John Hiatt - The Tiki Bar Is Open (2001)

AMG review by Hal Horowitz:
On a creativeroll after 2000s acoustic Crossing Muddy Waters, John Hiatt returnedrejuvenated as well as electric. Old backing band the Goners returnedfor his 17th -- and best -- album in the 13 years that have passed sincethe same outfit accompanied him on 1988s classic Slow Turning. Unlikeits intentionally cheesy tongue-in-cheek title, Tiki Bar is a keenlyconstructed collection of heartfelt, bluesy tunes that rock -- and oftenrock hard -- with tremendous soul. Subtle use of drum loops and theoccasional overdub enhances, but doesnt update, Hiatts roots approach.Like the Band, whose The Weight he evokes on Hangin Round Here,these songs seemingly spring from a bottomless well of melodies andhooks, all energized by his raw, throaty vocals. The famed Gonersguitarist, Louisianas Sonny Landreth, positively burns throughout,especially on slide, and the group consistently coalesces like CrazyHorse on a hot night. They follow their eclectic leader through waltzyballads, folksy love songs, mid-tempo burners, and even an unusualalbum-closing ten-minute psychedelic romp, Farther Stars, that takesthe Beatles Tomorrow Never Knows to the Middle Eastern swamps. Farfrom winding down in his fifties, John Hiatt released the most inspiredwork of his life. Not quite as magical as his high-water mark, Bring theFamily, this is still a superbly crafted disc whose songs quickly sinkin and stay lodged in your brain. (3.5/5)