More John Hiatt.
I have commented on Hiatt before,
Quite a bit.
And, I have said that I quite like Hatt though he hasn't won me over totally, or words to that effect.
Most of the "like" I have for him comes from the his later 80s albums.
This is his first album from his Elvis Costello new wave period which he also followed on his next two albums, Two Bit Monsters (MCA, 1980), All of a Sudden (Geffen, 1982).
This is his third album.
His first two Hangin' Around the Observatory (Epic, 1974) and Overcoats (Epic, 1975) were 70s singer-songwriter with all the usual influences: folk, blues, country, soul, old school rock n roll.
They didn't sell.
The market was full of the same.
I can't say what they were like because I haven't heard them (I hate record reviewers who make broad assumptions or give opinions when they haven't heard the actual records). Of course, you don't know whether the reviewers have hears the records or not, but a lot of the time, I assume, they are just googling other opinions and reciting the dominant view. That isn't fair because that could lead to a situation where the same opinion is recited and becomes, what looks to be a popular accepted view, but is in fact, a view which has been plagiarised out of laziness (the most obvious example I can think of in musical terms is "All Elvis movie soundtracks albums are crap"… they aren't)
Anyway, it is easy to say I haven't heard those albums (as long as I don't have to recite the paragraph above ever time).
I can say what the sound and style was like on those albums because enough punters have referred to those influences and those comments would generally, not be a matter of opinion but a matter of fact.
I'm rambling.
Hiatt's first two albums didn't sell and the new wave was making a splash in the music business, especially the more acceptable (looking) of the new wave outages, people like Elvis Costello Joe Jackson, Graham Parker, Dwight Twilley, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and, just a fraction later Willie Nile, Marshall Crenshaw, and Jim Carroll..
What they all had in common were they were angsty and (usually) wordy.
Hiatt already had the wordiness so all he needed was the angst and the music to back it up.
And, whether it be intention or not, Elvis Costello was the best fit.
You can't mention Hiatt in this period without mentioning Costello.
Costello's. punchy singer songwriter new wave had yielded results in Britain, and, even in the US he had made a mark as an albums act. His first three albums all did well in the US: My Aim Is True (1977) #32, This Year's Model (1978) #30, Armed Forces (1979) #10
The conventional wisdom (and even those words are used by reviewers) is that Hiatt's record label wanted to get in on that action and so signed Hiatt.
Whether Hiatt approached the label with a "new" punchy sound or whether he was signed and they "encouraged" him to adopt a punchy new sound I don't know.
Hiatt had two (reasonably well received critically but poor selling) albums behind him and had been without a contract since 1975, so he was not in a position to dictate.
He would have seen the similarities between Costello and himself and all he had to do was change his sound to something akin to Costello (and that isn't always a good thing).
Later, arguably, Costello would tweak his sound to Hiatt's, original more rootsy sound, or perhaps they both started immersing themselves in the (Americana) musical styles they loved.
The album, like a lot of US major label new wave releases has the wrong sound. The producer, Denny Bruce, is more well versed in straight rock and folk, perfect for Hiatt's first two albums but not for a purported new wave release.
All tracks written by John Hiatt, except where noted.
Tracks (best in italics)
Side One
- You Used to Kiss the Girls – the lyrics are sharp in this song with bite, hampered, only, by poor production. It's sparse but it's not ballsy enough.
- The Negroes Were Dancing – you couldn't use a title like this nowadays …even if ironical.
- Slug Line – another punch new wave number
- Madonna Road – (Hiatt, Jim Wismar) – white reggae. Farking awful.
- (No More) Dancin' in the Street – a rock n roll boogie woogie that references the great 60s soul song.
- Long Night – only a touch of reggae on this… crap
Side Two
- The Night That Kenny Died – paint by the numbers new wave power pop … but fun (not the subject matter).
- Radio Girl –pop with faux Caribbean vocals. Shite.
- You're My Love Interest – a Knack rip off.
- Take Off Your Uniform – A Elvis Costello song in all but songwriting credit.
- Sharon's Got a Drugstore –like a cross between Elvis Costello and Dwight Twilley.
- Washable Ink – something out of the early 70 singer songwriter era. Nice.
And …
A lot of Elvis Costello and a some (too much) white reggae … this is not for me. Tape a couple and sell?.
Chart Action
US
Singles
—
Album
1979 #202
England
nothing
Sounds
Full album
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZxR-jS7BkU&list=PL94gOvpr5yt1sF1TCdlLliXPZ_XwOxfEp
You Used to Kiss the Girls
mp3 attached
The Negroes Were Dancing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twc9JVThlrE
Slug Line
Live
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcBQlXTceJs
Madonna Road
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcg4Uz1HP8Y
(No More) Dancin' in the Street
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMzaZjqqK98
The Night That Kenny Died
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxMVpA2jG2w
Washable Ink
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDkOxpHuaB8
Others
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UrueP3aM40
Review
https://www.allmusic.com/album/slug-line-mw0000206899
http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=John+Hiatt
Bio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hiatt
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/john-hiatt-mn0000812046
Website
Trivia
- Personnel : John Hiatt – guitar, vocals / Jon Paris – guitar, bass guitar / Doug Yankus – guitar / Veyler Hildebrand – bass / Etan McElroy – piano, background vocals on "Long Night" / B.J. Wilson – drums / Gerry Conway – drums / Bruce Gary – drums / Thom Mooney – drums / Todd Cochran – piano, organ
