Slow Turning, John Hiatt (A&M Records).
By all appearances, John Hiatt is living the quiet life these days.
”Slow Turning,” like its predecessor, the critically acclaimed ”Bring the Family,” is dedicated to his family. It also includes a tribute to his daughter in a song called ”Georgia Rae.”
But Hiatt proves he can still make some noise.
”Ride Along” is the kind of country blues that the Rolling Stones, regrettably, haven`t played in years. ”Tennessee Plates” is a honky-tonk romp that details the heist of one of Elvis` Caddies from Graceland (”Anyway he wouldn`t care, Hell, he gave them to his friends”).
This album should erase any doubts that Hiatt was back to stay after wrestling personal and liquid demons and then making a comeback of sorts with ”Bring the Family.”
Gone are the familiar names that accompanied him on ”Bring the Family”: Nick Lowe, Ry Cooder and Jim Keltner. Truth be told, they aren`t really missed. In are The Goners, Hiatt`s road band, and perhaps it is the presence of musicians who have played with him night after night that gives ”Slow Turning” a more relaxed feel.
Whereas ”Bring the Family” worked as catharsis, with Hiatt focusing on his personal struggles, ”Slow Turning” sounds as though it almost came easy. The title song, for instance, has the subdued country sound and the older-and- just-maybe-wiser point of view of the recent work of John Cougar Mellencamp, another Indiana native.
Not that Hiatt`s done detailing his past sins. Luckily, though, he somehow maintains the ability to skirt self-pity. ”I was gonna get up off that bar stool/Just as soon as I could figure it out,” he sings in ”Paper Thin.”
Hiatt, the family man, may not find his own life as rich with material as it was in wilder days, but his strengths as a songwriter and band leader make this record as compelling as past triumphs. (Reviewed on CD.)