John Hiatt - Same Old Man

Same Old Man was recorded at Highway 61 Recordings and produced by John Hiatt. Appearing on the album are Kenneth Blevins on drums, Patrick O'Hearn on bass and Luther Dickinson on guitar, mandolin and national resonator. John's daughter, Lilly Hiatt, sings harmony on the songs 'Love You Again' and 'What Love Can Do.' John Hiatt's career has spanned more than 30 years and his songs have been covered by everyone from Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, and BB King to Iggy Pop, Three Dog Night and The Neville Brothers. John Hiatt began his solo career with the 1974 album Hangin' Around the Observatory. Hiatt's landmark 1987 release Bring The Family received critical praise and was his first album to chart in the U.S. Album Description

Homerun

Was not a fan of his more recent Master of Disaster CD, so I was a little leery of this one. I should not have worried. Hiatt hits a homerun here. Wonderful album. October 11, 2008

Never heard a bad John Hiatt Album

John Hiatt is one of the best! This album is just another great from his heart. September 23, 2008

John Hiatt Same Old Man Review

I was truly impressed by the title song, "Same Old Man", but unfortunately I did not care for any of the other songs. I think a little more care should be taken in including the other songs. Amazon's service was excellent and I got my album in good time. September 20, 2008

Smoke & Dreams

While this is a happier John Hiatt than the guy who wrote "Washable Ink" on Slug Line/Two Bit Monsters, the golden gems here make this a welcome release. "Love You Again" tastes sweet on a lovely make-up song with a strong midtempo melody and John's voice a tad hoarse, but so sincere, "You met me at the station with a promise & a kiss; You said my love for you will always be true but you must remember this; Respect me & protect me, but don't expect me not to fall; I will do the same for you until the final call." "Cherry Red" is another sterling track with a catchy tune and the band banging out this joyful noise, "That big blue sky, it sure looks real like you were going to California to make a deal." "Two Hearts" is another classic Hiatt track with an excellent bass line by Patrick O'Hearn backing John's voice that combines whine, sneer & love in one amazingly unlikely vocal concoction, "A train of smoke & dreams keeps a-coming like a burning steer & I know you watch me go even as I'm standing here." These delightful tracks combined with the title track make this essential listening. Enjoy! September 14, 2008

4.5 Stars... a major surprise, and not the "same old man"

Let me state upfront that I am a fan, albeit not a huge fan, of John Hiatt. Loved some of his earliest 70s albums, kinda liked his 2001 "The Tiki Bar Is Open", but I really was not prepared for what I'd hear on this album.

"Same Old Man" (11 tracks; 46 min.) was an eye-opener to me, and brought me back to why I loved his earliest albums. The entire flow of the album feels like a man feeling confident in his own skin, growing older, only that this album just oozes confidence from start to finish that I haven't heard in ages from Hiatt. There are no weak tracks on here, not a single one. If I had to point out my personal favorite tracks, they'd be "Old Days", "What Love Can Do", "Cherry Red" and the closer "Let's Give This Love a Try". This album somehow reminds me in spirit of Bob Dylan's 2001 "Love + Theft" album, same confidence, same high level quality.

For me "Same Old Man" is easily the best album from John Hiatt in the last 20 years, no kidding. I've seen Hiatt in concert a few times over the years, but I really cannot wait to hopefully catch him doing the songs from "Same Old Man" in a live setting. This album is one of the big surprises of the year for me. Highly recommeded! September 6, 2008

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