Customer Reviews

Bring the Family

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There's a game called 'Desert Island Discs' where you get to nominate the 10 albums you would take if you were ever marooned on such an isle. This is one of mine. In ascending order of importance: the playing is absolutely tops - Nick Lowe and Jim Keltner is pretty much unbeatable as a rhythm section, and what band wouldn't want Ry Cooder on lead guitar? Even in this company, Hiatt proves he no slouch on the fret. Hiatt's voice took me a while to get used to, but it has a gritty soul about it that won me over. which brings me to what this album is about - soul. The heart that pulses with every beat from this album is astonishing. The story behind it is fairly well known - Hiatt had cleaned up after sinking into alcoholism, wrote some songs and went into a studio with these three other musos and knocked out 'Bring the Family' in a matter of days. And each song has a guts and soul to it borne of Hiatt's encounter with darkness and his return. Other reviewers have compared Hiatt to Elvis Costello, and Hiatt has a similar biting wit. But (much as I like Costello's work) Hiatt beats it hands down for warmth and humanity. The album swings in mood - 'Memphis in the Meantime' opens in jokey fashion; then we're straight in to 'Alone in the Dark' which is real "It's 2am and my only companions are a bottle and my fear" stuff. This swing goes through the album before being reconciled in the last two songs - 'Stood Up', a tale of self acceptance, and, finally, in 'Learning How to Love You' a simple, humble, yet glorious declaration of love. A masterpiece - and an album that proves that rock music can grow up.

One of the great musical tragedies of the last two decades is that if you mention the name "John Hiatt" to most people, all you'll get in response is a blank stare. Most people seem to have missed Hiatt, which is far beyond a shame, as he's one of the most talented songwriters of his generation.

Bring the Family is an unadulterated masterpiece, no ifs, ands, buts, or other varied conjunctions about it. "Memphis in the Meantime" manages to have both humor and a great groove, "Thing Called Love" is a great song whether or not Bonnie Raitt is doing it, and if there's a person who doesn't choke up hearing "Have a Little Faith In Me" I wouldn't let children within a hundred feet of them. It's one of the most touching songs I can even imagine.

Anyone not owning this one has a large hole in their musical collection. A hole that should be very quickly repaired.

I bought this album about 11-12 years ago and it still sounds as fresh today as it did back then.

There are many reasons for the staying power of this album. First of all, the songwriting...Hiatt is quite simply one of the best there is. His lyrics are brilliant -- sort of a midwestern Elvis Costello -- and he fuses it with great melodies and hooks.

Another great draw here is the musicianship. Forgoing past arrangments of synths and overblown instrumentation, Hiatt sticks to a four-piece band...and what a band it is. In addition to John himself on vocals and acoustic guitar, there's Ry Cooder on guitar, Nick Lowe on bass and session ace Jim Keltner on drums -- you can't go wrong there. The playing is steady, assured, and rocks like crazy.

Highlights for me include "Memphis in the Meantime" (one of my favorite Hiatt songs, lyrically speaking), the rocking "Thank You Girl" and the touching "Lipstick Sunset," which contains the best singing I've ever heard from Hiatt. If you don't own any John Hiatt discs, this is a great place to start. Not a weak track in the whole bunch. Other great discs include "Slow Turning," "Stolen Moments" and the new one, "The Tiki Bar is Open."

I wasn't sure what to expect. I just entered the 5.1 world of surround sound with mixed results. When a classic album like this is remixed, the results can be iffy at best. In this case, I'm a satisfied customer, listener, and fan. The SACD surround mix is tasteful and at times, exhilirating. Awash in Ry's slide, John's fine acoustic rhythms, Nick's rock solid bass lines, and Keltner's propulsive drumming, well, life can't get much better...sonically at least. Go out and buy it. You won't be sorry.

I can't believe no one has reviewed this album yet. John Hiatt is one of our finest songwriters, and he's also one of the best at melding elements of rock, country and blues into a wonderful sound. Perhaps that's why he's never reached a huge audience, because the radio and the record companies can't 'pigeonhole' him. His voice drips with heartfelt emotion on many of these songs, but a sense of humor creeps in now and then, particularly on the wonderful "Memphis in the Meantime". Country crooners could learn something from "Lipstick Sunset". You've probably heard Bonnie Raitt's cover of "Thing Called Love", but Hiatt's original is raw and fun. Hiatt's backing band and the production are both superior on this album.

