Mystic Pinball
{{Infobox album
| name = Mystic Pinball
| type = Studio
| artist = John Hiatt
| cover = John Hiatt's Mystic Pinball.jpg
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|2012|09|25}}
| recorded = 2012
| studio = Ben's Place (Nashville, Tennessee)
| genre = Roots rock
| length = {{Duration|m=45|s=54}}
| label = New West
| producer = Kevin Shirley
| prev_title = Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns
| prev_year = 2011
| next_title = Terms of My Surrender
| next_year = 2014
| misc =
}}
Mystic Pinball is the twenty-first solo studio album by American musician John Hiatt. It was released on September 25, 2012, via New West Records. The recording sessions took place at Ben's Studio in Nashville. The album was produced by Kevin Shirley. It features contributions from Doug Henthorn, Brandon Young, Doug Lancio, Russ Pahl, Patrick O'Hearn, Kenneth Blevins, Arlan Schierbaum, and Ron Dziubla.
In the United States, the album peaked at No. 39 on the Billboard 200, No. 6 on the Americana/Folk Albums, No. 17 on the Top Rock Albums, No. 8 on the Independent Albums and No. 15 on the Tastemakers. It also reached No. 35 on the Sverigetopplistan, No. 41 on the Dutch Album Top 100, and No. 90 on the Swiss Hitparade.
Critical reception
{{Album ratings
| MC = 72/100{{Cite web |title=Critic Reviews for Mystic Pinball |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/mystic-pinball/john-hiatt/critic-reviews |access-date=May 13, 2022 |website=Metacritic |language=en}}
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{Cite web |last=Deming |first=Mark |author-link=Mark Deming |title=Mystic Pinball – John Hiatt {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/mystic-pinball-mw0002411986 |access-date=May 13, 2022 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}
| rev2 = Classic Rock
| rev2score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{Cite web |last=Hughes |first=Rob |date=November 7, 2012 |title=John Hiatt: Mystic Pinball |url=https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/john-hiatt-mystic-pinball |access-date=May 13, 2022 |website=Classic Rock |language=en}}
| rev3 = PopMatters
| rev3score = 6/10{{Cite web |last=Arado |first=Matt |date=September 26, 2012 |title=John Hiatt: Mystic Pinball, PopMatters |url=https://www.popmatters.com/163305-john-hiatt-mystic-pinball-2495814562.html |access-date=May 13, 2022 |website=PopMatters |language=en-US}}
| rev4 = Record Collector
| rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{Cite web |last=Staunton |first=Terry |date=October 7, 2012 |title=Mystic Pinball – Record Collector Magazine |url=https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/album/mystic-pinball |access-date=May 13, 2022 |website=Record Collector |language=en}}
| rev5 = Uncut
| rev5score = 8/10{{Cite magazine |last=Mueller |first=Andrew |author-link=Andrew Mueller |date=November 2012 |title=Uncut |url=https://archive.org/details/uncut-11.2012/page/n74/mode/1up |magazine=Uncut |page=75 |access-date=May 13, 2022}}
}}
Mystic Pinball was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 72, based on five reviews.
Andrew Mueller of Uncut called the work "another assemblage of breezy balladry and snarling storytelling, delivered in the familiar Cookie Monster drawl". AllMusic's Mark Deming wrote: "for a guy whose 40th year as a solo artist is appearing on the horizon, he's sounding as full of ideas and energy as a guy half his age, and Mystic Pinball confirms he's still delivering the goods in an impressive fashion". In his mixed review for PopMatters, Matt Arado stated: "an album that offers familiar pleasures without stretching for new ones".
Track listing
{{Track listing
| all_writing = John Hiatt
| title1 = We're Alright Now
| length1 = 4:22
| title2 = Bite Marks
| length2 = 3:36
| title3 = It All Comes Back Someday
| length3 = 3:38
| title4 = Wood Chipper
| length4 = 4:36
| title5 = My Business
| length5 = 3:06
| title6 = I Just Don't Know What to Say
| length6 = 4:37
| title7 = I Know How to Lose You
| length7 = 3:49
| title8 = You're All the Reason I Need
| length8 = 3:47
| title9 = One of Them Damn Days
| length9 = 2:46
| title10 = No Wicked Grin
| length10 = 3:55
| title11 = Give It Up
| length11 = 4:08
| title12 = Blues Can't Even Find Me
| length12 = 3:34
| total_length = 45:54
}}
Personnel
- John Hiatt – vocals, electric guitar (tracks: 1–3, 5, 8, 9), acoustic guitar (tracks: 4, 6–8, 10–12), organ (track 4), piano (track 6)
- Doug Henthorn – backing vocals (tracks: 1–3, 8), harmony vocals (tracks: 7, 11)
- Brandon Young – backing vocals (track 4)
- Doug Lancio – electric guitar (tracks: 1–9, 11, 12), Hammertone twelve-string guitar (tracks: 7, 10), mandolin & dobro (track 12)
- Russ Pahl – pedal steel guitar (track 11)
- Patrick O'Hearn – bass (tracks: 1–9, 11, 12), fiddle (track 10)
- Kenneth Blevins – drums, percussion (tracks: 1–9, 11, 12)
- Arlan Schierbaum – piano (tracks: 3, 11), organ (track 3)
- Ron Dziubla – saxophone
- Kevin Shirley – recording, mixing, producer
- Jared Kvitka – engineering
- Leslie Richter – engineering
- Pat Thrall – additional engineering
- Bob Ludwig – mastering
- John Golden – additional mastering
- Gina R. Binkley – design
- Jack Spencer – photography
- Gary Briggs – A&R
Charts
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" |
| scope="col"|Chart (2012)
!scope="col"|Peak |
|---|
| {{album chart|Flanders|75|artist=John Hiatt|album=Mystic Pinball|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 13, 2022}} |
| {{album chart|Wallonia|168|artist=John Hiatt|album=SMystic Pinball|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 13, 2022}} |
| {{album chart|Netherlands|41|artist=John Hiatt|album=SMystic Pinball|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 13, 2022}} |
| {{album chart|Sweden|35|artist=John Hiatt|album=SMystic Pinball|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 13, 2022}} |
| {{album chart|Switzerland|90|artist=John Hiatt|album=SMystic Pinball|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 13, 2022}} |
| {{album chart|Billboard200|39|artist=John Hiatt|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 13, 2022}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardFolk|6|artist=John Hiatt|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 13, 2022}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardRock|17|artist=John Hiatt|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 13, 2022}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardIndependent|8|artist=John Hiatt|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 13, 2022}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardTastemaker|15|artist=John Hiatt|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 13, 2022}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Discogs master|625014|Mystic Pinball}}
{{John Hiatt}}
{{Authority control}}