Slow Turning (John Hiatt)

[Railroad Bum]

This is an old John Hiatt song from his 1988 album of he same name. That was some album! Anyway, here's my quick little workup of that tune, sloppy, out-of-key, yet filled with love, lol--Tim.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NluUCh8VMus

[Glennwillow]

Well done, Tim! I like that!

And that is a good sounding dreadnought!

- Glenn

[jricc]

Nicely done Tim! That is a great Hiatt song.

[Railroad Bum]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

Well done, Tim! I like that!

And that is a good sounding dreadnought!

- Glenn

Glenn, I appreciate the encouragement, as ever. I was contemplating deleting the video, but I will definitely leave it up now. Thank you.

That's an Alvarez AD60, solid spruce top, laminated mahogany back and sides. It does sound pretty good when I put good strings on it. Alvarez makes decent guitars. I was all about them for a few years.

[Railroad Bum]

Originally Posted by jricc

Nicely done Tim! That is a great Hiatt song.

Thank you so much for checking it out and the kind words. Man, Hiatt has written so many great songs that it's kind of like, "Where do you even start honoring the guy?"

[raysachs]

Well Tim, I guess we're a bit of a mutual admiration society in terms of our tastes in music. I too LOVE Hiatt and consider "Bring the Family", and "Slow Turning" as the absolutely peak of his amazing and long running career (along with the "Little Village" project with the same cast as "Bring the Family"). He's also one of the handful of artists my wife and I both really like, so we've seen him more times than I can even begin to recall.

This is a great version of this tune, and is actually very faithful to Hiatt's original version, unlike some stuff that you've done decidedly differently than the original. I like your stuff both ways. You always sound like you, but sometimes you take songs in your own direction and sometimes you stick a little closer to the original.

I've never been able to do anything with most of his catalog, although I do a half decent version of "Learning How To Love You" that I think might be pretty good if I could sing it even half well. And I can get a little bit greasy on "Memphis in the Meantime", but nothing I'd ever subject anyone else to. But it's been a while since I tried much else and inspired by this I just pulled up "Drive South" and "Slow Turning" and I think I might have a shot at adding more of his catalog to my "working on 'em" list of songs. So thanks for both the fine reading of a great song and the inspiration for me branching back into more of his great catalog of songs.

-Ray

[Railroad Bum]

Originally Posted by raysachs

Well Tim, I guess we're a bit of a mutual admiration society in terms of our tastes in music. I too LOVE Hiatt and consider "Bring the Family", and "Slow Turning" as the absolutely peak of his amazing and long running career (along with the "Little Village" project with the same cast as "Bring the Family"). He's also one of the handful of artists my wife and I both really like, so we've seen him more times than I can even begin to recall.

This is a great version of this tune, and is actually very faithful to Hiatt's original version, unlike some stuff that you've done decidedly differently than the original. I like your stuff both ways. You always sound like you, but sometimes you take songs in your own direction and sometimes you stick a little closer to the original.

I've never been able to do anything with most of his catalog, although I do a half decent version of "Learning How To Love You" that I think might be pretty good if I could sing it even half well. And I can get a little bit greasy on "Memphis in the Meantime", but nothing I'd ever subject anyone else to. But it's been a while since I tried much else and inspired by this I just pulled up "Drive South" and "Slow Turning" and I think I might have a shot at adding more of his catalog to my "working on 'em" list of songs. So thanks for both the fine reading of a great song and the inspiration for me branching back into more of his great catalog of songs.

-Ray

Ray, seeing Hiatt live many times is not something I can say I have done. I only got to see him a couple times, but he was incredible. I have been a massive fan since I was 16 and heard Slow Turning and Bring the Family, and then every album he did for the next 10-15 years was also great. He blows me away, as nobody writes likes him, and he has a distinct singing voice, and he rocks, lol. I couldn't believe I hadn't recorded any of his tunes because I love so many of them.

As far as covering a tune closely to the original or taking it a different direction, it really depends on what feels good to me. Sometimes I will start playing a song from memory, and human memory is very fallible, and it will be way off from what the song was actually like. But if my misremembering feels good to me, I will stick with it. Of course, nowadays you can find tabs, chords, and lyrics for most stuff instantly. I am glad you thought my take was okay. I had some real doubts after listening back to it a few times and was ready to delete it. But then I saw the comments here, and that was what I needed to see. You wouldn't believe how many recordings I have scrapped--dozens for sure--and my son gets mad at me for doing it.

I could definitely see you singing some of Hiatt's tunes. They all pretty much great, and none of them is hard to play. I am glad I could give you a little push to make more music. That is really what it is all about, or as Norman Blake wrote, "Try to make me a little change/ And give them folks a smile."--Tim.

[started with 1]

Originally Posted by Railroad Bum

This is an old John Hiatt song from his 1988 album of he same name. That was some album! Anyway, here's my quick little workup of that tune, sloppy, out-of-key, yet filled with love, lol--Tim.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NluUCh8VMus

Another beauty Tim. Awesome. This record is so so great as is all Hiatt’s stuff.

I saw him and Lyle Lovett together on stage with acoustic guitars trading stories and songs. After each one finished the other would compliment him. Wow. Mutual admiration society. I yelled out a request from the audience and Hiatt said “I can do that one” and he played “ Feels like rain” which is one of my atf Hiatt songs. I play it so maybe you will have inspired me to record it. I’m picking up my guitar to play it right now. And check out who produced Slow Turning. Glyn Johns who has a crazy long list of classic albums he either recorded or produced.

[Railroad Bum]

Originally Posted by started with 1

Another beauty Tim. Awesome. This record is so so great as is all Hiatt’s stuff.

I saw him and Lyle Lovett together on stage with acoustic guitars trading stories and songs. After each one finished the other would compliment him. Wow. Mutual admiration society. I yelled out a request from the audience and Hiatt said “I can do that one” and he played “ Feels like rain” which is one of my atf Hiatt songs. I play it so maybe you will have inspired me to record it. I’m picking up my guitar to play it right now. And check out who produced Slow Turning. Glyn Johns who has a crazy long list of classic albums he either recorded or produced.

Joe, thank you for the response and your quite kind words. Yes, I love that album especially. Sonny Landreth on slide just adds another great voice to Hiatt's songs, as did Ry Cooder on Bring the Family. I do think Slow Turning is a bit better album, though.

One of the two times I saw Hiatt, he was with Lovett, Guy Clark, and Joe Ely, soing a round robin sort of thing. That was insanely good, especially Guy.

Feels Like Rain is such a wicked song, man. Buddy Guy's version burns as well. You should record it for sure. I am thinking of doing more Hiatt tunes myself, as I love his songs so much--Tim.

[reeve21]

Great job on a great song, Tim! Really enjoyed that one

[Railroad Bum]

Originally Posted by reeve21

Great job on a great song, Tim! Really enjoyed that one

Bob, I appreciate the encouragement and for checking out the tune. That song takes me back 30 years or so. I got into people like Hiatt, Steve Earle, Lou Reed, James McMurtry, and Dylan when I was in high school in the 1980s. People thought I was nuts, lol.