John Hiatt is better at imitating
Howlin' Wolf than he is
James Taylor, and that he tries both here as well as
Bob Dylan and
Ben E. King is some indication of his ambition, if not his accomplishment. Conversely, be began to become more himself on his second album, at least on such songs as "I'm Tired of Your Stuff" and "I Killed an Ant With My Guitar," if not on the more lugubrious numbers, such as "Distance" or on the ones that sounded like publishing demos for a more popular singer, such as "Down Home." ~ William Ruhlmann