Hiatt Comes Alive Αt Budokan? is the twelfth album by singer-songwriter John Hiatt and his first live album, released on November 22, 1994. The recordings were made during the artist’s tour from February 26 to May 30, 1994 in the United States, with the title a parody of Peter Frampton’s album title, Frampton Comes Alive! and albums released by many artists that contained Live At Budokan in their title, such as Cheap Trick’s 1979 album.
Hiatt here, in addition to himself on lead vocals, rhythm guitar and piano, has behind him the group Guilty Dogs with Michael Ward on electric guitar and backing vocals, Davey Faragher on bass and backing vocals and Michael Urbano on drums and production, with the recordings taking place during the tour in support of his eleventh album, Perfectly Good Guitar.
You don’t need more ammunition than Hiatt has included on this album when there’s a set of 15 songs, including the tracks “Thing Called Love” and “Tennessee Plates”, taken from his four previous albums that have received rave reviews, starting with “Bring The Family”.
The performance of “Real Fine Love” here is amazing, with Hiatt’s expressive concert vocal style at its best. “Icy Blue Heart” really kills, with Davey Faragher’s sexy bass matching the sexual intensity of the verse.
“Your Dad Did”, breaks bones with its lyric that says, “The two-year-old says with grace: help the hungry children get well, but let my brother’s hamster burn in hell”.
The performance here, also of “Perfectly Good Guitar”, makes it a first-rate Air Guitar song.
Hiatt Comes Alive at Budokan? is full of car songs like “Drive South,” “Tennessee Plates,” “Slow Turning,” with John Hiatt truly unbeatable in road trip music, while himself performs his songs with a harder edge than some of his covers, with his distinctive voice giving even love songs like “Angel Eyes” an unconscious power. In the absence of a Best of A&M, Hiatt Comes Alive at Budokan? is a good sample of Hiatt’s work from 1987 to 1993.
The amazing performance of “Paper Thin,” which I select, has such a dirty guitar riff here that you definitely wouldn’t be able to take it home for mom.
Tracklist
1. Through Your Hands 4:14
2. Real Fine Love 4:59
3. Memphis In The Meantime 4:38
4. Icy Blue Heart 5:42
5. Paper Thin 2:07
6. Angel Eyes 2:13
7. Your Dad Did 5:35
8. Have A Little Faith In Me 4:17
9. Drive South 5:02
10. Thing Called Love 5:50
11. Perfectly Good Guitar 5:43
12. Feels Like Rain 6:21
13. Tennessee Plates 4:06
14. Lipstick Sunset 5:31
15. Slow Turning 4:51
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