Performance Classics: Live At the Hiatt (Live In London)

Album Review

According to the liner notes to Live at the Hiatt, this disc (recorded during a 1993 date in London) was previously released as a promo-only item preserving "what was considered one of the great John Hiatt concerts," which in time was "fetching a hefty price online." After hearing the album, it's a little hard to say why; there's no arguing that Hiatt and his band the Guilty Dogs (Michael Ward on guitar, Davey Faragher on bass and Michael Urbano on drums) are in good form on these ten tunes, and that Hiatt sings with his typically impressive degree of raw passion and proves to be a fine rock & roll frontman, one of his less widely acknowledged talents. However, this gig doesn't sound all that different than the one that appeared on the official 1994 live release Hiatt Comes Alive at Budokan?, recorded during the same tour with the same band, and another Guilty Dogs gig of similar vintage recorded for the TV series Austin City Limits has recently found its way to CD as Live from Austin, TX. And while it's fun at first to hear Hiatt talk about "the Stewardess Dance" on "Child of the Wild Blue Yonder," without being able to see it, it's pretty "huh?" inducing. Once upon a time, when John Hiatt live discs were a rare thing, Live at the Hiatt might have been something worth digging deep into the crates to find, but while it documents a gifted artist having a great night on-stage, the ready availability of two similar albums makes this seem a lot less essential, though completists won't be disappointed with Hiatt's performance.