitar tabs Iris DeMent CD reviews Iris DeMent tabs The Way I Should


Iris DeMent - The Way I Should Audio CD

A fair review of the Iris DeMent "The Way I Should" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Iris DeMent reviews here, or go back to the Iris DeMent tabs.

Iris DeMent Band: Iris DeMent
Title: The Way I Should
Rating:
Release Date: 1996-10-08
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: When My Mornin' Comes Around 2: There's a Wall in Washington 3: Wasteland of the Free 4: I'll Take My Sorrow Straight 5: This Kind of Happy 6: Way I Should 7: Letter to Mom 8: Keep Me God 9: Quality Time 10: Walkin' Home 11: Trouble - Iris DeMent, Delbert McClinton

Iris' Best Album
That doesn't make sense but that's the way I feel. This is Iris' best album although her first two are just as good. With Iris I have to see the lyrics as I hear the songs. This is a spiritual album with guts. It completes Merle Haggard's work of the late 60s. .


Iris DeMent, Singer/Songwriter with Something to Say
Though this album was produced in 1996, it is timely today. Not only is Iris DeMent a wonderful bluegrass/country/gospel singer, she is a songwriter of the highest quality even collaborating with Merle Haggard on the song This Kind of Happy. Wasteland of the Free is a rousing, pointed critique of American politics and culture that speaks to our current situation. It should be a famous song but maybe has gotten no airtime on the likes of Clear Channel which has consumed so much of the airwaves. She tells it like it is on numerous songs such as Letter to Mom and Quality Time. I frequently feel like I've been waiting to hear these words. She is unabashed on this album and Infamous Angel in expressing her love and appreciation of her Mom and Dad. I'm glad I found Iris DeMent.


IRIS
It comes directly from her beautiful pure soul and has some sort of impossible to describe unity about it. Everything Iris Dement has recorded is wonderful. Whether she's singing spirituals, bluegrass, "old time" music, hard-core cheatin' songs with John Prine, or the songs on The Way I Should it's great music from this multi-faceted musical treasure. Some of these songs are angry and some are topical. They're all must listening for Iris fans. I can't imagine her ever singing anything that would not be enriching and musical on some level.


The Way I should
I have listened to iris dement since i first heard her on a Merle haggard tribute Album. This Cd is just incredible. Her voice is so honest , you would think you know her personally. From the opening piano chords of "When My morning comes around". I was hooked. Very powerful without being overpowering. The words in her songs are well said. In the liner notes she mentions a song she sings and mentions that it "Isn't" about "HER" mother. I won't give it away, see for yourself. I only had one problem with the CD i bought. I tried to transfer the first song to my IPOD and it seemed to skip, the CD didn't skip when playing. But I have another copy of it that I thought I wore out, thus buying this copy, and the same thing happened, Weird.


Just my thoughts.........
I found only one song on this CD worth listening to (Walkin' Home). This is by far her worst work. The problem is that when artists decide to sing political, they seem to forget that they will alienate a certain segment of their fans from the beginning. Secondly, they compromise their gifts by looking for and accepting sub-par songs that make a statement (or try to). I find that this is the case here.


You can see a complete list of all Iris DeMent discography, or go back to the Iris DeMent tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

Search guitar tabs

#ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
[ Search tabs | Guitar tabs | Bass tabs |
Easy guitar tabs | Guitar solo tabs |
Acoustic guitar tabs | Guitar chords |
How to read guitar tabs ]
Forum topics
Music forums
- Bands and artists - Songwriting and lyrics - Tablature talk - Promote your band
Instrument forums
- Guitar basics - Gear & accessories - Bass guitar
Community
- The pit - Site Feedback - Reviews
[ User survey | About us | Privacy statement ]