Slow Turning is singer-songwriter John Hiatt's ninth album, released in 1988. It provided Hiatt's only significant radio hit with the title track. The single "Slow Turning" was also featured in the 2002 motion picture drama The Rookie which starred Dennis Quaid. "Feels Like Rain" was later covered by Buddy Guy on an album of the same name and was featured in the 2004 Kate Hudson movie Raising Helen. Aaron Neville also covered "Feels Like Rain" on his 1991 album "Warm Your Heart". "Drive South" became a No. 2 country hit for Suzy Bogguss in early 1993. "Icy Blue Heart" was covered by Emmylou Harris on her 1989 album Bluebird, with backing vocals by Bonnie Raitt, and was covered later by Linda Ronstadt on her 1998 album We Ran. Ilse DeLange recorded "It'll Come To You" and "Feels Like Rain" on her live album "Dear John". During the barroom scene in the film Thelma and Louise, the band is playing "Tennessee Plates" (Charlie Sexton recorded the song for the soundtrack album).
Though not credited on the album cover, Hiatt is backed by the Goners.
Release
Slow Turning was released by A&M Records on August 30, 1988.
The album debuted at No. 183,
and peaked at No. 98 on the
Billboard 200 chart.
The album spent 31 weeks on that chart.
The first single from the album was the title track,
released in November 1988.
It debuted at No. 48,
and peaked at No. 8 on the Mainstream Rock chart.
"Paper Thin", which debuted at No. 46,
and peaked at No. 18 on the Mainstream Rock chart, and "
Drive South" were also released as singles. Music videos were made for "Slow Turning" and "Drive South".
Critical reception
Billboard calls the album a "noble follow-up."
calls Slow Turning "an album of myriad pleasures, characterized by weathered vocals, precise, bitter imagery and noveau-country/roots arrangements."
wrote "Topping last year's
Bring The Family was no easy feat, yet I'd rate
Slow Turning even higher."
RPM wrote "No real turnaround here, just a good solid follow-up record."
reviewer Mark Deming says that "Following the best album of your career is no easy task for most performers, but with
Slow Turning John Hiatt made it clear that the excellence of
Bring the Family was no fluke."
Track listing
All tracks are written by John Hiatt, except "Tennessee Plates", written by John Hiatt and Mike Porter.
Charts
Personnel
- Technical
