Apart from the lack of surprises вЂќ the song list reads like HiattвЂ™s greatest hits вЂќ thereвЂ™s little to quibble with as Hiatt and the Guilty Dogs burn. ItвЂ™s a joke вЂњAlive at BudokanвЂќ was actually recorded at various gigs across the U.S. But topping them all is the exquisite вЂњBuffalo River Home.вЂќ HiattвЂ™s made a lot of great songs, but that oneвЂ™s the best. There are some great songs here, including the title track, on which Hiatt manages to sound angry and defiant, even as he decries the ultimate rock вЂnвЂ™ roll act of smashing a guitar.

It shows how adaptable HiattвЂ™s meat-and-potatoes songs are. Intrigued by the grungy music his teenage son was listening to, Hiatt enlisted some of those players вЂќ School of Fish guitarist Michael Ward, Wire Train drummer Brian McLeod and Faith No MoreвЂ™s Matt Wallace producing вЂќ for вЂњPerfectly Good Guitar.вЂќ Neat idea, with results to match, as Hiatt and company come off like Neil Young with Crazy Horse. The tone is more meditative, with songs like вЂњThirty Years of TearsвЂќ and вЂњThe Rest of the Dream,вЂќ but Hiatt hasnвЂ™t grown old, as he shows with the potent вЂњChild of the Wild Blue Yonder.вЂќ Hiatt navigates another successful turn, bringing in a whole new set of musicians. This is Hiatt with a Southern twist, as songs like вЂњDrive South,вЂќ вЂњTennessee PlatesвЂќ and вЂњFeels Like RainвЂќ rise to the top.

Songs like вЂњHave a Little Faith in MeвЂќ and вЂњThanks You GirlвЂќ celebrated domestic bliss, while вЂњMemphis in the MeantimeвЂќ celebrated another kind of love вЂќ HiattвЂ™s passion for rock вЂnвЂ™ roll, a theme he would return to over and over.Д®mphatically proving that вЂњBring the FamilyвЂќ was no fluke, Hiatt ditches the Cooder/Keltner/Lowe trio in favor of the Goners and doesnвЂ™t miss a beat.

Backed by the superstar trio of Ry Cooder, Jim Keltner and Nick Lowe, Hiatt crafted a cohesive album about home and family. After struggling mightily, largely in vain, to make his name, Hiatt broke through in a big way with вЂњBring the Family.вЂќ The album finds Hiatt trusting his songwriting skills, and it pays off.

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