Walk the Way the Wind Blows
Walk the Way the Wind Blows is the third studio album by American country music singer Kathy Mattea. It was released in 1986 (see 1986 in country music) on Mercury Records. This album produced Mattea's first Top Ten country hit in "Love at the Five and Dime", which reached #3 on the Billboard country charts. Following this song were three more Top Ten hits: the title track at #10, "You're the Power" at #5, and "Train of Memories" at #6.
| Walk the Way the Wind Blows | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 20, 1986 | |||
| Recorded | 1985 | |||
| Studio | Jack's Tracks Recording Studio | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 34:31 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | Allen Reynolds | |||
| Kathy Mattea chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Walk the Way the Wind Blows | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [2] |
"Love at the Five and Dime", which features backing vocals from Don Williams, was also recorded by Nanci Griffith on her 1986 album The Last of the True Believers. "Song for the Life" has been covered by several artists, and was originally recorded by Rodney Crowell on his 1977 debut Ain't Livin' Long Like This. This song would later be released in 1995 as a single by Alan Jackson.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Walk the Way the Wind Blows" | Tim O'Brien | 3:43 |
| 2. | "Train of Memories" | Andy Byrd, Jimbeau Hinson | 2:48 |
| 3. | "Reason to Live" | Joanne Christy, Johnny Pierce, Geoff Levin | 3:21 |
| 4. | "Evenin'" | Mitchell Parish, Harry White | 3:34 |
| 5. | "Leaving West Virginia" | Kathy Mattea | 3:43 |
| 6. | "Love at the Five and Dime" | Nanci Griffith | 3:36 |
| 7. | "You Plant Your Fields" | Wendy Waldman, Donny Lowery | 3:08 |
| 8. | "Back Up Grinnin' Again" | David Goodman | 3:02 |
| 9. | "You're the Power" | Craig Bickhardt, F. C. Collins | 3:02 |
| 10. | "Song for the Life" | Rodney Crowell | 3:59 |
Personnel
- Kathy Mattea – lead vocals, background vocals
- Charlie Anderson – harmonica
- Craig Bickhardt – background vocals
- Bruce Bouton – pedal steel guitar, slide guitar
- Tommy Cozart – drums
- Quitman Dennis – trombone
- Bill Donohue – piano
- Bessyl Duhon – accordion
- Ray Flacke – electric guitar
- Béla Fleck – banjo
- Pat Flynn – acoustic guitar
- Vince Gill – background vocals
- Jim Horn – saxophone
- Wayne Jackson – trumpet
- Chris Leuzinger – electric guitar
- Kenny Malone – percussion
- Tim O'Brien – electric guitar, mandolin
- Mark O'Connor – fiddle
- Jim Photoglo – background vocals
- Brent Rowan – electric guitar
- Milton Sledge – drums
- Buddy Spicher – fiddle
- K. Susan Taylor – acoustic guitar
- Wendy Waldman – background vocals
- Don Williams – background vocals
- Bobby Wood – keyboards
- Bob Wray – bass guitar
- Production notes
- Allen Reynolds – producer
- Mike Leech – arranger
- Mark Miller – engineer
Chart performance
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 13 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | March 20, 1986 |
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[3] |
References
- AllMusic review
- Rolling Stone list
- Mattea, Kathy (March 20, 1986). "Walk the Way the Wind Blows (Liner Notes and Album Information)". PolyGram/Mercury Records. 830 405-1 M-1 (LP), 830 405-4 (Cassette), 830 405-2 M-1 (CD).