Gets my vote for Worst CD Cover...Ever. Thankfully the music within
makes up for the horrific cover art. At last Hiatt releases a CD that shows a
return to the late 80's early 90's form - though slight. While not his
best, it's certainly better than the last three releases...probably on
par with "Walk On" which was a strong album. Produced by long-time Memphis
musician/producer Jim Dickinson, who has produced Screamin' Jay Hawkins,
The Replacements, and Big Star - the latter arguably his greatest
accomplishment.
In the 80's Hiatt released 4 albums that were consistently brilliant,
but the 90's found him searching for a new sound. He returned to his first
love, the blues, and released a series of albums that were not nearly as
widely appreciated. Hiatt's last two or three albums have been rooted in
folk and acoustic blues and each release had two or three gems but the
rest of the album was forgettable. "Master of Disaster" is a return to the
melodic, rootsy Hiatt - it's closest relative being "Walk On", but not
nearly as tightly produced. The CD starts with the title track, a gentle
rock number that has Hiatt reaching for notes he's never sung, sometimes
hitting them, sometimes not...and there's a charm to that. The song also
includes a repetitive sax solo, which I believe is the first time these
ears have heard sax on any Hiatt album. Not the best opening cut on a
Hiatt album (see "Memphis In The Meantime" from "Bring The Family") but
certainly not the worst. "Howlin' Down The Cumberland" follows and this is classic
Hiatt...a song of doubt written in a sweet folk progression and driven
by wonderfully catchy drum shuffle. The melody is instantly memorable. This
is the material that Hiatt does best. "Thunderbird" follows, and at first
listen I thought Neil Diamond could sue John for copyright infringement
-
the intro is straight out of "Solitary Man", but that's where the
similarity stops. A song about driving through town in his Thunderbird -
sounds pretty boring, but it's actually quite enchanting after the 3rd
or 4th listening. "Wintertime Blues" follows and this is Hiatt at his
rollicking, bluesy best. This is a roadhouse type of blues song, all on
acoustic instruments and it kicks ass all over the place. Hiatt captures
the wintertime blues with astonishing accuracy "Three hours of daylight
and all of them gray / The suicide prevention group has all run away / I'm
running out of groceries / I ain't got no rubber shoes / Bring the bacon
baby / I got the wintertime blues." The CD slows down a bit from here
with one of Hiatt's textbook ballads titled "When My Love Crosses Over".
What makes this cut interesting is the tremelo guitar, which is so rarely
used.
"Love's Not Where We Thought We Left It", an electric blues number and
"Ain't Never Goin' Back", a country blues in 3/4 time are typical album
fillers, passable songs but not very memorable. "Cold River" is another
one of Hiatt's legendary arid, dusty story songs...the type of song that
lends itself to an extended video. This is where Hiatt shines - the lyric is
full of imagery, and the vocal is delivered by a tortured soul. "Find You At
Last" is another one of those Austin blues numbers where Hiatt leans
into the vocals with a ferocious intensity. This is the type of song that has
established Hiatt as a songwriter that artists love to cover...I could
hear the Fabulous Thunderbirds cut into this one. "Old School" is another
country folk number, and likely another number that will find its way on
another artists CD...I can hear Roseanne Cash (who has recorded Hiatt's
work in the past) cover this song and have some success with it. The CD
closes with "Back On The Corner", and acoustic, gospel blues number
about being poor and singing for your supper, but it has this uplifting feel
to it. It also has a brass bit that's reminiscent of the Band's "Life Is A
Carnival"...a fun little closer.
All in all, a strong album, but one that necessitates multiple listening
to find its charm. It's a CD you can put on for background music while you
work around the house, or one to just sit back with a cup of coffee and
relax. If you like Hiatt, I would recommend it - if you're new to
Hiatt...I recommend "Bring The Family" and then "Walk On" - both of those CD's
would lead you into "Master of Disaster" quite nicely. Hope you enjoy.
 |
| 8 Guitar Picks Out of 10 |
No comments:
Post a Comment