John Hiatt "Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns"

I had a good friend in the early 80's who kept pushing this guy on me, extolling the virtues of the songwriting.  I had seen the LP's come into the WPRK studios in college and dropped a needle on them briefly to provide a category and a short synopsis for the other DJ's.  I believe it was the whiny voice that put me off.  Ten years and a half dozen records go by, and then one day in 1993, in our Music 4 Less promo bag of goodies (Hutch was our favorite CSMS contact :) was this sampler:

Playing this compilation on a regular basis allowed me to GET what my friend years earlier was alluding to.  Culled from what is arguably his finest stretch of recordings (well, I loved "Perfectly Good Guitar", most reviewers didn't feel the same way), I understood the songwriting aspect of it.  But as I go back through my collection of John Hiatt, I realize that it contains mostly songs, not full-lengths.  Of the eight albums since "...Guitar", I have one in its entirety.  I will now add DJ & MH as the third. 

The man has written some great songs made famous by others.  How about "Angel Eyes", "Have A Little Faith In Me" and "Ridin' With The King" for example.  I hear this track as a hit for somebody in Nashville, for certain...

Yes, if I had to stick a category label on this record I'd have to file it in Country, with a cross-file in Rock.  Why?  This is the opening track...



The quality of the recording itself was so impressive that I had to investigate.  Found out it was recorded in Ben Fold's studio in Nashville, which was originally a historic RCA room, and produced by Kevin Shirley, currently one of the most in-demand knob spinners around.  Guess that explains that.  Throw in ten great songs (so there's one semi-turkey) and Hiatt's touring band, which includes one of my favorite, most versatile bassists of all-time, Patrick O'Hearn, and you have a keeper. 

If you like country music, you will love this record.  Just play it at least three times before passing judgement.  I guarantee you'll be singing along...

Wilco "The Whole Love"

I love this band.  Jumped on board in 1999 and own everything since.  Always excited by anything new.  No sampling required.  Plopped the disc into the player and, yep, immediately it's a keeper with track uno.  But then something unusual happens.  The album just sort of lies there, if you know what I mean.  It's still good, it completes the job, but it really doesn't throb your gristle.  So I moved it forward in the rotation for the second spin, certain it would move a little more, moan a little more.  Barely.  So for spin #3, I moved it back in the lineup, thinking absence makes the heart grow fonder, the desire grow hotter.  Well,  it didn't work.  The record's opening and closing tracks are outstanding, the rest are OK.  I can safely say I've never said that about a Wilco record, ever.  But if you are a fan like me and haven't sprung for "The Whole Love" yet, be sure to get the Deluxe version.  All four extra tracks should have been on
the full-length.

A Grammy nomination?  For Rock Album, no less?  Really?  This is obviously a nod based on track record, not merit (who the hell am I kidding, it IS the Grammys).  In no way, shape or form is this a "Rock" record like the other nominees.  Now if they had an entire record of this, they'd have been a shoo-in...



Remember, Wilco was originally an alt-country act, and there is a trace of it here again.  If you're into the same ol' same ol', then there is way too much variety on this record for that mentality.  In fact, the tracking is somewhat disjointed, pun intended.  One of those didn't even help the middle 37 minutes. It received a lot of love from the WPRK DJ's with one of them labeling it "Dad rock."  I almost hit a tree laughing.  But then he said he liked it, so his dad must have been a late-era Beatles fan.

Lots of high praise for this record from many a younger reviewer.  For me, it was an off year for one of America's best bands of the last dozen years.  They usually hit the ball out of the park.  This was a deep fly ball to the warning track.

Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa "Don't Explain"

I remember Beth Hart's first couple of records in the late 90's but I wasn't too crazy about her voice or her songwriting.  She had been on Star Search and the story was her difficult youth as a talented teen in LA, singing in bars at the age of 16.  Well, she chose to live that party life, threw away academics, and tried to become a star.  Ed McMahon's show gave her national exposure and that got her the deal with Atlantic.  The label pushed her with promos and pricing support, but I just couldn't take that warble in her voice and forbade any in-store play while I was around.  Never thought much about her since.  Only saw her name again recently while researching Dana Fuchs and her latest album.  Saw one comment that read, "If Beth Hart had Dana Fuchs' looks, she'd be a much bigger and better star."  The girl has a lot of loyal fans.  Girl, hell, she's almost 40, and yes, she looks the part of "rode hard, put away wet". 

So imagine my surprise when I hear that the hardest working American in Rock music today, Joe Bonamassa (had to say American because Steven Wilson has the title in Europe), was doing an entire album of obscure blues covers with her in essentially a weekend.  Moderately intrigued by JB's inclusion and graced with a gratis copy, I anxiously stuck it in the jukebox and let it unfold.  And unfold, it did.  Right off the bat, I could sense the guitar work wasn't going to sit behind Hart's voice and keyboards.  It was equal.  Kept thinking I was hearing JB singing in the early tracks, but then I'd realize it was Hart.  Where had this vocal style been?  Had I missed this change in the last dozen years?  This covered material really works for her, as she sings/growls/belts her way through blues, jazz & soul.  It must be the borrowed titles, and I'll bet those were some fun conversations during the selection process.  Chosen were songs written and/or performed by Lowell Fulson, Tom Waits, Bill Withers, Billie Holiday, Etta James, Brook Benton and Aretha Franklin.  But these aren't widely-known songs, so there will be a freshness to them for most of you. 

I honestly didn't expect much from this effort, but I was truly blown away.  Let me just list the names elicited by a few spins, other than previously listed:  Blondie, Deep Purple, Janis Joplin, Alanis Morrissette, Robert Plant, Melissa Etheridge and Roger Chapman (I just heard a collective scream, "WHO?"... you will be expected to answer that question on the test).  Anyone catch that the list contains a few DUDES?  JB doesn't sing here, remember (well, one duet), but can the boy play guitar or WHAT?  About 3:45 into this Bobby "Blue" Bland cover, if you are not moved by this solo,  then..............nevermind..............go away...........

Did I mentioned I was blown away by this album?  Those of you who know me are aware of my disdain for two-minute songs.  There is an exception to that rule on this record.  On several other songs, I would think, "man, this is awesome!" and look down to see the counter in the 2-minute range.  Yeah, "Don't Explain" is solid early and often.  There should be a Grammy nomination mentioned somewhere, and another for JB as Artist of the Year as far as I'm concerned, lest ye not forget BCC2 and Dust Bowl.  I hope he got some...

Have I said anything yet about being blown away by this record?

Chris Rea "Santo Spirito Blues"

I was in on the stretch of arguably Chris Rea's string of best recordings some 20 - 25 years ago.  They were "On The Beach", "Road To Hell", and "Auberge."  Yeah, you remember now, don't you?  That smoky, husky, breathy voice and Dire Straits-like music...my wife loved it.  He lost me on the subsequent release and I haven't really been curious since.  Not that Rea has dropped out of sight, au contraire, he's released more than a dozen solos, compilations, and boxed sets, including an eleven CD set of blues recorded over an eighteen month period after he survived a near-death experience.  So when "Santo Spirito" crossed my new release notices a couple of months ago with the "blues" genre tag, I thought what the heck and purchased it without a sampling.  My mistake...

With this man's credibility, especially in Europe, why the hell would you use a drum machine/programming?!  It's like listening to the one-man performance from the pool deck or on the patio at Bahama Breeze.  Just shoot me...  Not all of the tracks employ it, but the fact that even one does is beyond me.  The record isn't bad, just disappointing.  Try this track from the album.  It's got a jazzy intro and switches to blues a couple of minutes in.  If you are intrigued, and some of you may be, many of the record's songs are on that same channel so dial another up, but come back here and tell me you don't hear the sameness of the fret work and song structures. 

Still, it's not a compete waste of money.  I'm keeping a couple of tracks, but I guarantee they won't contain the drum machine and won't be played back to back.