Why We Fight (John Wesley Harding album)
Why We Fight is an album by the English musician John Wesley Harding, released in 1992. As with many of Harding's albums, the title is a reference to Frank Capra's work; Harding had considered using the Kinks homage Give the People What I Want as the title. Harding described the album's sound as "folk noir". Harding supported the album by touring with Barenaked Ladies and Mare Winningham. Production Written in San Francisco and recorded in Los Angeles, the album was produced by Steve Berlin. Harding picked Berlin after hearing the producer's work on Leo Kottke's Great Big Boy. Greg Leisz played pedal steel on the album. Green on Red's Chris Cacavas contributed vocals. Harding wrote "Hitler's Tears", a song about fascism, after watching television footage of Pat Buchanan and David Duke. Critical reception Trouser Press wrote that Harding "opts for earthier, less contrived grooves and cuts down (though hardly eliminates) the [Elvis] Costello echoes." The Washington Post stated the album "replaces the musical Attractions of Harding's previous work with a more rustic, less derivative approach." The Chicago Tribune thought that the songs "wrestle with moral dilemmas and revel in humanistic detail." Stereo Review called Why We Fight "a lengthy album