Show Me the Way Home, Honey

John Hiatt - Crossing Muddy Waters

Styles: Heartland Rock, Americana, Folk-Rock, Acoustic Blues
Released: 2000
Label: Sanctuary
File: mp3@320K/s
Size: 86.3 MB
Time: 37:41
Art: full

1. Lincoln Town - 4:01
2. Crossing Muddy Waters - 4:02
3. What Do We Do Now - 2:56
4. Only The Song Survives - 3:58
5. Lift Up Every Stone - 3:13
6. Take It Down - 3:58
7. Gone - 2:55
8. Take It Back - 3:02
9. Mr. Stanley - 3:31
10. God's Golden Eyes - 2:26
11. Before I Go - 3:35

Personnel:
John Hiatt - Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar, Harmonium, Vocals
Davey Faragher - Bass, Tambourine, Foot Stomping, Vocal Harmony
David Immerglück - Mandolin, Slide Guitar, Electronic Mandolin, Guitar (12 String Acoustic)

Notes: Two and a half decades into a career that's never delivered the stardom forecast by legions of champions, John Hiatt has settled into a niche that's about as comfortable as a maturing singer-songwriter could ask for. No longer a major-label priority, Hiatt has hooked up with the stalwart folk label Vanguard for his 15th release. Crossing Muddy Waters adroitly captures Hiatt's comfort and confidence. Not so much blues as blusey, Crossing Muddy Waters features 11 new Hiatt compositions, half of which feel instantly familiar. The rambunctious "Lift Up Every Stone" sounds a little like some of Tom Waits's more accessible recent efforts, while "Take It Down" is a love-lost lament that's as heavy as a foggy evening. Crossing Muddy Waters was cut in three days and features only two accompanists--the uncommonly sympathetic Davey Faragher and David Immerglück. Just goes to show that Hiatt moves just fine when he's not dragging a lot of added weight and heavy expectations behind him. --Steven Stolder

John Hiatt's 16th effort is a marked departure from his work of the previous 25 years, and a vast improvement over 1997's disappointing Little Head. Hiatt retrenched and recorded his first drummer-less, predominantly acoustic record for Vanguard. It's a sympathetic match and a smart move, since the company has a long, rich history working in the unplugged medium before it became trendy. The result is the most natural and relaxed John Hiatt album in years, and a welcome addition to his extensive catalog. With just a duo of acoustic multi-instrumentalists, Davey Faragher and David Immergluck (both longtime associates), Hiatt pulls out some of the most earnest, down-to-earth songs of his career. He sings like a man rejuvenated, totally at ease with his surroundings, and plays with the laid-back, homespun honesty that has infused his best work. Although some comical lyrical touches remain, the majority of the album is a sober reflection on lost love ("What Do We Do Now," the title track) and the resulting psychological scars. Hiatt's voice has never sounded better; its coarse edges sometimes straining for high notes works perfectly with this craggy, unpolished music. The mandolin is the most distinctive instrument here, and its brittle, trebly, crisp tone gives the disc an underlying tension, especially on the ballads that comprise the majority of the album. Heart-rending, sincere, stripped down yet multi-faceted, John Hiatt has taken a step forward by taking a small step back. Although not quite in a class with career highlights like Bring the Family or Slow Turning, Crossing Muddy Waters is a subtle treat and an album whose watercolor brush strokes paint a vibrant picture of stirring delicacy. ~ Hal Horowitz

Crossing Muddy Waters



• Michael Hakanson-Stacy - Bottle On My Finger ...Blues To My Shoes •
• Andy Fairweather Low & The Lowriders - Zone-O-Tone •

Oznake: John Hiatt, Americana, folk-rock, Acoustic Blues