John deserves 10x more recognition by the general public than he gets. Musicians know who John is, but too many non-musicans do not. I discovered John with his "Bring the Family" cassette.
Amen! I'd say musicians and, for those like me who barely know two chords on a guitar, folks who appreciate the art of creating great songs :) Thank you for the response!
Great vid and what a difficult topic. I've always considered John Hiatt to be one of the greatest vocalists of our time as well as an apex songwriter. I wrote my Top 10 before watching this so as not to be influenced. Its hilarious how our lists line up, or don't!! My personal Top Ten (it's a fluid list): 1. Beneath This Gruff Exterior 2. Walk On 3. Master of Disaster 4. The Tiki Bar is Open 5. The Open Road 6. Perfectly Good Guitar 7. Crossing Muddy Waters 8. Slow Turning 9. Bring the Family 10. Same Old Man These are all GREAT albums, every one of 'em. I should say that I don't have Dirty Jeans, although I have heard it and it's brilliant. I'd be happy to throw any of these on at any time and I'd be in heaven. He's one of the few artists I cannot get enough of.
Hey, seven in common for the top ten is pretty good! :) Any of your other three could be here, too. What I think most of us Hiatt fans can agree on is that his work from 1987 onward (with a rare exception or two) is stellar. It's like trying to pick my favorite Gord albums, in that anything from '66 to '82 could be there. His singing style is so unique, there's no one like him and his style is completely effective for his music. I always appreciate your feedback, my friend :)
Great commentary thanks for this video I just Love John Hiatt!!! I definitely would include Stolen Moments but I guess you could have done a top 100 too! lol I went to see a little feat show years ago and hadn't yet known John Hiatt well he opened that show and I was hooked!! remember that so well, while no memory of the Little Feat part! JH does so much diversity in his music, he was the first to sing the National anthem at the then new Baltimore Orioles ball park! I hope to see John and Lyle play together one day!!!
John is the best. I loved the video. My list would be somewhat different, but that is just a testament to the sheer number of great albums that John has put out. Stolen Moments would definitely be on my list, as would Master of Disaster and Perfectly Good Guitar. But no idea what I would cut. Maybe we need a top 15 for John.
Although I listen mostly from 1987 onward, I occasionally go back to the earlier work and find some tremendous songs! I would even re-do my video now, and it hasn't been that long. It's an ever-evolving appreciation for a stellar catalog.
Hi Brett. When I commented on your Dio ranking list I said I was looking forward to your next ranking list. You haven't let me down! Once again, I apologise for going on too long. John Hiatt is one of my favourites. I've seen him 3 times. Once in an old Glasgow theatre just after "Perfectly Good Guitar" came out. I think he was backed by the band which plays on the album. It was a great concert but wasted a bit by the fact that it was all seated. I saw him a few years later in Glasgow in a medium sized standing only venue. He was backed by a band called the North Mississippi All Stars who did a set on their own, the highlight of which was a 10 minute electric washboard solo. The band consists of two Dickinson brothers plus a bass player. Their dad, Jim Dickinson, produced a John Hiatt album. What a great concert! The third time I saw him was in Edinburgh in a small venue when he did a solo acoustic set. Great, but I preferred him the first twice I saw him. My favourite John Hiatt albums! I don't know his first 7 albums, first coming across him with "Bring the Family". I don't know "Mystic Pinball" or "Terms of my Surrender" from your list. - Must investigate. Of the 8 John Hiatt albums I own my order would be : 1. Slow Turning. 2. Perfectly Good Guitar. 3.Walk On. 4. Bring the Family. 5. Stolen Moments. 6.Dirty Jeans.... 7. Beneath this Gruff Exterior. 8. Little Head. I don't own but am familiar with "Crossing Muddy Waters", "The Tiki Bar is Open" and "Master of Disaster. They would be towards the bottom of my top ten, replacing "Little Head" . - I don't particularly like it. Thanks again for a very entertaining and informative video.
I always enjoy your opinions and interaction! Little Head is at the bottom of my Hiatt list overall. I hate to put it down because, even though I said I like them all to some degree, but that's one I can only really get into a few tracks from. I think even John looks back on it with a bit of puzzlement. I'm familiar with North Mississippi All-Stars but don't have any of their work. I do own a couple albums by their dad - Dixie Fried by James Luther Dickinson is one of the great albums of its time and tragically overlooked. I bet that show was exceptional! I've never had the opportunity to see Hiatt in concert, the few times he's come even close to my house, it's been on days it didn't work for me to go :( He's an artist whose work is varied and runs deep. I think you'll enjoy Terms Of My Surrender a lot. Oddly, even though it's in my Top Ten now, it took me awhile to warm up to Mystic Pinball. Once I did, though, I was hooked. Thanks for the feedback! :)
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and love for these great albums. Please consider joining us to discuss a song on our A to Z John Hiatt podcast. I've had some spirited debates as I watched this and would love to continue the conversation.
Nice list and you make a strong argument for Tiki Bar. BtF tops mine followed by Perfectly Good Guitar. From there, I'd probably go to Slow Turning, Walk On, Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns, Riding with the King, Crossing Muddy Waters, Stolen Moments, The Open Road, and Mystic Pinball. (Today, anyway...) Oh, and it was NIck Lowe on RWtK, not Ry Cooder. :)
I've been a fan of John Hiatt since 1986. The trilogy of albums that began with Bring the Family, Slow Turning, and Stolen moments are the watershed albums for me. Crossing Muddy Waters, Same Old Man, and many of the others are also brilliant. Sadly, ive only nanaged to hear him live once. The Perfectly Good Guitar tour.
John deserves 10x more recognition by the general public than he gets. Musicians know who John is, but too many non-musicans do not. I discovered John with his "Bring the Family" cassette.
