Fretplay.com John Hiatt CD reviews John Hiatt guitar tabs John Hiatt CD reviews John Hiatt tabs Little Head


John Hiatt - Little Head Audio CD

A fair review of the John Hiatt "Little Head" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all John Hiatt reviews here, or go back to the John Hiatt tabs.

John Hiatt Band: John Hiatt
Title: Little Head
Rating:
Release Date: 1997-07-01
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Little Head 2: Pirate Radio 3: My Sweet Girl 4: Feelin' Again 5: Graduated 6: Sure Pinocchio 7: Runaway 8: Woman Sawed in Half 9: Far as We Go 10: After All This Time

Not Hiatt's Best Work
Not my favorite Hiatt album by long shot. The best song on this album is Pirate Radio, other than than, most of the songs seem a bit uninspired. Still, long time fans will be pleased, but be advised, he has better stuff out there.


Uninspired
Most of this album is bland, to the point that it fails to inspire in me any desire for repeat listening. John Hiatt's strength lies in his songwriting, and it is here that "Little Head" is lacking. Unfortunately, even the strong musicianship of the backing band, most notably David Immergluck whose guitar work is stellar throughout, cannot save these songs. The title track and "Sure Pinocchio", for example, attempt to be witty but can't escape cliché. Even these are preferable to "Runaway", "My Sweet Girl" and "Feelin' Again" which are uninspired to the point of vapidity. This is not to say that "Little Head" lacks high points. Both "Graduated", which features sly lyrics and a great arrangement, and "Woman Sawed In Half", which carries its metaphor to sublime lengths whilst being driven by a searing slide guitar, are quite good. However, taken as a whole, "Little Head" pales in comparison with its much better predecessors "Walk On" and "Perfectly Good Guitar".


Higher and Hiatt
They listen to an album a couple of times and discard it if they don't immeadiately like it. Well, well, well, after reading some of the previous reviews it becomes obvious that some people just have no idea.
I will admit this one took a few good listens, then all of a sudden (sic) I started to really appreciate it more and more, now I just love it like all my JH albums.
Most reviewers make the mistake of comparing albums - NEVER do that!!! I can't state this strongly enough. This is unlike any other JH album, it very nearly comes close to POP. Having said that it is still totally Hiatt, chockers with wit and charm in equal portions. This is JH having a bit of fun and experimentation, I think. JH likes to have a little laugh at the world occasionally and this album does it brilliantly. Worth it for 'Little Head' and 'Sure Pinocchio' alone. You'll still find the classic JH ballads in 'Far as we go', 'After All This Time' and 'My Sweet Girl'.
Have a little fun with this one, I think you'll like it.

P. S. - To all the detractors out there I just like to say "Yeh, Sure Pinocchio".


not his best, but still fun
Little Head has more pop and maybe "soft" rock sounds than previous records, which is not hiatt's strongest suit. hiatt's had some great albums (bring the family, slow turning, walk on among the best) and this one isn't too far behind, but is without the style that made his finest outings what they were. By far the best song is the closer, "after all this time" which is reminiscent of "have a little faith" and "angel eyes. " "little head," the first track of this disc, is particularly weak, and it's irritating to have to start the cd on track two. .


Is Very Good, Good Enough?
The song "Little Head" is a clever, though overused, joke and the song seems to parody itself with phrasing like, "when my instincts start stinkin'". Little Head spawned some air play for the title track, but the best songs never saw the light of day. Still, this is not a bad song and it does have some clever lyrics.

This does not diminish the song that should have been the single release, "Pirate Radio," which is a blazing broadside into the souless corporate radio world. OK, that's why it wasn't the single, but this is a crank-it-up, sing-along rock and roll anthem and how can you go wrong mentioning Otis Redding and Marvin gaye in the same song?

"My Sweet Girl" is a laid back, slightly bluesy tune with just enough sweetness to hold it together while not being overdone. Hiatt's sincerity comes through and this is the perfect music for this tender sentiment.

"Feeling Again" and "Graduated" are both listenable, but not overwhelming. "Feeling Again" is upbeat and will stick in your head for a couple of days (in a good way). "Graduated" does have something to say by way of reflection.

"Sure Pinocchio" is the second best cut on the album, with some great lines. Remember when that certain someone broke your heart and tried to make up later? "Sure Pinocchio" is full of what you wish you HAD said.

"Woman Sawn in Half" is better-than-average, but overshadowed by the really good stuff here.

The last song, "After All This Time" is touching and an above average song. The remaining cuts are forgettable, but not bad.

I'm giving this four stars because the strong songs I've mentioned and the tight band. If this was someone besides John Hiatt, I might have lower expectations, but I would say buy the CD just for "Pirate Radio", "Sure Pinocchio", "My Sweet Girl" and the somewhat maligned "Little Head. "

Overall, this is a very good album and worth the price. It's not the first Hiatt CD I would recommend (Try "Slow Turning" or "Perfectly Good Guitar" or "Hiatt Comes Alive at Budokan?" for a better first look), but it's definitely worth a couple of listens and if you only listen to the first six tracks, that's still four tracks better than most releases these days.


You can see a complete list of all John Hiatt discography, or go back to the John Hiatt tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

Search guitar tabs

#ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
[ Search tabs | Guitar tabs | Bass tabs |
Easy guitar tabs | Guitar solo tabs |
Acoustic guitar tabs | Guitar chords |
How to read guitar tabs ]
Forum topics
Music forums
- Bands and artists - Songwriting and lyrics - Tablature talk - Promote your band
Instrument forums
- Guitar basics - Gear & accessories - Bass guitar
Community
- The pit - Site Feedback - Reviews
[ User survey | About us | Privacy statement ]