Time: 72:58
File: Flac
Released: 2021
Styles: rock, blues
Art: Front
1. Memphis In The Meantime (6:56)
2. Drive South (4:10)
3. Tennessee Plates (3:46)
4. Icy Blue Heart (4:38)
5. Georgia Rae (5:02)
6. Alone In The Dark (5:42)
7. Ride Along (4:05)
8. Confidence Man (4:05)
9. Is Anybody There? (5:45)
10. It'll Come To You (5:15)
11. Paper Thin (6:24)
12. Feels Like Rain (5:59)
13. Thing Called Love (6:50)
14. Have A Little Faith In Me (4:14)
John Hiatt is one of America’s most enduring and respected singer-songwriters — a musician whose gritty voice and lyrical insight have shaped the sound of modern Americana. Over a career spanning more than five decades, Hiatt has released over twenty studio albums, been covered by legends from Bonnie Raitt to Bob Dylan, and earned accolades that underscore both his longevity and artistic influence.
Born in Indianapolis in 1952, Hiatt turned to music as a form of escape after personal tragedy struck early in life. He picked up his first guitar at 11 and by 18 had moved to Nashville, landing a job as a staff songwriter at Tree Publishing for $25 a week. Though success was slow to come, Hiatt honed his craft during this time, building the foundation for the career that followed.
His earliest solo work — including Slug Line (1979) and Two Bit Monsters (1980) — was steeped in post-punk energy and sharp wit, but commercial success eluded him. It wasn’t until 1987's Bring the Family that Hiatt found his breakthrough. Recorded in just four days with Ry Cooder, Nick Lowe, and Jim Keltner, the record marked a turning point. With songs like “Thing Called Love” (later a hit for Bonnie Raitt) and “Have a Little Faith in Me,” Hiatt’s songwriting matured into a powerful blend of soul, blues, and roots-rock storytelling.
Critics and fellow musicians took notice. Hiatt became a songwriter’s songwriter, with his compositions recorded by an array of artists including Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Iggy Pop, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Rosanne Cash, and Joe Cocker. Clapton and King’s Riding With the King, featuring a Hiatt-penned title track, won a GRAMMY in 2001.
Throughout the '90s and 2000s, Hiatt continued to produce critically acclaimed albums including Slow Turning, Perfectly Good Guitar, and Crossing Muddy Waters — the latter earning a GRAMMY nomination for Best Contemporary Folk Album. His sound evolved with time, at turns stripped down and acoustic or plugged-in and rocking, but always centered on his distinctive voice and wry, humanistic lyrics.
Hiatt’s output in the 21st century has been remarkably consistent. Albums such as Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns, Mystic Pinball, and Terms of My Surrender (2014) explore themes of aging, redemption, and resilience, often delivered with a twinkle of satire and a touch of grit. On Terms, produced by longtime guitarist Doug Lancio, Hiatt leaned into acoustic blues textures and a rawer vocal tone, reflecting a voice and worldview shaped by years on the road.
In 2021, Hiatt reunited with bluegrass virtuoso Jerry Douglas to record Leftover Feelings, a collaboration that garnered yet another GRAMMY nomination. Recorded at Nashville’s RCA Studio B, the project showcased Hiatt’s continued ability to reinvent and revitalize his songwriting voice.
Beyond the studio, Hiatt has been widely recognized for his influence and contributions. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2008, received the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting, and earned a star on the Music City Walk of Fame. In 2019, he was honored with the BMI Troubadour Award, joining a rarefied group that includes John Prine and Robert Earl Keen. The tribute featured performances by Elvis Costello, Lyle Lovett, and Hiatt’s daughter, Lilly Hiatt.
Hiatt’s influence extends far beyond his own recordings. His songs are woven into the fabric of American music — not just in the covers they inspire, but in the honesty, wit, and emotional range they model. Whether writing from personal depths or crafting character-driven narratives, Hiatt’s gift lies in his ability to capture complex truths with striking simplicity.
He currently lives near Nashville on a 100-acre farm, still writing, still recording, still touring. As ever, John Hiatt remains a vital voice in American music — one that continues to evolve while staying true to the raw, unvarnished storytelling that has always defined his work.
The Confidence Man In Canada FLAC