Customer Reviews

Walk On

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you're a fan of modern "roots" music - quality guitar-based music with at least a hint of blues, folk, country, or rock (or a combo in many cases) - you've got get this. And let it grow on you. And grow. And grow. It will!

Walk On is an incredible journey of haunting lyrics & moods, symbolism, nature, stories, humor, and wit. All songs have at least one of these themes, and several could cross into more than one of the themes. Lyrically, it is very poetic - just the words with no music could be published into a book of poetry!

There are fast and slow, accoustic & electric - even a few rockers! Some of my favorites (and my own interpretations) include: The title track - an absolutely hauntingly moody sound, about regrets; "As Good As She Could Be," a rocker with a message that wealth can't buy happiness; "Dust Down a Country Road," about Second Thoughts; and "Shredding the Document," a sarcastic rocker that would appear to mirror some of Hiatt's own contract dealings with the business side of music-making!

That's four faves, but I would not hit the skip button on a single song here. Buy it and come up with four faves of your own!

I am a 49 year old guy who does not listen to too much created in the last 25 years. And I certainly don't give out five stars to most of it. I listen to this one. And I give it five stars unequivocally. I even sing along, and play my air guitar (I've faded a little there). Music like the music that got us all excited back "in the day" (as my 14 year old calls it). Great melodies, rock hard band, and lyrics that actually can haunt and cut to the bone, when they don't make you laugh. I decided to try Hiatt only because of the great reviews I found on Amazon, and I have not been disappointed. Many great songs, although current favoitie is Cry Love. It will probably change tomorrow.

I was not a John Hiatt fan and I heard it played in a record store and got hooked. This album has more good songs than most "greatest hits" albums. "Native Son" was played on the 1997 season finale of "Homicide" and is a stirring and powerful song. "Ethylene" and "Your Love is My Rest" are great country-type tunes. And to top it all off, you even get Bonnie Raitt on back-up vocals on "I Can't Wait," that alone is worth buying this album for. Great Stuff.

I had never heard of John Hiatt until a buddy of mine tuned me onto "Perfectly Good Guitar"(another great Hiatt album). "Walk On" is a different kind of album, but it's absolutely beautiful. Hiatt writes songs so that you know he is a man who's been there. He conveys a lot of different emotions,which at times are hard to pin down. "You Must Go" is a great rambling song, about someone who isn't satisfied until he's rolled himself into destruction. The title song is about moving on and how we can experience things that are so wrong-sometimes we just to have to record it, appreciate what we have, and "walk on". "As Good As She Could Be" is a rocking storyteller. "The River Knows Your Name" is a timeless, eloquent song about how everyone has their own journey, but we are all connected by our ultimate fate. I just love the album and like all great ones, it will help you through rough times. I highly recommend it, I'm going to loan it to my brother and his wife so they can appreciate it.

I'm inclined to say that this is about as country as John gets. That wouldn't really be fair however-- it's not a country record per se, but it has that feel to it. It's just John relecting on life as usual, and getting a little melencholy, perhaps. But the songs are beautiful, and he throws that classic Hiatt humor in there on a few for good measure. Pick it up!

This 1995 album is not one of John Hiatt's best-known releases, perhaps, but it is a really fine record, one of his most rewarding and one which continues to grow on me.

John Hiatt sings about absent friends and lovers, loss, longing and resentment and about reflecting on the past on a mostly acoustic (but fully band-backed) album which includes some of his very best songs:
"Cry Love", "The River Knows Your Name", the folkish shuffle "Dust Down A Country Road", and the thoroughly disillusioned "Good As She Could Be" are all among my favorite John Hiatt songs. For "Good As She Could Be", he cruelly plays off of Bruce Springsteen's line "baby we were born to run":

Well she had a baby at eighteen
Never finished high school
Her husband beat her for money and sex
Till that Cadillac finally ran out of fuel
One disaster led to another
Down to her and her baby son
Born with a silver spoon in her mouth
Headed south now
'Cause she was never born to run

Not everything is great, sure, but almost everything is good, and John Hiatt remains one of the best, most mature lyricists in popular music.
"Walk On" may not have quite as many hooks or as many truly memorable songs as "Slow Turning", "Bring The Family" or "Riding With The King", and it is somewhat more introvert as well. But it is also a thoroughly solid, professional effort from a great singer-songwriter, and it has a number of truly wonderful moments along the way. Fans will not want to miss this one.

hiatt puts at least 5 of his best songs on this release (cry love, you must go, walk on, dust down a country road and friend of mine). This is probably the most "country" or "rootsy" of hiatt's albums, and this is good news, as his finest tracks have always had similar foundations. Only track that I need to skip is "wrote it down and burned it," which is just too dark for me to enjoy, but dont let it stop you from picking this one up -- its a classic.

This is a very atmospheric album with a good variety of styles. It features rythmic, rocky songs, like the infectious and brilliantly delivered "Cry Love", solid country-rock songs like "Dust Down a Country Road", weird-lyric songs like "Ethylene" with unusual arrangements, and stunningly laconic, laid-back songs like "Your Love is My Rest" or the hidden track, which I think is actually called "My High", not what it says on the track listing here.
This is an album full of depth and a bit of intrigue, like the second secret track which takes you by surprise (well it won't now, sorry), and that, along with some of the odd guitar-work here and there, and a lyric or two, are like a nod at the Beach Boys, though this sounds nothing like the Beach Boys!
All in all, a very satisfying, complete album that shows Hiatt at his best.

if you've read any of the online reviews of his cd's you've seen the adjectives: brilliant,witty,creative,and oh by the way practically unheard! the reason i've reviewed this and crossing muddy waters is because rolling stone,spin and entertainment weekly won't! why not? in a world full of brittney's and backstreet boys john hiatt should be celebrated for the unique talent he is.is it going to happen? not in this lifetime. i think john hiatt is the most talented songwriter of his generation this album is the perfect showcase for his songwriting, from the propulsive first track cry love to the hidden gem mile high this cd has a batting average of 1,0000. my favorite songs are the river knows your name a beautiful lulaby,your love is my rest which features a haunting solo by david immergluck and ethelyne with its burping bass lines and hilarious,profound lyrics "some men avoid love like it was a plague or something so they can leave the seat down when they ..." "sipping hot coffee after making love til daybreak well ethelyne only a fool would ask for more" if your're out there searching for someone new,someone great remember john hiatt the greatest unknown songwriter ever!

I first saw John Hiatt play "Sessions" on PBS. After watching him play live I went online to see what albums he had. I selected this album because it had "Cry Love", a song I remembered from the show. Not only is almost every song a classic, it is a very emotional album. Although some songs may follow a dark theme, many about love lost, it is very energetic. The mix of electric/acoustic elements and the gritty, almost country feel of the album makes this one you will want to listen to over and over. I would give it 5+ stars if I could. I highly recommend this album.