Same Old Man

Same Old Man
Studio album by John Hiatt
Released	May 27, 2008
Studio	Highway 61 Recording Tanning And Barbecue
Genre	Rock
Length	45:40
Label	New West
Producer	John Hiatt
John Hiatt chronology
Live from Austin, TX (2005) Same Old Man (2008) The Open Road (2010)
Singles from Same Old Man
"Old Days" Released: 2008

Same Old Man is singer-songwriter John Hiatt's eighteenth album, released in 2008. ^[1] The album peaked at number 84 on the Billboard 200.

Release

Same Old Man was released by New West on May 27, 2008. ^{[2] [3]} It debuted, and peaked at No. 84 on the Billboard 200 chart. ^{[4] [5]} "Old Days" was released as a single.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	77/100 [6]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[7]
Robert Christgau	[8]
The Irish Times	[9]
Now	3/5 [10]

The album was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 77, based on eight reviews. ^[11]

AllMusic's Mark Deming writes, "Hiatt sings about the nuts and bolts of human relationships with the emotional gravity of someone who has learned plenty over the course of 56 years, and he writes and sings with the conviction of a true believer. More than a quarter century after breaking through as an "Angry Young Man," John Hiatt is neither these days, but Same Old Man shows he's learned a lot since then, and you can hear the lessons shining through in this music." ^[2] The Washington Post noted that a "wry sense of humor paired with his deadpan, gruff delivery is Hiatt's secret weapon." ^[12] Joe Breen of The Irish Times writes that the album "kicks off with the kind of loose-limbed, colour-rich biographical sketch of old bluesmen that tells you everything about them and him: wry, respectful and full of the kind of Americana spirit that makes Hiatt's albums a must for any self-respecting music fan." ^[13] Doug Collette of Glide Magazine says, "Same Old Man may be the most accessible album of John Hiatt’s career. But it’s worth serious note that the rewards of hearing this album far outweigh its simplicity and that’s due to the strength of the songs." ^[14]

Track listing

All tracks are written by John Hiatt.

1. "Old Days". 4:05
2. "Love You Again". 4:14
3. "On with You". 3:54
4. "Hurt My Baby". 4:35
5. "What Love Can Do". 4:14
6. "Ride My Pony". 3:41
7. "Cherry Red". 4:11
8. "Our Time". 4:10
9. "Two Hearts". 4:20
10. "Same Old Man". 4:05
11. "Let’s Give This Love a Try". 4:11

Personnel

• John Hiatt - Acoustic and electric guitar, vocals, six string bass, harmonium
• Luther Dickinson - Acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin, National Resonator
• Kenneth Blevins - Drums
• Patrick O'Hearn - Bass
• Lilly Hiatt - Vocals on ("Love You Again" written by Roger Coots) and "What Love Can Do"

Single

"Old Days" (2008)

• "Old Days" (4:02)
• "Love You Again" (4:13)
• "Cherry Red" (4:09)

References

1. Greenman, Ben (May 19, 2008). "Staying Power". The New Yorker: 15.
2. Deming, Mark. "Same Old Man Review by Mark Deming". AllMusic .
3. Graff, Gary (June 17, 2008). "John Hiatt Guided By Love On 'Same Old Man'". Billboard .
4. "Billboard 200 - Week of June 14, 2008". Billboard .
5. "John Hiatt Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard .
6. "Critic Reviews for Same Old Man". Metacritic .
7. Deming, Mark. Same Old Man at AllMusic. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
8. "Consumer Guide, John Hiatt reviews". Robert Christgau . Retrieved August 12, 2011.
9. Breen, Joe (June 6, 2008). "Roots - The Irish Times". The Irish Times .
10. Perlich, Tim (May 27, 2008). "JOHN HIATT Same Old Man". 'Now .
11. "Critic Reviews for Same Old Man - Metacritic". Metacritic .
12. Lewis, Catherine P. (July 4, 2008). "John Hiatt 'Same Old Man'". The Washington Post. p. T10.
13. Breen, Joe (June 6, 2008). "Roots - The Irish Times". The Irish Times .
14. Collette, Doug (May 29, 2008). "John Hiatt: Same Old Man - Glide Magazine". Glide Magazine.