Customer Reviews

Same Old Man

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This new album by John Hiatt is a very compelling work of soulful introspective ballads delivered in his signature rough voice. Overall I like the album very much. There are a few disappointments for me, mainly the title track. That aside, I like most else that is here.

It's awesome that Amazon is selling the MP3 version before the official release of the CD version. That gave me a chance to get all these songs at a great price and not have to wait for the CD to be released for shipment. Thanks Amazon!

John Hiatt has to be compared to Tom Waits because of his voice and his song-writing style. Yet he often reaches for "Dylanesque" themes and complexities. Some of his songs remind me of Willie Nelson because of his writing style and under-stated delivery. His voice has that gutteral feel of Joe Cocker or perhaps an elder Johnny Cash with more roughness. This is not music for the masses but rather music for those who are willing to really work to appreciate a great song-writer despite cosmetic flaws. In fact, the roughness of John Hiatt actually adds a lot of character to the music. Like I said, not for everybody, but for those who do get over the hesitation well worth the price of admission.

John does have a very cult-like following, once again very similar to Bob Dylan and Tom Waits. Sometimes it seems that his fans believe he does no wrong. Well here some mistakes seem to have been made.

The title track "Same Old Man" sounds like a roughly sung pop song instead of the powerful song-writing we get with John's best stuff. It starts flat with him almost speaking the lyrics. When he does start to sing a little bit, you can't help but notice that the lyrics on this title track aren't as good as the other songs on this album. In fact they are a little over-simplified.

Why this was chosen as the title track is beyond me. Maybe it has some personal meaning to him. In any case, it's still OK. It's just not up to the standard Mr. Hiatt has set for himself.

The other songs are great and you can even preview them here before you buy them.

"Hurt My Baby" is the kind of deliberate and deep ballad we expect and love from John. Probably my favorite song on the album so far. "Our Time" has to be a close second and is very similar in profundity and delivery.

"Old days" is kind of a "John Cougar Melloncamp" recollection song with some interesting hooks.

"Love You Again" brings Bob Seeger to mind for me. "Cherry Red" is a similar kind of track and both have radio play potential.

"On with You" and "Ride My Pony" add that country / blues feel that makes John accessible.

Once again, the title track has decent hooks but perhaps too pop for me. But by the time he closes with "Let's Give This Love A Try" he has more than redeemed himself.

If you're a huge fan, you're going to buy this no matter what. If you're on the fence or newly initiated, I hope this review helps you to appreciate what John Hiatt has created here.

Enjoy.

John Hiatt goes for what he tried on Crossing Muddy Waters eight years ago -- mostly acoustic guitar with some mandloin and slide thrown in, but with more bass and percussion this time, a kind of laid back country blues. It's what he's best at, along with his widely acknowledged lyrical skill, which he uses to great affect here. The first four tracks are stellar, alternately funny and touching, with Hurt My Baby providing an emotional wallop. Then he tries too hard to lighten things up with What Love Can Do, (still, like any Hiatt song, it has some good lines as well). Ride My Pony is a more affective stab at optimism -- toe-tapping, deceptively simple, brilliant. The rest of Same Old Man is hit and miss, as Hiatt songs go; some of it harkens to earlier tracks. But the songwriting, particularly on the title track, shows Hiatt has mellowed nicely, is as insightful as ever, and can always be counted on for a clever turn of phrase.

John Hiatt

"Same Old Man" (New West)

John Hiatt's conversational lyrics sound off-the-cuff, which means they likely resulted from many hours of labour. The work was worth it, because "Same Old Man" ranks with the best music of Hiatt's 34-year recording career.

He sings about love in the opening round and love on the ropes, about food and paper cuts and "doppelganger caterwauling." "Same Old Man" is sweet but not sentimental, tuneful, honest and very, very funny.

On his first release since 2005's fine "Master of Disaster," Hiatt produced and engineered himself, and he puts his voice front and centre. As always, Hiatt sings like someone straining to complete the final set of the night at the local roadhouse. The raw vocals are a perfect match for such songs as "Hurt My Baby," where pain is palpable as Hiatt delivers the chorus.

