The Way That I Am
| The Way That I Am | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Martina McBride | ||||
| Released | September 14, 1993 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 34:05 | |||
| Label | RCA Records | |||
| Producer |
Paul Worley Martina McBride Ed Seay | |||
| Martina McBride chronology | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
.jpg) Cover of the international release. |
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| Singles from The Way That I Am | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Robert Christgau |  [2] |
| Rolling Stone | (favorable)[3] |
The Way That I Am is the second album by American country music singer Martina McBride, released in 1993 on RCA Records. It was certified Platinum on May 15, 1995 by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). This was her breakthrough album, producing her first Top 5 hit in "My Baby Loves Me", which was previously released as a single by Canadian singer Patricia Conroy from her 1992 album Bad Day for Trains. McBride's version was a number 2 on the Hot Country Songs charts. Also released from this album were "Life #9" at number 6, "Independence Day" at number 12, "Heart Trouble" at number 21, and finally, "Where I Used to Have a Heart" at number 49.
Content
Although never released as a single, "Strangers" was reprised on McBride's Greatest Hits album in 2001. In the liner notes of that album, she stated that she included the song because it was a fan favorite, and she felt that it would have been a better follow-up to "Independence Day" than "Heart Trouble" and "Where I Used to Have a Heart" were.[4]
The Compact Cassette version of this album omits the final track, "Ashes".[5]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Heart Trouble" | Paul Kennerley | 3:19 |
| 2. | "My Baby Loves Me" | Gretchen Peters | 2:36 |
| 3. | "That Wasn't Me" | Gary Harrison, Tim Mensy | 3:44 |
| 4. | "Independence Day" | Peters | 3:25 |
| 5. | "Where I Used to Have a Heart" | Craig Bickhardt | 3:50 |
| 6. | "Goin' to Work" | Bill Lloyd, Pam Tillis | 3:30 |
| 7. | "She Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" | Walt Aldridge, Anna Lisa Graham | 3:26 |
| 8. | "Life #9" | Kostas, Tony Perez | 3:59 |
| 9. | "Strangers" | Bobby Braddock | 3:21 |
| 10. | "Ashes" | Chris Waters, Lonnie Wilson, Charlotte Wilson | 2:55 |
Total length: |
34:05 | ||
| International bonus tracks | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 11. | "The Time Has Come" | Lonnie Wilson, Susan Longacre | 2:32 |
| 12. | "That's Me" | Tony Haselden, Bob Alan | 3:52 |
| 13. | "Cheap Whiskey" | Emory Gordy, Jr., Jim Rushing | 3:08 |
| 14. | "When You Are Old" | Peters | 3:07 |
Personnel
Compiled from liner notes.[5]
- Musicians
- Grace Mihi Bahng – cello (3)
- Brett Beavers – background vocals (6,10)
- Joe Chemay – bass guitar
- Ashley Cleveland – background vocals (4)
- Deryl Dodd – background vocals (6,10)
- Dan Dugmore – electric guitar (2)
- Larry Franklin – fiddle (1,8,10)
- Paul Franklin – steel guitar (4,8)
- Johnny Garcia – electric guitar (1)
- Vicki Hampton – background vocals (4)
- Dann Huff – electric guitar (2,6,7)
- Bill Hullett – acoustic guitar (1,3,4,5,8,9,10)
- Mary Ann Kennedy – background vocals (2,4,7)
- Martina McBride – lead vocals, background vocals (2,4,7,8,9), tambourine (6)
- Anthony S. Martin – background vocals (8), keyboards (9)
- Brent Mason – electric guitar (1,3,4,5,8,9,10)
- Steve Nathan – keyboards (except 9)
- Mary Kathryn Van Osdale – violin (3)
- Herb Pedersen – background vocals (5)
- Pam Rose – background vocals (2,4,7)
- John Wesley Ryles – background vocals (1,8,9)
- Biff Watson – acoustic guitar (1,5,6,7)
- Charlie Whitten – steel guitar (6,7,9,10)
- Kris Wilkinson – viola (3)
- Dennis Wilson – background vocals (1,8,9)
- Lonnie Wilson – drums
- Paul Worley – electric guitar (1,2,6,7), acoustic guitar
- Technical
- Don Cobb – digital editing
- Carlos Grier – digital editing
- Martina McBride – production
- Anthony S. Martin – production assistant
- Edgar Meyer – string arrangement (3)
- Mike Poole – recording
- Denny Purcell – mastering
- Clarke Schleicher – recording
- Ed Seay – production, recording
- Paul Worley – production
Chart performance
Album
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums[6] | 14 |
| U.S. Billboard 200[6] | 106 |
| Canadian RPM Country Albums | 8 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | CAN Country | ||
| 1993 | "My Baby Loves Me" | 2[6] | 1 |
| 1994 | "Life #9" | 6[6] | 8 |
| "Independence Day" | 12[6] | 14 | |
| "Heart Trouble" | 21[6] | 32 | |
| 1995 | "Where I Used to Have a Heart" | 49[6] | — |
References
- ↑ Allmusic review
- ↑ Robert Christgau Consumer Guide
- ↑ Album reviews at CD Universe
- ↑ Greatest Hits (CD booklet). Martina McBride. RCA Records. 2001. 67012.
- 1 2 The Way That I Am (CD booklet). Martina McBride. RCA Records. 1993. 66288.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Top Country Albums".
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