Shooting Straight in the Dark

Shooting Straight in the Dark
Studio album by Mary-Chapin Carpenter
Released	October 9, 1990
Genre	Country
Length	42:12
Label	Columbia
Producer	Mary Chapin Carpenter John Jennings
Mary-Chapin Carpenter chronology
State of the Heart (1989) Shooting Straight in the Dark (1990) Come On Come On (1992)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Entertainment Weekly	A−

Shooting Straight in the Dark is Mary Chapin Carpenter's third studio album. It was a #11 Country Album on the Billboard Country Albums chart. Four of its tracks became Billboard Hot Country Songs hits: "You Win Again" at #16, "Right Now" at #15, "Down at the Twist and Shout" at #2, and "Going Out Tonight" at #14. Members of the Cajun band BeauSoleil provide guest instrumentation on "Down at the Twist and Shout".

Track listing

All songs written by Mary Chapin Carpenter; except where indicated

1. "Going Out Tonight" (Carpenter, John Jennings) - 3:16
2. "Right Now" (Al Lewis, Sylvester Bradford) - 2:36
3. "The More Things Change" - 3:56
4. "When She's Gone" - 5:05
5. "Middle Ground" - 3:51
6. "Can't Take Love for Granted" - 4:01
7. "Down at the Twist and Shout" - 3:21
8. "Halley Came to Jackson" - 3:10
9. "What You Didn't Say" - 4:36
10. "You Win Again" - 3:59
11. "The Moon and St. Christopher" - 4:21
    • duet with Shawn Colvin

Personnel

As listed in liner notes.

• Peter Bonta – keyboards, piano, acoustic guitar, bass guitar
• Jimmy Breaux – Accadian accordion, Cajun yells
• Mary Chapin Carpenter – lead vocals, acoustic guitar
• Jon Carroll – piano, acoustic guitar
• Shawn Colvin – background vocals
• Mike Cotter – background vocals
• Don Dixon – bass guitar, background vocals
• Michael Doucet – fiddle, Cajun yells
• John Jennings – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, synthesizer, background vocals, Cajun yells
• Marti Jones – background vocals
• Robbie Magruder – drums
• John McCutcheson – hammer dulcimer
• Mark O'Connor – fiddle
• Dave Palamar – drums
• Herb Pedersen – background vocals
• Rico Petruccelli – bass guitar
• Matt Rollings – piano
• Vince Santoro – drums
• Billy Ware – percussion, Cajun yells

Production

• Mary Chapin Carpenter, John Jennings - production
• Bob Dawson, Jim DeMain - engineering

Chart performance

Chart (1990)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums	11
U.S. Billboard 200	70