He's supported by bass, drums and Luther Dickinson, who plays guitar and mandolin and provides an ideal counterpoint to the vocals by making every note count. Hiatt's daughter, Lilly, contributes lovely harmony on two songs.

Dad delivers his droll lyrics as if they're throwaways, which makes them even better. "I'm a long shot, baby," he sings. "But they do come in." In fact, "Same Old Man" laps the field.

CHECK THIS OUT: On the hilarious opener "Old Days," Hiatt reminisces about his early touring career and crossing paths with John Lee Hooker, Gatemouth Brown and other bluesmen. He concludes the memories aren't that sweet because "I played practically free."

Never met a John Hiatt album I didn't like, but this one is cream of the crop.

For me 'Walk On' was Hiatt's last album for the ages. The self-aware and lackluster follow up, 'Little Head', was a bit of a disappointment and it's been a mixed bag since then. Certainly 'Crossing Muddy Waters' was a stand-out in a stellar catalogue.

I was worried when I found out he was working with many of the same lineup as 'Master of Disaster' because that one just never seemed to gel for me. Something just seemed a bit worn and maybe like it's just coming a little too easy for John nowadays.

'Same Old Man' is a pleasant surprise. Though it shares the same stripped down vibe as 'Master of Disaster', this one comes off as vibrant and fresh. Hiatt's tone is much more conversational, personal, and the music is more intimate and urgent. John has stretched some of his phrasing near the breaking point and pulled off more levels of depth in these lyrics than he has of late. In short he sounds like he means it again.

His voice is a showing it's age a bit, but it's the honesty and feeling that comes through on this great John Hiatt album. Really humorous, confessional, insightful and poetic...prime Hiatt.

Keep it up old man.

We've been huge fans of John Hiatt's for years.........and see him live whenever he comes to town. We feel that his latest gift of music, "Same Old Man" was written just for us as we are in the same stage of life and love that he writes about and can understand the meaning and feeling in each word. He is a consummate writer and performer, the six string bass is outstanding, his vocals - pure John and if that is not enough, he shares with us the wonderful harmony of his daughter Lily. Rock On John, we love you!

Singers get older, and their voices change. You have to accept that. Any fan of Joni Mitchell knows it, and John Hiatt fans do too.

But I saw John a few months ago on stage in the UK and I was amazed at how he sounded just like he used to. He previewed some of these songs that night.

However, there's good news and less-good news about this album: the songs he previewed sound better now they've been fleshed out and developed. But the voice could be better. Is it that he ruins the voice touring and trying out the new songs, then records the album?

Well, fear not, because mostly he sounds like John Hiatt and good enough to pull off the songs. 'Cherry Red' in particular, and to some extent the title track are a couple of exceptions. I think he needs to start writing the songs to suit his more, shall we say, mature voice.

The songwriting is of a high order on this album though. Certainly better than Master of Disaster and probably better than Gruff Exterior. Though some may not want a whole album of 'love songs', not that they are soppy or sentimental except in a good way. Love songs they may be, but they are also proper John Hiatt songs, and there are some crackers.

These are my favourites:

'Old Days' is the opening track, and it's in the style of 'Back on the Corner Again' from MOD, i.e. a sitting in an old bar at midnight chewing tobacco with the boys kind of song, half recitation, half sung, with witty reminiscences and a stomping chorus. I could listen to a whole album of this style of music from JH.

'Love You Again' is pure Hiatt - a well-developed laid-back mid-tempo song with solid lyrics and a catchy chorus.

'On With You' is done in John's 'spooky swamp-rock' style and is one of the highlights of the album. It has a great groove and the vocal style that grates slightly elsewhere fits perfectly here.

'What Love Can Do' is the sort of song that will probably annoy Hiatt purists who hated his 'Little Head' album, but I like it. His daughter Lily does a great job on backing vocals, and this is a very positive, catchy little number, quite lighthearted but heartwarming in a 'Waltons' kind of way. And yet, not corny, somehow.

