John Hiatt - The Open Road

As many of you know, I'm a big and huge fan of John Hiatt. Way back in the mid 1970s, I first got hooked while playing Hiatt's album, Overcoats, on WEAX (then Tri State U's radio station) .

John's career has taken a lot of twists and turns. Taking off out of Indianapolis before finishing high school*, Hiatt headed south in search of a life in music. He has become a national treasure, a troubadour commenting on politics, relationships and life's journey. He continues to hone his craft - he has become an accomplished guitarist and an excellent singer. He's had the songwriting thing figured out for a while now (<-sarcasm), but he continues to plow ahead with new ideas and he hasn't lost his perspective on the world in which we live. John truly is one of America's great songwriters.

I'm really looking forward to Hiatt's new album, The Open Road, which is being released on my birthday, March 2, 2010. He's teamed up with a new "combo" - Kenny Blevins (former Goner and Sonny Landreth) on drums, Patrick O'Hearn on bass and Doug Lancio on guitars. (I'll always be partial to John's work with the Goners and the Nashville Queens.) The Open Road is the second outing with this "combo" so I'm hoping that they have gelled and the new record is classic Hiatt. Hiatt's first album, Same Old Man, with this combo was somewhat uneven and, compared to past albums, felt uninspired.

The first single, the title cut from the album, indicates that Hiatt is back with a real keeper.

1. The Open Road 4:33
2. Haulin’ 4:06
3. Go Down Swingin’ 3:38
4. Like A Freight Train 5:59
5. My Baby 4:10
6. Homeland 4:46
7. Wonder of Love 3:52
8. What Kind Of Man 3:50
9. Movin’ On 4:43
10. Fireball Roberts 4:27
11. Carry You Back Home 3:36

Here's a preview of The Open Road (30 sec. snippets)

*In 2006 John Hiatt completed his High School Diploma at his daughter's high school.