Betts became the group's "de facto" leader during the recording process. "It's not like Dickey came in and said, 'I'm taking over. I'm the boss. Do this and that.' It wasn't overt; it was still supposedly a democracy but Dickey started doing more and more of the songwriting," said road manager Willie Perkins. The band first recorded "Wasted Words" and "Ramblin' Man," the latter showcasing a more country-infused sound. The entire group were initially reluctant to record "Ramblin' Man" — "We knew it was a good song but it didn't sound like us," said drummer Butch Trucks — but the band gradually headed in a more country direction, as that was Betts' background. Betts was very serious about his songwriting, sitting down each afternoon to write.