ScottFromWyoming wrote: 
So what's your excuse?

I much prefer the fun and rollicking John Hiatt of Everybody Went Low and Master of Disaster. Sounds like he was on a bender in this one. 

I'm usually a big John Hiatt fan, but this particular song and performance doesn't do much for me.

 ScottFromWyoming wrote: 
There are so many better JH songs than this one (as I know you know). I saw him live with Richard Thompson and Roger McGuinn many years ago, and he rocked the house.

He was really droning on there.  Had to turn it off! 

I used to be in the John Hiatt fan club. Literally. Last few years though I sort of wince when he comes on. Sorry to say he was more interesting when he was on heroin.

I just love this - he's great 
 

I couldn't tell when one live song ended and this began! Excellent DJ'ing. 

Like the song, too.
 

 FlatCat wrote: 
Um, yeah, he does. Right down to the gravelly voice. It's one of the reasons I love him.

 Misterfixit wrote: 
I remember reading, at least a decade ago, that he decided to rent office space and would just go there each day and work at songcraft like a regular job for 8 hours. Personally, I couldn't. But I believe that he did.

I'm at the point now that I just buy every release as soon as it comes out, not because of its merit, but to reward/repay him for all the great tunes that came before. It's like patronage, isn't it? 

 Paul_Skybreakers wrote: 
Man... I love Amsterdam Luke Skybreaker. Why you gotta be like that?

H8rhater for King... for a world where people don't slag the music just to annoy others and one where folks respect great song writers even if they don't like their voice.

The never ending mission of calling out these folks continues....

I mean, I know he's an awesome songwriter, and all that, but GAWD, his singing sucks.  And his guitar playing ain't much better.

 fredriley wrote: 
Why not a fresh-smelling sock, or a sock garter?

 h8rhater wrote: 

You call people negative if they speak their mind. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, whether it's positive or negative. It doesn't make them a negative person. If you think something sucks, it's great to see that others share your opinion. Positivity cannot exist without negativity. If you were king, you'd send people to prison for being negative. With a smile on your face, probably.

Okay, I will reiterate something I've probably already posted regarding John Hiatt.  I got to see him at the L. B. Day Amphitheater in Salem, Oregon in the 90's. He played a triple bill with Robert Cray and (gasp!) Stevie Ray Vaughan.  I'd gone to see Mr. Vaughan, and he was awesome as always - he was there with a very small band (I discovered that a future co-worker was there, and had met Vaughan at a previous concert and had a gorgeous leather cowboy hat autographed by him - he beamed when she showed it to him, and said, "It'll look a lot better on YOU, darlin'." He was a very cool guy.) 

And then John Hiatt came on, and I forgot that Stevie Ray was the reason I was there.  Hiatt had just himself and his guitar (maybe there was a backup band, but I didn't notice.) He did "Slow Turning" and "Drive South" and right after that concert, I bought four of his CDs. (My electric bill didn't get paid that month, but it was well worth the money.)

Sure, there are better singers, better guitarists, better lyricists - but it isn't always about how all those things fit together. Sometimes, it's about one element that stands out and makes the other elements pretty, too. Hiatt, to me, has that gift. His vocals are hit-and-miss. His guitar virtuosity is sometimes questionable. But love him or hate him, one has to admire his tenacity and his perception of life. I think he and James McMurtry are two of my favorite storytellers these days. No, Jackson Brown does really great snapshots in time, but for a vast landscape-view, it has to be Hiatt and McMurtry for me.

Shutting up now. I hope.

John's a good guy, very friendly and of course musical.  He was at Puckett's Grocery for dinner a while back with Jerry Flowers and a couple of others.   Works hard at his artistry.

 fredriley wrote: 
F#ck me... H8rhater is never negative about the music, Fred.

 h8rhater wrote:
 
F*ck me, is that the pot calling the kettle black, or what? You're in no position to slag others off for negativity. Are you Excelsior in disguise?

Dude, he's from Indiana.  Don't get out of Chicago much, I guess?

 FlatCat wrote: 

Talk about "vocal stylings". He sounds like some sort of caricature of a southern/country accent. Is it real? Does he talk like that? 

Very nice music!

One of my absolute favorite musicians (in my top 3, in fact), yet I somehow hadn't heard this before. Love it. Hiatt may not have the smoothest voice but he never lacks passion. Thanks for playing this.

I saw him play in Paris with Lyle Lovett at one of my favorite venues, Le Trabendo. It was a really great show, and always a treat to get a dose of Americana here in The France. The reason for the reply is that I'm originally from Reno, so I'm pleased to see that I might see him again back home.
 jkhandy wrote: 

i think its a beautiful song and i like his voice.. its passionate and not boring.. i think there's a couple other guys who sound a lot like him, (i clicked here thinking it was van morrison actually)... enjoyed it a lot

The release date is listed as 1987, but that cannot possibly be right.  This track (and "Shredding the Document", both originally from the same album) were released in 1995.

 h8rhater wrote: 
are you positive?

love it!

 Papernapkin wrote: 
That's because you're very negative.

Saw him live in Reno.....Excellent.  Very passionate, very kind man. 

 weevilkinevil wrote: 
It makes me want to shove a smelly sock in his mouth. Nothin' wrong with the guitar-playing, it's the singing that grates.