Mystic Pinball

2012, September 25, new west records

CD: NW 6260
LP: NW 5068

Total running time:

Musicians

acoustic and electric guitar
Vocals

acoustic and electric guitar

mandolin

Dobro

Kenneth Blevins:

drums
Percussions

Bass

Note

• All songs written by John Hiatt.

• Recorded at Ben's studio, Nashville, TN

• Engineer: Leslie Richter

• Mixed at: The Cave, Malibu, CA

• Recorded and mixed : Kevin "Caveman"Shirley

• Additional engineering: Pat Thrall

• Horns wrangled by Lee Thornberg

• Matered by: Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering, Portland, ME

• Hiatt Crew and Combo: Scott Knabe, Jay Wright, Brandon young, Kenneth Blevins, Doug Lancio, Pat O'Hearn

• Special thanks to Ken and everyone at Vector Management, Mary Ann and David at Flood, Bumstead, McReady and McCarthey, Gary, Mike and Amanda at New West, Nikki and Rob at UTA and as always my wife and Family.

• A&R Direction: Gary Briggs

• Design: Gina R. Binkley

• Photographer: Jack Spencer

• Management: Vector management

About the album

Acclaimed musician and songwriter John Hiatt will release Mystic Pinball on September 25th via New West Records. Called “…one of rock’s most astute singer-songwriters of the last 40 years” by the Los Angeles Times, Hiatt continues to write brilliant character studies, twisting entertaining storylines with cunning lyrics and wry humor including “We’re Alright Now,” the first single from Mystic Pinball. “We’re Alright Now” is a blues driven, gospel song available to hear at Facebook.com/JohnHiatt. Mystic Pinball will be available as both a CD and on limited edition 180-gram vinyl.

Hiatt and his band, The Combo, have gained a reputation for captivating crowds at their live shows as The Tennessean depicts: “He prowls the stage, delivering the bluesy stuff in a whiskey-burn howl, shouting the rock stuff and fronting a formidable band that can turn on a dime, from ballads to bombast.” Hiatt & The Combo begin a US run mid-August that includes dates with Steve Earle, a special appearance at the Americana Festival in Nashville and two shows at City Winery in NYC (full list of dates below.)

For Mystic Pinball, Hiatt’s 21st studio album, Hiatt turned to producer Kevin “Caveman” Shirley (Aerosmith, Iron Maiden, Joe Bonamassa.) Shirley also produced Hiatt’s highly praised Dirty Jeans And Mudslide Hymns, which the New York Times declared was “…his best since 1995.” Hiatt relies on the exceptional musical skills of Doug Lancio (electric guitar, mandolin, Dobro), Kenneth Blevins (drums and percussion) and Patrick O’Hearn (bass) to play with him on the record.

John Hiatt’s career as a performer and songwriter has spanned more than 30 years and everyone from Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, BB King, Bonnie Raitt and Iggy Pop has covered his work. Hiatt began his solo career with the 1974 album Hangin’ Around the Observatory. His landmark 1987 release Bring The Family, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, was his first album to chart in the U.S. 2000’s Crossing Muddy Waters was called “The most natural and relaxed John Hiatt album in years…” by All Music Guide. In 2008, Hiatt released Same Old Man, was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and was honored by the Americana Music Association with their prestigious “Lifetime Achievement in Songwriting Award.” Critical acclaim continued for The Open Road (2010) with The Boston Herald praising “Hiatt knocks together a rocking, full-throttle road record that in its tone, toughness and mix of blues, r & b and country harkens back to his landmark Bring the Family” while the Associated Press proclaimed “Hiatt remains at the top of his game” in reference to Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns (2011.)

Allmusic.com

To his credit, John Hiatt has never been a guy with much interest in doing the same thing twice in a row, and it's not uncommon for a new Hiatt album to seem like a reaction to the last record he made -- a quiet, acoustic-based album will often be followed by a tougher, more rollicking set, and if he was thoughtful and introspective last time, it's a fair bet he'll sound tougher and wilder the next time he goes into the studio. Since 2011's Dirty Jeans & Mudslide Hymns boasted the slickest production to grace a Hiatt album in quite some time, it's paradoxically appropriate that Mystic Pinball, appearing just 13 months later, sounds a lot looser, funkier, and more lively, as if Hiatt and his band rolled in and cut these songs without much fuss. As it happens, Dirty Jeans and Mystic Pinball were both produced by the same guy, Kevin Shirley, but the finished product certainly sounds and feels different, and the rough and ready tone of these sessions fits the material well, especially the crunchy, blues-shot "My Business," the witty but ominous "Wood Chipper," the marvelously cranky "One of Them Damn Days," and the Stones-style groove of "You're All the Reason I Need." If the production is simple, Hiatt and his band -- Doug Lancio on guitar, Patrick O'Hearn on bass, and Kenneth Blevins on drums -- are locked in tight enough to sound sharp and satisfying without being gimmicked up, and there's a sense of fun in this album that was often missing on Dirty Jeans. And for a guy who has cranked out four studio albums in five years, Hiatt is having a great run as a songwriter -- on this disc, the shaggy dog stories are funny, the blues numbers are full of righteous swagger, and he can sing about love like a guy who is still learning a few things at the age of 60 (and his voice is in fine shape, too). Who knows what sort of about-face John Hiatt will deliver the next time he feels like recording (prog rock, maybe?), but for a guy whose 40th year as a solo artist is appearing on the horizon, he's sounding as full of ideas and energy as a guy half his age, and Mystic Pinball confirms he's still delivering the goods in an impressive fashion.