riding with the king

   

1983 geffen

LP. GHS 4017
  CAS. M5G 4017

1989 Geffen

CD. 2 - 4017
       
*1 I don't even try 3:24 30 seconds preview
*2 Death by misadventure 3:29 30 seconds preview
*3 Girl on a string 3:12 30 seconds preview
*4 Lovers will 3:59 30 seconds preview
*5 She loves the jerk 3:39 30 seconds preview
*6 Riding with the king 3:06 30 seconds preview
#7 Say it with flowers 4:17 30 seconds preview
#8 You may already be a winner 3:33 30 seconds preview
#9 Love like blood 3:54 30 seconds preview
#10 The love that harms 2:49 30 seconds preview
#11 Book lovers 3:03 30 seconds preview
#12 Falling up 3:33 30 seconds preview

Total running time:

42:21
 

Musicians

*John Hiatt

Guitar

Vocals

*Scott Matthews

Bass

Keyboards

Drums

Saxophone

Slide Guitar

Background Vocals

#John Hiatt

Guitar

Vocals

#Paul Carrack: Keyboards

Background Vocals

#Martin Belmont Guitar
#Bobby Irwin: Drums

#Nick Lowe:

Bass

Background Vocals

   

Credits

*Produced and Mixed:

Ron Nagel

Scott Matthews

*Assisted: Maureen Droney
#Produced: Nick Lowe
#Engineered: Neil King
#Assisted: Irene Kelly
photo's: brian griffin
electroglide courtesy: jake riviera
LP design: phil smee at waldo's

CD design:

robert fisher
 

Note

  • All songs written by John Hiatt exept "book lovers" written by I wood and john hiatt, and "death by misadventure" by john hadley and john hiatt

  • * recorded at the Pen, San Francisco and mixed at the automatt, san francisco

  • # Recorded and Mixed at Eden Studios

  • Mastered by Dan Hersch at DigiPrep, Los Angeles

 

press photo

 

allmusic.com

John Hiatt's talents as a singer and songwriter have never been a matter of question, but for the longest time neither Hiatt nor his various record labels seemed to know what to do with him. Epic Records thought he was some sort of a folky, while MCA figured, since his songs were often cranky and angular, he could be sold as a skinny-tie new wave guy. Neither idea made much of a dent in the marketplace, and by the time Hiatt cut his second album for Geffen, Riding With the King, someone had come to the reasonable conclusion that Hiatt was a roots-rocker at heart — but what kind of roots-rocker? Side one of Riding With the King was produced by Ron Nagel and Scott Mathews of the Durocs, with Hiatt singing and playing guitar and Mathews handling everything else; the results have a thick, glossy retro-pop sound with a vague '50s undercurrent, complete with twinkly keyboards and honking saxophones. Side two was cut with Nick Lowe at the controls, featuring a band assembled from Lowe's touring unit (which at one time included Hiatt); these tunes are leaner and blusier, but also a bit more laid-back. While the two halves of the album have decidedly different sonic personalities, the consistent strength of Hiatt's witty, sweet-and-sour songwriting holds the album together, balancing punchy rockers like "Say It With Flowers" and "Falling Up" against soulful contemplations of the ups and downs of love, such as "She Loves the Jerk" and "You May Already Be a Winner." And while Hiatt's voice doesn't boast much range, he knows how to make the most of what he's got, and his vocals here sound a lot more subtle and incisive than the albums that preceded it. Riding With the King may be a bit mixed-up, but it was certainly a step in the right direction for Hiatt.