From the strange marketing as a viable alternative to Elvis Costello with MCA’s release of Slug Line (1979), to his most notable song, “Have A Little Faith In Me”, John Hiatt has crossed over an awful lot of barbed wire in his career. Of course, Slug Line is a fine John Hiatt album. It’s actually how I first came into contact with him. (I bought the LP in the now defunct Columbus, OH department store, Lazarus.) But Slug Line was not about John Hiatt, much as John Cougar was not about John Mellencamp. And so, over time, the real John Hiatt emerged giving us the classic talent that we have since grown to love.
Last time we mentioned John Hiatt, he was on the verge of releasing Dirty Jeans And Mudslide Hymns back in 2011. Since, he has released the excellent Mystic Pinball, a collection of bluesy Americana, a style more closely aligned to John Hiatt’s true style of music.
On July 15, New West Records will release the new John Hiatt album, Terms Of My Surrender. The pre-release of the title track, “Terms Of My Surrender”, brings to mind the echos of Tom Waits, but with a decidedly pure Hiatt feel. If the song has any indication to what the new album will bring, then I would easily say that we’re in for a brilliant treat, Hiatt fans!
Terms Of My Surrender will be released on CD, LP, and DD.
I’ve been a John Hiatt fan since I first heard Slow Turning when it came out. I’ve seen him in concert with is band on the “Perfectly Good Guitar” tour, with Little Village, and back in 2004 or so when he was on a solo tour – just him and his instruments. Always glad to hear new music from him!