Name: Why We Fight
Brand: Sire
SKU: 424822
Price: 18.5 USD
Availability: InStock

Performer Notes

Personnel: John Wesley Harding (vocals, guitar); Greg Leisz (guitar); Steve Berlin (flute, French horn, saxophone, piano, organ, clavinet, harmonium, timpani, percussion); Chris Cacavas (organ, synthesizer, background vocals);
John Leftwich (bass); Ephrain Toro (drums, percussion).
Engineers: Bill Jackson, Michael Webster, Paul DuGre.
Recorded at Paul and Mike's Studio, Los Angeles, California.
Personnel: John Wesley Harding (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin, fiddle, piano, organ, pump organ, acoustic bass, percussion, bells); Scott Mathews (vocals); Greg Leisz (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 12-string guitar, steel guitar, mandolin, steel pan); Steve Berlin (E-bow, tamboura, flute, saxophone, French horn, brass, piano, harmonium, Clavinet, organ, marimba, kalimba, tambourine, timbales, timpani, percussion); John Leftwich (cello); Chris Cacavas (organ, pump organ, synthesizer); Efrain Toro (drums, percussion).
Audio Mixers: Scott "T-Bone" Stillman; Bob Schaper.
Audio Remasterer: Dean Bailin.
Recording information: Paul & Mike's Recording Studio, Los Angeles, CA; Paul And Mike's Studio, LA; Paul and Mike's Studio, Los Angeles, CA.
Photographers: Trudy Fisher; Laura Levine.
Unknown Contributor Role: Steve Berlin.
Arrangers: John Wesley Harding; Steve Berlin.
After a recording alliance with producer Andy Paley spawned John Wesley Harding's first two studio albums for Sire, the singer/songwriter had suffered more Elvis Costello comparisons than anyone should have to endure. While such assessments were largely due to the vocal similarities of both Wes and E.C. -- plus the fact that some of the Attractions had played on 1990's widely acclaimed Here Comes the Groom -- a loyal and burgeoning pack of fans found Harding's material to be genuine enough to hang in there. While some of those same disciples were soon second-guessing their loyalty when Wes forced them to cope with an ill-advised cover of Tommy James' "Crystal Blue Persuasion" on the following year's experimental pop effort, The Name Above the Title, JWH finally got it right on 1992's Why We Fight. Arguably his strongest album and boasting the perfect balance of folk and attitude, Harding gets down to business under the guidance of Los Lobos saxophonist/producer Steve Berlin. A contemptuous opening number, "Kill the Messenger" seemingly sets the pace, but the controversial and infectious "Hitler's Tears" soon reveals that Harding was really just getting warmed up. If the allure of a song like "Millionaire's Dream" didn't allow Harding to cash in (Why We Fight stalled commercially and was out of print for eight years), "Where the Bodies Are" was a harsh but needed criticism of the justice system that would still make a great bumper on Court TV. While this reissue offers no bonus material, it was remastered, houses new artwork, and most importantly, stands the test of time. ~ John D. Luerssen

Album: Why We Fight
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Kill the Messenger
2)	Ordinary Weekend
3)	Truth, The
4)	Dead Centre of Town
5)	Into the Wind
6)	Hitler's Tears
7)	Get Back Down
8)	Me Against Me
9)	Original Miss Jesus, The
10)	Where the Bodies Are
11)	Millionaire's Dream
12)	Come Gather Round

Album: Why We Fight
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Kill the Messenger
2)	Ordinary Weekend
3)	Truth, The
4)	Dead Centre of Town
5)	Into the Wind
6)	Hitler's Tears
7)	Get Back Down
8)	Me Against Me
9)	Original Miss Jesus, The
10)	Where the Bodies Are
11)	Millionaire's Dream
12)	Come Gather Round