'Ride My Pony' is a bit grizzled, like an ancient cowboy song but with some grit in it. It has a good beat and a catchy refrain.

'Two Hearts' is another standout on the album. This is the sort of song that makes you realise what a craftsman John Hiatt is. It's what I call a 'proper' song.

Bottom line: really pretty good, laid back, nice acoustic production with occasionally dodgy vocals and some cracking songs. I'd take this over the last two albums any day of the week.

John Hiatt

Same Old Man

By Doug Collette

Same Old Man may be the most accessible album of John Hiatt's career. But it's worth serious note that the rewards of hearing this album (repeatedly) far outweigh its simplicity and that's due to the strength of the songs. Tunes such as "Cherry Red" and "Hurt My Baby" are just two instances in which the author turns the usual conceits of composition inside out.

Those songs don't get much elaboration or decoration here. It's easy to imagine Hiatt strumming out these tunes by himself on the folk circuit this summer (and beyond. The rhythm section of Kenneth Blevins on drums and Patrick O'Hearn on bass is merely subtle, authoritative emphasis to the author's own self-effacing delivery of lyrics. Yet there is much more going on below the surface, on both those fronts, than a cursory listen may discern.

"What Love Can do,' for instance, has more to do with acknowledging the passage of time in ourselves and others than a romantic epiphany. Similarly, "Ride My Pony" describes the sensation of the spontaneous joy of childhood even as the years go by. Bob Dylan's influence has never been so obvious on John Hiatt as in "On With You"--where the verses resemble a re-write of "All along the Watchtower--" or "Let's Give This Love a Try"-- which sounds inspired by "Tangle Up in Blue"--but Dylan could never be so open as Hiatt is on those aforementioned songs.

The production of Same Old Man never calls attention to itself and neither does the musicianship: The North Mississippi AllStars' Luther Dickinson (who with his brother Cody has toured and recorded with Hiatt in the past) displays dexterity comparable to his restraint as a guitarist; his fills are a less obvious echo of Hiatt's R &B roots than the background vocalists of "On with You" while the dobro he plays, like the slight echo on Hiatt's vocal during "Hurt My Baby," is indicative of the small touches that make Same Old Man, simultaneously, so distinctive and so memorable.

