1. On The Western Skyline
2. Every Little Kiss
3. Mandolin Rain
4. The Long Race
5. The Way It Is
6. Down The Road Tonight
7. The Wild Frontier
8. The River Runs Low
9. The Red Plains
Reviews:
Perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise that the music is so accomplished, Hornsby was already a consummate musician and songwriter when he made it. The record presented a unique, fresh sound, distinguished by Hornsby's remarkable, whimsical piano playing. 'The Way It Is' was unlike anything else on the radio at the time, a combination of pop, rock, folk, jazz, classical, bluegrass and country music. The band incorporates a wide range of instruments in the songs to support this mix - mandolin, guitar, violin, piano, and even harmonica. The songwriting is fantastic, Hornsby paints vivid portraits of life in the mountain ranges, winding rivers, jagged coasts, towering forests, and stretching farmlands of his beloved Virginia. He maintains a hopeful outlook for love and happiness even during tough times both emotionally and economically. Fellow musician Huey Lewis is featured on the album, lending his harmonica and vocal talents to the track, 'Down the Road Tonight'. Lewis also helped produce the song, along with the track, 'The Long Race' and 'The River Runs Low'.