The SOR Glossary of JH Acronyms

The following is a compendium of acronyms bandied about on the Shot-of-Rhythm mailing list. They refer to people, places, and things that are familiar to most Hiatt aficianados. When somebody says LV, we all just know what they mean.

This list serves two purposes. First, consider it your own personal super-secret decoder ring for the SOR mailing list. Second, these acronyms symbolize things that are important to the work and art of John Hiatt. That is, these represent things that are so important and discussed so frequently that they have become acronymized [sic]. The acroynms, therefore, become a checklist of things you might find useful.

JH
Like, you really gotta ask???

BR - Bonnie Raitt
Singer and slide guitarist. Like JH, backed by a cult following for decades and decades. Broke through with the 1989 "Nick of Time" album (c.f. BTF), winning huge audiences, stadium gigs, and a boatload of Grammys. Recommended: Sweet Forgiveness (1977), Nick of Time (1989).

BTF - Bring the Family
JH's 1987 album that is significant for many reasons. It marks, what some would call, the beginning of his "introspective" songwriting period. It was his first album released for A&M. It contains "Thing Called Love", the song that Bonnie Raitt would cover and garner her a Grammy. (It contains "Memphis in the Meantime" -- the namesake of this mailing list.) It brought together an incredible collection of sidemen (Ry Cooder, Jim Keltner, and Nick Lowe) who would later reunite as the band LV. And, simply put, many people believe it is a jewel among gems -- the best album and songwriting JH has produced.

LV - Little Village
Name of band and album released in 1992. Includes all four musicians from BTF. A good album. A great album. Both listeners and the musicians, however, had "supergroup" hopes (a la Blind Faith) and LV never quite lived up to that. Rumours abound that the pressure lead to a falling out among the principals -- but JH has been quoted saying that all four would like to do an LV2. *If* you could find a place and time to get all four busy people together again.

PGG - Perfectly Good Guitar
JH's latest release (1993). An emergence from his three-album "introspective" phase (c.f. LV), and, in some ways, a throwback to his earlier, hard-driving style. Yet, the songwriting maintains the wit, charm, and cleverness of his prior work. Followed by a highly aggressive (and well received) year-long concert tour.

RC - Ry Cooder
Acknowledged as one of the meanest slide guitarists on the face of the planet. There are many intertwinings between the careers of JH and RC. JH has served in RC's touring band. RC has covered JH's work. RC played on BTF and wrote the liner notes of "Y'All Caught?" (1989). The two joined forces in LV. Recommended: Bop Till You Drop (1979).

RWTK - Riding With The King
[need somebody to author this entry]

SOR - Shot-of-Rhythm
Internet electronic mailing list for the discussion of JH, and producer of this list.

Contributors to this glossary are:

Chip Rosenthal
<chip@unicom.com>

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