The Amazing Mr. Snowjob and His Cryogenic Girl

Doctors have determined that no matter how much you diet, no matter how much you exercise, you cannot reduce the size of your head...

I don't know much about theology, and I'm not exactly sure what my religious beliefs are at this point but I do know that any God that could have blessed this world with both the delights of cherries and pistachios has satisfied my needs. Give me a bowl of each and this boy is one happy happening dude. Further proof of the work of a supreme being? There are now ten more John Hiatt songs for the world to enjoy on his latest CD, Little Head.

Most of Hiatt's followers seemed to have become fans during the mid-eighties with his trilogy of outstanding albums, Bring the Family, Slow Turning, and Stolen Moments. Those three efforts were heartfelt odes to the values of a strong marriage, a family and home life. The songs while intensely personal also had a universal appeal with their moving lyrics and inspirational melodies.

With his last two studio CDs, Perfectly Good Guitar, and Walk On, Hiatt and his record companies tried to broaden his appeal. He was the best songwriter that many people had never heard of, and with more marketing and a keener attempt at writing songs that might be played on the radio or VH-1 more people heard Hiatt than ever before (he even got played on the opening montage of Melrose Place). Those two CDs still featured Hiatt's unmatchable skill of writing clever lyrics and memorable tunes. That they seemed a little less inspired and more craftsmanlike than some of his other work didn't lessen their quality much- he still proved he was among the top writers in the music industry.

Little Head thus will probably disappoint some of his fans a little. There are no catchy hooks or songs that immediately stick out like Cry Love or Perfectly Good Guitar. None of the songs dig as deep into Hiatt's psyche as Have a Little Faith In Me, or Sometime Other Than Now. Many of the tracks sound as if they would have fit nicely on Hiatt's collaborative effort a few years ago in the group Little Village with Ry Cooder, Nick Lowe and Jim Keltner. But this isn't to say that the new CD has any weak efforts; rather the songs are consistently rewarding without the peaks and valleys of some of his other work. The ten songs stack upon each other neatly like fine china, each a companion of what proceeded it as well as what follows.

The writing is sharp although Hiatt's well renowned acerbic wit doesn't surface as often as it did in some of his earlier work. It's hard to imagine that any other current songwriter could sum up his own personal plight more astutely than, "How far do we have to go, to hear that pirate radio? One song that can steal our hearts before they turn into silver and gold..." And with the double entendre joke of the title track, "I'm just so easily led when her little head does the thinkin..." it's as if Hiatt has resigned himself to the fate of being his generation's Randy Newman- a gifted and respected songwriter without mainstream appeal. (...let's just see them try to make this one a hit...)

My favorite moment on Little Head comes on the third track, My Sweet Girl, surprisingly not by anything written but by a moment of joyful singing- a simple love prayer that is enhanced by Hiatt's goofy "doot doot doo doodoodoos." His humor has always been one of his most endearing qualities and his confidence on this track suggests that in a way this one means as much to him as any of his previous work. The following track, Feelin' Again is another favorite with its inspired singing and lyric, "Morning comes like Catholic guilt..."

There are many pop culture references on Little Head. Everyone from Eddie Vedder to Otis Redding and Tammi Terrell, from Artie Garfunkel to Joseph Conrad gets a mention as a source of inspiration. And as the CD concludes with the quintessential crooner's ballad, After All This Time comes the realization that this is what John Hiatt does best: write songs through personal tales that speak to many, must be heard, are inspired and a cut above the competition. Although this is not the CD that will make him a big star, it's the type of CD few other artists are capable of making.