Veteran roots-rock troubadour John Hiatt's conversational lyrics sound
off-the-cuff, which means they likely resulted from many hours of labor. The
work was worth it, and Same Old Man (New West) his first release since
2005's fine Master of Disaster, ranks with the best music of Hiatt's career.
On "Old Days," the opening track, Hiatt relates tales of his early days as
an opening act for elder statesmen like John Lee Hooker and Mose Allison.
Throughout the album, Hiatt's agreeably weathered voice (sounding more like
Bob Dylan than ever), mature, measured pace, and predominantly acoustic,
folk/blues/country-tinged approach make a good case for him achieving
Americana elder-statesman status himself. With a 34-year recording career in
the taillights, Hiatt sounds a tad reflective, but no less vital, and while
the acoustic invitation to romance "Let's Give This Love a Try" offers
low-key poignancy, there's still plenty of edge in the likes of the lusty
"Cherry Red," giving assurance that Hiatt's heart still burns with passion
and poetry. "Same Old Man" is sweet but not sentimental, tuneful, honest
and very, very funny. "Ride My Pony" is the track WRSI 93.9 The River has
latched onto.
Hiatt produced and recorded Same Old Man at Highway 61 in Nashville with
Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi All-Stars sitting in on guitar and
mandolin while Patrick O'Hearn and Kenneth Blevins handled bass and drums
John Hiatt began his solo career with the 1974 album Hangin' Around the
Observatory. His landmark 1987 release Bring The Family received universal
critical praise and was his first album to chart in the U.S.
Tickets at the Northampton Box Office, 413-586-8686, and online at IHEG.com
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