John Hiatt reminds me of a pair of well-worn slippers...comfy, yet supportive, reliable and dependable. On his new release, the wonderful SAME OLD MAN, Hiatt suggests that a long term love can also often be seen the same way....comfortable and secure, yet often taken for granted. One needs to tend the garden, so to speak, in order for everything to continue to grow, no matter how in bloom it may all seem. On SAME OLD MAN, a concept album of sorts, Hiatt sings about the effort, care and struggles that goes into such an endeavor. Opening up the disc is the rollicking "Old Days." Full of pluses and minuses ("Old days are comin' back to me/I don't know what was so great about 'em/I played practically free/But I had nothing to live up to/And everywhere to be"), the past can both haunt and mystify us. With his trademark growl and sardonic wit, Hiatt tosses off this relaxed shuffle with ease and joyous abandon. Throw in hysterical lyrics ("On a date with John Lee Hooker/At a joint up in Washington/He came in with a gorgeous woman on each arm/As I was singing my song/Walked 'em right up and sat 'em on the edge of the stage/As I went singing along/And that's called 'Evenin' son, I'm the headliner'"), and you have one of Hiatt's best songs to date. A total winner! "Love You Again" is a gorgeous ballad that just opens up like a musical rosebud as it unfolds. A simple arrangement, a powerful lead vocal and killer harmonies from daughter Lilly all come together in a way that is both stylish and heartfelt. Add some sensitive lyrics ~ "I'd forgotten how to be patient/I'd forgotten how to caress/I'd forgotten how to ask for help/And how to struggle for my best" ~ and you have another Hiatt classic! Things just continue on this strong note with the slinky, sly "On With You." Hiatt's lead vocal weaves in and out, equal parts smooth and sneaky. There's a swampy groove to the cut that's both bawdy and sexy, not to mention 100% genuine. Yet ANOTHER high point for SAME OLD MAN! From here we dial it down a notch or twelve with the aching "Hurt My Baby." We've all been hurt by love, but some times it's even tougher to see the damage and scars love has left on those closest to us. This truth is conveyed beautifully here by Hiatt ("No need to be explicit/Anyone can see/Injury was permanent/The wound was really deep/Doesn't talk about it much/I listen when she does"). Add a softly flowing arrangement and a subdued, yet sincere, lead vocal and you end up with a heart-wrenchingly lovely track. THIS is why John Hiatt is considered one of the greats of his generation when it comes to songwriting! "What Love Can Do" is a simple little shuffle that's charming in it's simplicity. An acoustic strummer, it's almost as if Hiatt's singing it on his back porch. And I LOVE the lines "You're alone in the coffee shop/And then she's by your side/Love's picked up the tab/And you're both having pie." Now THAT'S romantic!! (Kudos once again to Lilly Hiatt, who does a bang-up job on the sweet harmonies). "Ride My Pony" is one of my least favorite tracks, though it does have some great lyrics ("Gray and chalky like my granddaddy's skin/The sky was cold and lonely/And closin' in"). There's just something about it that comes across as faux country, like Hiatt is TRYING to write in a certain genre. It just doesn't flow out organically, the way most of Hiatt's stuff does. Ditto "Cherry Red." There's some original wordplay, but once again it seems as if Hiatt's trying too hard. It's almost as if the song were written by someone trying to be clever, and there lies the big difference: John Hiatt is (almost) always clever; John Hiatt (almost) never tries to be clever. O.K. ~ but not up to the usual high standards. "Our Time" is a sad,sweet slice of melancholy, what with it's plaintive lead vocal and sparse arrangement (special mention need be made of Luther Dickinson's gorgeous mandolin playing). And how can you NOT like a song with the lyrics "Then I thought of our first date/Back in Nashville/We shared the pupu platter/You enjoyed it with such gusto/I took it for a sign." Awwww!!! "Two Hearts" has a laid back groove to it, with an earnest, unassuming lead vocal and a muted arrangement. Mix in lyrics that boarder on the poetic ("A single bullet for the barrel/Midnight chamber spun/A morning kiss, an unclaimed fist/And you laughing at the sun") and you have a very nice piece indeed. The same could be said about the album's title track. Hiatt is a true master of the "Less is more" theory, and that's evident on "Same Old Man"; write a strong lyric, support it with an honest vocal and smart instrumentation and everything will just fall into place. This is songwriting at it's economical best, bar none. Bravo! Things conclude with "Let's Give This Love A Try." Hiatt's weathered vocal skips over lyrics both humorous ("Sometimes I don't like being where I am/No matter what/I'd rather be in a barrel of kosher salt and pickle brine/With a thousand paper cuts") and touching ("Please forgive me my basic negativity/God help us both if you find it even part of my charm"). A nice note to end things on. All in all, then, I have to say SAME OLD MAN is more of the same old stuff...a master craftsman at work. In other words, John Hiatt dong what he does best (As with all my reviews, I have to dock the disc half a star for not including the lyrics, something a writer of Hiatt's talent and stature should NEVER do!).

The new CD kicks of with "Old Days" an excellent song recalling Hiatt's early days on the road with stories of sharing a room with Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee and supporting the great John Lee Hooker who would show the young Hiatt just who the 'headliner" was. The high standard continues throughout the remainder of the album that sees a mixture of genres from Hiatt who would, I suppose, be normally considered a country artist these days. The recording sees Luther Dickinson from the North Mississippi Allstars providing some tasteful support on guitar that also features an excellent rhythm section.

Sure Hiatt's voice is rough, crusty and gruff but given the sentimental nature of many of the songs this stops the record from becomming too syrupy rather than the fine piece of music it is.

A keeper, one might not see many used copies up for grabs.

When someone writes lyrics as wonderful as what you will find with this collection, you know it's coming from the heart, quite frankly that's what love can do. It is evident that John is in love with what he does.