Music Reviews :John Hiatt's Crossing Muddy Waters

Crossing Muddy Waters, by John Hiatt, is one of the best CDs to be released by this often overlooked bluesy/folk artist. While Hiatt has been making albums for over 25 years, he has never produced that breakout release that would move him into the first ranks of popular artists. Much like Tom Waits, John Prine, and Victoria Williams, Haitt has found a niche as a song writer/performer with a dedicated cult following. Perhaps Crossing Muddy Waters will be the breakout CD for John Hiatt.

Crossing Muddy Waters is an 11 cut CD featuring Hiatt and two other musicians; Davy Faraghr on bass and David Immercluck on mandolin and slide guitar. The title cut, Crossing Muddy Waters, has a simple grassroots sound with outstanding lyrics that reach out and grab the listener:

Baby's gone and I don't know why, She headed out this morning. Like a rusty shot in a hollow sky, She left me without a warning.

Other songs of note on the CD include: Lincoln Town, Only the Strong Survive, Before I Go, and God's Golden Eyes, a song that shows the influence of Gospel Music on Hiatt.

The music on this CD reminds the listener of the music on Bob Dylan's A World Gone Wrong (1993) or the music one would hear being played at a front porch jam session on the banks of the Mississippi River. This is a great CD.

For those readers who are unfamiliar with John Hiatt, The Best of John Hiatt will bring you up to snuff on his music. Hiatt wrote Ridding With the King, the title cut of the Eric Clapton/B.B. King CD of last year. Hiatt also wrote Angle Eyes, a popular song on Jeff Healey's 1988 release See the Light.

For something completely different…try the latest CD from the Tai Elephant Band on Mulatto Records. This CD contains music generated by elephants playing the traditional percussion instruments used in Thai temples. After listing to a few cuts on public radio, the only comment that can be made is that the music is 'unique'.

Thanks for the remake…Fans of David Crosby and Graham Nash need to look for the remake of their 1977 live album now out on CD. This CD contains great renditions of Immigration Man, Field Worker, and a wonderful version of All Along the Leeshore. Two bonus tracks bring the number of songs on this CD to 11.

We're still waiting…for the re-release of Joan Baez's Gulf Winds, Dr. John's Tango Place, and On the Road to Freedom by Alvin Lee and Mylon LaFever. Also missing in action…(and from CD) are John Kay's Forgotten Songs and Unsung Heroes, My Sportin' Life, and All in Good Time. There were some great tunes on these albums. Where are the CDs?