Same Old Man
by: John Hiatt
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Sales Rank: 246
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Music : Same Old Man |
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Rating:  - * John Hiatt's best in a long while ... 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. Rating: - * a keeper ... 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. Rating: - * The SAME OLD MAN......And What's So Wrong With That?!? ... 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!). Rating: - * Doing what he does best ... 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. Rating: - * Another Gem ... John Hiatt continues to write thoughtful lyrics and original melodies. Like many artists and albums, the songs just grow on you after several listenings. It is no wonder that others cover his tunes on a regular basis. A welcome addition to his catalog. |
