From The Archive: John Hiatt- 'Bring The Family'
For his eighth record, John Hiatt returned to what works, with fantastic results.
Good Morning!
For your Friday, we’re taking a quick look at ‘Bring The Family’ by John Hiatt.
Note: After finally picking up a vinyl copy of this last weekend, I thought revisiting this piece from a couple of years ago might be fun. The writing is rough, but my thoughts on the record haven’t changed a bit.
1987 found John Hiatt in a rough spot.
Record sales were sluggish, and A&R reps couldn’t figure out what box to put him in; the next Elvis Costello? A bluesman? Country?
He’d even dabbled in New Wave (more on that later) without much traction. His label threw their hands up and dropped him. On top of everything else, he was newly sober, a shaky time for the best of us.
And things were about to get worse. Much worse.
Before that, Hiatt went into the studio to record Bring the Family, his 8th studio record. Part of recovery means focusing only on what matters. That meant a stripped-down approach in the studio and a session that saw the record made in just four days.
Joining him were Ry Cooder on guitar, session vet Jim Keltner on drums, and Nick Lowe on bass (Lowe refused to accept any money for his work on the record.).
The slinky “Memphis In the Meantime” gets things going. It doesn’t burst out the way many A1s do; instead, it simmers and builds, Cooder making sure not to spoil the broth by flooding it with guitar too soon.
Bring the Family starts in the Bluff City but doesn’t stay there. Each track feels like visiting a different part of the country, with Hiatt’s swamp flat drawl as your tour guide.
We get to “Thing Called Love” a few songs in, later a massive hit for Bonnie Raitt in the ’80s. But here’s the thing: it sounds as good now as it did then. Hiatt had already tried new wave on records like Warming Up to the Ice Age, and it just didn’t work.
Bring the Family is Hiatt’s return to what works best for him.
With none of the synthesizers or other layers that would’ve sounded great but ultimately dated the track, we’re left with a good bit of old-fashioned kicks rock. Taking that stripped-down approach further is “Have a Little Faith in Me,” which finds the singer alone with a piano.
Raitt didn’t cover this, but everyone from Joe Cocker to Mandy Moore to countless secretaries on karaoke night has.
The first version had much more instrumentation, but due to tech issues, it didn’t take. The version we know & love was recorded the day after Hiatt lost his wife to suicide. The result is one of raw honesty and brutal truth. It’s also a great love letter—this was the first song played at my wedding.
Life is messy, and there isn’t always a happy ending. Still, we endure. With “Bring the Family,” Hiatt ultimately found his role as someone who sings to us along the way.
Listen:
John Hiatt | Bring The Family, 1987
Click on the record to listen on your platform of choice.
What do you think? Did I get it right here, or did I miss the mark? Have a favorite song or memory of the record? Let me know in the comments!
Thanks for being here,
Kevin—
Hiatt is a guilty pleasure of mine, starting with "Riding with the King" and this album and "Slow Turning" (the next one). This is when he really found his voice. He's a roots rocker who writes more clever lyrics than most. I understand why he tried to be Elvis Costello or Graham Parker, but he really hit paydirt when he moved past that in the late 80s. And yes, I'm sure getting sober helped too.
I was just building my first “audiophile” system, and I loved putting this LP on to wow my friends-a perfect record!