Amen!
I'd say musicians and, for those like me who barely know two chords on a guitar, folks who appreciate the art of creating great songs :)
Thank you for the response!
Great vid and what a difficult topic. I've always considered John Hiatt to be one of the greatest vocalists of our time as well as an apex songwriter. I wrote my Top 10 before watching this so as not to be influenced. Its hilarious how our lists line up, or don't!! My personal Top Ten (it's a fluid list):
1. Beneath This Gruff Exterior
2. Walk On
3. Master of Disaster
4. The Tiki Bar is Open
5. The Open Road
6. Perfectly Good Guitar
7. Crossing Muddy Waters
8. Slow Turning
9. Bring the Family
10. Same Old Man
These are all GREAT albums, every one of 'em. I should say that I don't have Dirty Jeans, although I have heard it and it's brilliant. I'd be happy to throw any of these on at any time and I'd be in heaven. He's one of the few artists I cannot get enough of.
Hey, seven in common for the top ten is pretty good! :)
Any of your other three could be here, too. What I think most of us Hiatt fans can agree on is that his work from 1987 onward (with a rare exception or two) is stellar. It's like trying to pick my favorite Gord albums, in that anything from '66 to '82 could be there.
His singing style is so unique, there's no one like him and his style is completely effective for his music.
I always appreciate your feedback, my friend :)
Great commentary thanks for this video I just Love John Hiatt!!! I definitely would include Stolen Moments but I guess you could have done a top 100 too! lol I went to see a little feat show years ago and hadn't yet known John Hiatt well he opened that show and I was hooked!! remember that so well, while no memory of the Little Feat part! JH does so much diversity in his music, he was the first to sing the National anthem at the then new Baltimore Orioles ball park! I hope to see John and Lyle play together one day!!!
John is the best. I loved the video. My list would be somewhat different, but that is just a testament to the sheer number of great albums that John has put out. Stolen Moments would definitely be on my list, as would Master of Disaster and Perfectly Good Guitar. But no idea what I would cut. Maybe we need a top 15 for John.
Although I listen mostly from 1987 onward, I occasionally go back to the earlier work and find some tremendous songs! I would even re-do my video now, and it hasn't been that long. It's an ever-evolving appreciation for a stellar catalog.
Hi Brett. When I commented on your Dio ranking list I said I was looking forward to your next ranking list. You haven't let me down! Once again, I apologise for going on too long.
John Hiatt is one of my favourites. I've seen him 3 times. Once in an old Glasgow theatre just after "Perfectly Good Guitar" came out. I think he was backed by the band which plays on the album. It was a great concert but wasted a bit by the fact that it was all seated. I saw him a few years later in Glasgow in a medium sized standing only venue. He was backed by a band called the North Mississippi All Stars who did a set on their own, the highlight of which was a 10 minute electric washboard solo. The band consists of two Dickinson brothers plus a bass player. Their dad, Jim Dickinson, produced a John Hiatt album. What a great concert! The third time I saw him was in Edinburgh in a small venue when he did a solo acoustic set. Great, but I preferred him the first twice I saw him.
My favourite John Hiatt albums! I don't know his first 7 albums, first coming across him with "Bring the Family". I don't know "Mystic Pinball" or "Terms of my Surrender" from your list. - Must investigate. Of the 8 John Hiatt albums I own my order would be :
1. Slow Turning. 2. Perfectly Good Guitar. 3.Walk On. 4. Bring the Family. 5. Stolen Moments. 6.Dirty Jeans.... 7. Beneath this Gruff Exterior. 8. Little Head. I don't own but am familiar with "Crossing Muddy Waters", "The Tiki Bar is Open" and "Master of Disaster. They would be towards the bottom of my top ten, replacing "Little Head" . - I don't particularly like it.
Thanks again for a very entertaining and informative video.
I always enjoy your opinions and interaction!
Little Head is at the bottom of my Hiatt list overall. I hate to put it down because, even though I said I like them all to some degree, but that's one I can only really get into a few tracks from. I think even John looks back on it with a bit of puzzlement.
I'm familiar with North Mississippi All-Stars but don't have any of their work. I do own a couple albums by their dad - Dixie Fried by James Luther Dickinson is one of the great albums of its time and tragically overlooked. I bet that show was exceptional!
I've never had the opportunity to see Hiatt in concert, the few times he's come even close to my house, it's been on days it didn't work for me to go :(
He's an artist whose work is varied and runs deep. I think you'll enjoy Terms Of My Surrender a lot. Oddly, even though it's in my Top Ten now, it took me awhile to warm up to Mystic Pinball. Once I did, though, I was hooked.
Thanks for the feedback! :)
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and love for these great albums. Please consider joining us to discuss a song on our A to Z John Hiatt podcast. I've had some spirited debates as I watched this and would love to continue the conversation.
Nice list and you make a strong argument for Tiki Bar. BtF tops mine followed by Perfectly Good Guitar. From there, I'd probably go to Slow Turning, Walk On, Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns, Riding with the King, Crossing Muddy Waters, Stolen Moments, The Open Road, and Mystic Pinball. (Today, anyway...) Oh, and it was NIck Lowe on RWtK, not Ry Cooder. :)
Darn it, I get a lot of the earlier album line-ups mixed up! *lol* Your list is a force to be reckoned with, too!
@@brettsmusicreviews2641 thanks - it changes daily, which is a testament to Hiatt's catalog!
I've been a fan of John Hiatt since 1986. The trilogy of albums that began with Bring the Family, Slow Turning, and Stolen moments are the watershed albums for me. Crossing Muddy Waters, Same Old Man, and many of the others are also brilliant.
Sadly, ive only nanaged to hear him live once. The Perfectly Good Guitar tour.