Hiatt produced his best album under less than ideal circumstances. I saw him perform much of this at McCabe's solo acoustic and was blown out by the songs and performances. While it took him awhile to discover his true voice and sound as a performer, it was better late in this case. Thing Called Love became the big hit for Bonnie Raitt but it's just the tip of the iceberg on this great album.

I recently heard a fairly mundane remake of Have A Little Faith In Me (it recalled Hiatt's remake for Glenn Ballard in terms of the arrangement)by a teen singer. Nothing can touch the power and emotional honesty of the original. This is a song that needs to be performed simply.

The band and production are top notch as well. Working with the amazing Ry Cooder, Nick Lowe on bass and legendary Jim Keltner on drums, Bring the Family had a bluesy, roots rock sound missing from much of Hiatt's overproduced material during the 70's and early 80's. The style here recalls his first album more than any other but it's, well, about as naked as can be.

Now if we could only get John to add a bit more cajun flavor to his sound....

Bring the Family is one of the most easily likable records of the 80s, and probably the most instantly accessible of Hiatt's career. He still featurs a couple of songs off here in his live shows. The band (Hiatt, Nick Lowe on bass, Ry Cooder on guitar, and Jim Keltner on drums) would reconvene in 1992 for another overlooked gem, Little Village. Here Cooder's gentle sweeping guitar is the perfect compliment for Hiatt's "Lipstick Sunset" and "Tip of My Tongue," two of the most exquisite songs you're likely to hear. Of course the big hit is "Thing Called Love," although not until Bonnie Raitt put it out the following year.

A quintessentially American record, probably the best from one of our true masters. At the place where rock, folk, country, and blues converge to form real, authentic American music. I'm calling it a classic.

This record may not contain too many radio-friendly pop hits, but the quality of the songwriting is very high all the way through, with almost none of the occational mediocrities that weigh down some of John Hiatt's albums.

On "Bring The Family", Hiatt is backed by a tremendous all-star band consisting of Ry Cooder, Nick Lowe and Jim Keltner (the four of them also recorded the magnificent "Little Village" in 1991).
Ry Cooder plays the best lead guitar ever heard on a John Hiatt album. He never showboats, yet he is there all the time, his consistently magnificent playing smoking right beneath the surface. Nick Lowe and rock-solid veteran Jim Keltner swagger and swing, and Hiatt, given the opportunity to work with his dream band, rose to the occation and wrote some of the best songs of his career.

"Bring The Family" couples intelligent, insightful lyrics with fine melodies and lean, well-crafted arrangements, resulting in a superbly satisfying slice of mature rock n' roll music. It is one of Hiatt's most varied albums, mixing lean, mean rockers and acoustic shuffles with bluesy grooves, rockabilly and a pinch of soul and country.
Songs like "Have A Little Faith In Me", "Lipstick Sunset", the funky R&B-styled "Memphis In The Meantime", and the tough riff-rocker "Thing Called Love" all rank among Hiatt's very best compositions. And he shows the depth and breadth of his talent on lyrical masterpieces like "Tip Of My Tongue" and "Learning How To Love You", two songs with amazing weight and resonance.
This is a truly remarkable album, a rich and satisfying slice of mature rock & roll.

This record is superb from start to finish. The songs are impeccably crafted yet emotive, sometimes gut-wrenching.

The whole album has a stripped down feel and sound - not surprising as it was recorded in just 4 days - and it's all the better for it. With limited possibilities for overdubs and multi-tracking Hiatt and his all-star backing band of Ry Cooder, Nick Lowe and Jim Keltner produce telling and memorable performances.

Cooder in particular is mighty and it's worth buying the disc just to hear him in this kind of form. The opening cut (Memphis In The Meantime) includes the line "I need a Telecaster through a Vibrolux turned up to 10" and Cooder takes that well to heart, often dancing on the edge of feedback and playing with an improvisational edge and astonishing tone that he has not reproduced on record since.

No point discussing stand out tracks here - they're all winners. The singing's great, the playing is magnificent, and the record packs a mighty emotional punch.

Great music with a loose feel. Some of the songs should have been hits, but that's the story of John's career. This is one Hiatt record to have if you are just owning one.