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John Hiatt - Bring The Family

Maicobmw

Maicobmw

Well-Known Member
Just picked up a copy of this one and was blown away by the incredible sonics and musicianship.

Of course it doesn't hurt that Hiatt's backing band was comprised of Ry Cooder on electric guitar, Jim Keltner on drums, and Nick Lowe on bass.

Two thumbs up! :thmbsp::thmbsp:
 
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Yep, this one's a classic. If you like this, you've gotta hear "Slow Turning."
 
This is one my favorite John Hiatt releases. The same musicians recorded an album as Little Village in '92. Ok, but not quite as good, imho.
 
RichPA said:
Yep, this one's a classic. If you like this, you've gotta hear "Slow Turning."
Click to expand...

Cool...I actually bought Slow Turning in the same four album Hiatt lot but haven't listened to it yet. The other two were Slug Line and Two Bit Monsters.
 
Bring The Family, Slow Turning and Stolen Moments are the albums Hiatt released at the time he really cemented his position as a songwriter and performer. IIRC, Bring The Family was written as he was just recovering from serious alcohol abuse problems and SlowTurning/Stolen Moments came in fairly quick succession.

Bring The Family includes what is probably his signature tune from the era, Thing Called Love, thanks in large part to Bonnie Raitt's hugely popular cover of it. Your Dad Did is another great rocker on the album, but the highlight on it for me is the chilling Alone In The Dark. Ry Cooder's slide guitar work in that deep, dark soundstage always gives me goosebumps that just won't go away.

I dearly love all three albums, so many great songs and great sound throughout. Of the three, Slow Turning is my favorite, just as well-if not better recorded than Bring The Family, and a stronger batch of songs overall that provide a clearer self-awareness of the alcohol nightmare Hiatt was still awakening from at the time.
 
I love this record. I love the musicians, love the songwriting, love the recording quality, love the guitar tones...

Stood Up is a moving track. Have a Little Faith is one of my favorite love songs of all times. There's no better way to describe what a man needs in a relationship.

John Hiatt has a wit about him on this record that few can touch. I've tried other Hiatt records and the only one that comes close to this one, IMO, is Slow Turning.
 
I had the pleasure of seeing Hiatt right before Bring The family came out. It was a solo show at the local Rock Club and a homecoming of sorts John is from Indianapolis. That show was maybe the best solo performance I have witnessed, he was debuting some of his best material from what would turn out to be a historic LP. I certainly got the impression that he was trying out his new sobriety and loving it.

As for Little Village, I meet people all the time who love that LP, but personaly I have never been able to figure out how such top shelf talent could make such a dull LP.
 
Lots of good quality material from Mr. Hiatt but as a single record Stolen Moments is his best work in my opinion. It has been a regular in the rotation since the first time I heard it.
 
Bring the Family is not the first I owned, but the one that hooked me as big fan. It is one of my all-time favorite records. I really like its stripped down instrumentation, comes across as very honest and direct.

I own probably 2/3 of his stuff, but a great one I missed until fairly recently is "Walk On" from '95.

It is the opposite end of the spectrum; lots of production work and a bit more "pop", but it has become a fave.

I digs me some Hiatt.
 
Slowing Turning is my fav but I've got everything he's done and only Little Head was the one disk that I couldn't get into.

His latest: Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns is a great album (IMO), probably his best in the last 10 years :thmbsp:
 
I've bought all of John Hiatt's more recent releases but, at least to me, none of them compare with Bring the Family. Pretty hard to beat that bad boy.
 
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