1986's WALK THE WAY THE WIND BLOWS was Kathy Mattea's breakthrough album, and while it paved the way for Mattea's later more pop-oriented projects, it remains one of her rootsiest and most satisfying efforts.

In part, the success of WALK THE WAY is attributable to Mattea's fine roster of guests, which includes Vince Gill, banjo maverick Bela Fleck, and country luminary Don Williams (who performs a gorgeous duet with Mattea on a version of Nancy Griffith's "Love At the Five and Dime"). Yet the album is unmistakably Mattea's, with her fine singing working wonders on both the jazzier, uptempo numbers and the heartbreaking ballads. In short, nearly everything comes together here, making this album the best choice to represent the country singer's mid-'80s sound.

Which CD - Performance 9 / Sound 9