„Bring the Family“ was his classic, in 1987. Ry Cooder, Jim Keltner and Nick Lowe were on board. „For singers of a certain age the sands of time can work like quicksands, sucking them under as they try to grasp at their past achievements.“ Too true, Bud, but this guy wasn’t trapped by that album’s success and never tried to remake it. He stepped sideways, grounded, yes, but never petrified by the solid cultural baggage of „Americana“ styles. Sang his songs, the way he wanted. Always found a highway, a dark motel room, and other starting points to get them breathing, driving, flying, circling. „There’s a passage in „Long Time Comin'“ that crystallises the album and his latterday work as a whole“: „I’ve sang these songs a thousand times, ever since I was young / It’s a long time comin‘ and the drummer keeps drummin‘, your work is never done.“ So, lookout for his forthcoming album with one of Brian Eno’s favourite words in it: „The Terms of my Surrender“. Aye, the man’s name is John Hiatt. „This is one old timer who’s still in his prime“, Brian Scoppa writes in his Uncut review (August), „doing his damnedest to keep it going ‚til it is all used up.“ By the way, always fun to see a hat on a cover! Imagine, John and Lucinda sharing songs, and Daniel Lanois producing them in a shitty Mexican cinema. Could blow us all away!