Infamous Angel Explained

Infamous Angel
Type:	Album
Artist:	Iris DeMent
Cover:	InfamousAngelCover.jpg
Released:	October 7, 1992
Studio:	Cowboy Arms (Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre:	Country folk
Length:	38:28
Label:	Rounder (Philo), Warner from 1993
Producer:	Jim Rooney
Next Title:	My Life
Next Year:	1994

Infamous Angel is the debut studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Iris DeMent. It was released by Philo Records in 1992. The liner notes were written by John Prine, to whom DeMent's music has been compared by Los Angeles Times critic Robert Hilburn.^[1]

In 1995, her song "Our Town" was played in the closing moments of the last episode for the CBS TV series Northern Exposure. It has also been recorded by Kate Rusby and by Jody Stecher and Kate Brislin.

The Transatlantic Sessions version of "Let the Mystery Be" became the theme song for the second season and series finale of The Leftovers.

Track listing

All songs by Iris DeMent except as indicated.

1. "Let the Mystery Be" – 2:46
2. "These Hills" – 3:40
3. "Hotter Than Mojave in My Heart" – 2:33
4. "When Love Was Young" – 3:38
5. "Our Town" – 4:58
6. "Fifty Miles of Elbow Room" (Rev F.W. McGee) – 3:12
7. "Infamous Angel" – 3:46
8. "Sweet Forgiveness" – 2:44
9. "After You've Gone" – 4:04
10. "Mama's Opry" – 3:25
11. "Higher Ground" (listed as "Traditional" in the liner notes but in fact by Johnson Oatman, Jr. (lyrics) and Charles H. Gabriel (music)) – 3:34

Personnel

• Iris DeMent – lead and harmony vocals, guitar

Additional musicians

• Jeff Black – harmony vocals (11)
• Flora Mae DeMent – lead vocals (11)
• Jerry Douglas – Dobro (7)
• Stuart Duncan – fiddle, mandolin
• Emmylou Harris – harmony vocals, guitar (10)
• Mark Howard – guitar
• Jeff Hushkins – bass
• Roy Huskey, Jr. – bass
• Hal Ketchum – harmony vocals (11)
• Al Perkins – Dobro (1–6, 8–11)
• Jim Rooney – producer, harmony vocals (6, 11)
• Pete Wasner – piano

Technical

• Richard Adler – recording and mixing engineer
• Kelley McRae - cover photography

Notes and References

1. News: From the New to Neil . Hilburn . Robert. Robert Hilburn. November 2, 1992. . March 27, 2018 . en-US . 0458-3035. DeMent's warm, inviting manner as a writer recalls John Prine's feel for sentimental tales of people and places. Prine must think so too. He wrote the album's liner notes..
2. 78.