Although John Hiatt's life must have been hell in 1984 (his wife committed suicide and himself an alcoholic wreck, a period he reflects on in Bring The Family), Riding With The King from that same year is among the best of his early years. . The album was produced half and half by Nick Lowe and Scott Mathews (Durocs). The former delivers a rootsy pub rock sound (Hiatt gets help from Lowes band Cowboy
… Outfit) while Mathews and Hiatt are the only musicians on a number of sparsely colored, mainly acoustic folk songs. Riding With The King contains at least four songs that are some of the best Hiatt ever wrote: Death By Misadventure, She Loves The Jerk, You May Already Be A Winner and I Don't Even Try. Four songs that show Hiatt at its most bitter,more
