# Mystic Pinball > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mystic_Pinball > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mystic_Pinball.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystic_Pinball > Source revision: 1301534281 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = Mystic Pinball | type = Studio | artist = [John Hiatt](/source/John_Hiatt) | cover = John Hiatt's Mystic Pinball.jpg | alt = | released = {{Start date|2012|09|25}} | recorded = 2012 | studio = [Ben's Place](/source/Grand_Victor_Sound) (Nashville, Tennessee) | genre = [Roots rock](/source/Roots_rock) | length = {{Duration|m=45|s=54}} | label = [New West](/source/New_West_Records) | producer = [Kevin Shirley](/source/Kevin_Shirley) | prev_title = [Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns](/source/Dirty_Jeans_and_Mudslide_Hymns) | prev_year = 2011 | next_title = [Terms of My Surrender](/source/Terms_of_My_Surrender) | next_year = 2014 | misc = {{Singles | name = Mystic Pinball | type = studio | single1 = We're Alright Now | single1date = 2012 }} }} '''''Mystic Pinball''''' is singer-songwriter [John Hiatt](/source/John_Hiatt)'s twenty-first album, released in 2012. The recording sessions took place at Ben's Studio in [Nashville](/source/Nashville%2C_Tennessee). The album was produced by [Kevin Shirley](/source/Kevin_Shirley). It features contributions from Doug Henthorn, Brandon Young, [Doug Lancio](/source/Doug_Lancio), Russ Pahl, [Patrick O'Hearn](/source/Patrick_O'Hearn), [Kenneth Blevins](/source/Kenneth_Blevins), Arlan Schierbaum, and Ron Dziubla. In the United States, the album peaked at No. 39 on the [''Billboard'' 200](/source/Billboard_200), No. 6 on the [Americana/Folk Albums](/source/Americana%2FFolk_Albums), No. 17 on the [Top Rock Albums](/source/Top_Rock_Albums), No. 8 on the [Independent Albums](/source/Independent_Albums) and No. 15 on the [Tastemakers](/source/Tastemakers). It also reached No. 35 on the [Sverigetopplistan](/source/Sverigetopplistan), No. 41 on the [Dutch Album Top 100](/source/Dutch_Album_Top_100), and No. 90 on the [Swiss Hitparade](/source/Swiss_Hitparade). == Release == ''Mystic Pinball'' was released by [New West](/source/New_West_Records) on September 25, 2012.{{Cite web |last=Deming |first=Mark |title=Mystic Pinball Review by Mark Deming |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/mystic-pinball-mw0002411986 |website=[AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)}} The album debuted, and peaked at No. 39 on the [''Billboard'' 200](/source/Billboard_200) chart,{{Cite web |title=Billboard 200 - Week of October 13, 2012 |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/2012-10-13/ |website=[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))}}{{cite magazine |title=John Hiatt Chart History: Billboard 200 |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/john-hiatt/chart-history/tlp/ |accessdate= |magazine=[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))}} making it Hiatt's highest-charting album in the US. "We're Alright Now" was released as a single.{{Cite web |last=Schlansky |first=Evan |date=August 14, 2012 |title=Exclusive: Hear John Hiatt’s New Single “We’re Alright Now” |url=https://americansongwriter.com/exclusive-hear-john-hiatts-new-single-were-alright-now/ |website=[American Songwriter](/source/American_Songwriter)}}{{Cite web |last=Britt |first=Grant |date=October 3, 2012 |title=CD Review - John Hiatt "Mystic Pinball" |url=https://nodepression.org/cd-review-john-hiatt-mystic-pinball/ |website=[No Depression](/source/No_Depression_(magazine))}} ==Critical reception== ''Mystic Pinball'' was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics. At [Metacritic](/source/Metacritic), which assigns a [normalized](/source/Standard_score) rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an [average](/source/Weighted_arithmetic_mean) score of 72, based on five reviews.{{Music 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](/source/Metacritic) |language=en}} | rev1 = [AllMusic](/source/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](/source/AllMusic) |language=en}} | rev2 = ''[Classic Rock](/source/Classic_Rock_(magazine))'' | 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](/source/Classic_Rock_(magazine)) |language=en}} | rev3 = ''[The Irish Times](/source/The_Irish_Times)'' | rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/album-reviews/john-hiatt-1.551503 |title=John Hiatt - The Irish Times |newspaper=[The Irish Times](/source/The_Irish_Times) |date=October 12, 2012 |last=Breen |first=Joe}} | rev4 = ''[PopMatters](/source/PopMatters)'' | rev4score = 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](/source/PopMatters) |language=en-US}} | rev5 = ''[Record Collector](/source/Record_Collector)'' | rev5score = {{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](/source/Record_Collector) |language=en}} | rev6 = ''[Uncut](/source/Uncut_(magazine))'' | rev6score = 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](/source/Uncut_(magazine)) |page=75 |access-date=May 13, 2022}} }}[Andrew Mueller](/source/Andrew_Mueller) of ''[Uncut](/source/Uncut_(magazine))'' called the work "another assemblage of breezy balladry and snarling storytelling, delivered in the familiar Cookie Monster drawl". [AllMusic](/source/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](/source/PopMatters)'', Matt Arado stated: "an album that offers familiar pleasures without stretching for new ones". Grant Britt of ''[No Depression](/source/No_Depression_(magazine))'' writes "Hiatt’s work has always been impossible to categorize, and thankfully that shows no signs of changing. The only constant in his music is that it’s always gloriously twisted and gnarly. Once it touches you, its roots entwine you so thoroughly in Hiatt-ness that you can’t cut loose. You just relax in his embrace and wait for the next one to come along and grab you." ==Track listing== {{Track listing | all_writing = [John Hiatt](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Vocal_harmony) (tracks: 7, 11) * Brandon Young – backing vocals (track 4) * [Doug Lancio](/source/Doug_Lancio) – electric guitar (tracks: 1–9, 11, 12), Hammertone [twelve-string guitar](/source/twelve-string_guitar) (tracks: 7, 10), [mandolin](/source/mandolin) & [dobro](/source/dobro) (track 12) * Russ Pahl – [pedal steel guitar](/source/pedal_steel_guitar) (track 11) * [Patrick O'Hearn](/source/Patrick_O'Hearn) – bass (tracks: 1–9, 11, 12), [fiddle](/source/fiddle) (track 10) * [Kenneth Blevins](/source/Kenneth_Blevins) – drums, percussion (tracks: 1–9, 11, 12) * Arlan Schierbaum – piano (tracks: 3, 11), organ (track 3) * Ron Dziubla – saxophone * [Kevin Shirley](/source/Kevin_Shirley) – recording, mixing, producer * Jared Kvitka – engineering * Leslie Richter – engineering * [Pat Thrall](/source/Pat_Thrall) – additional engineering * [Bob Ludwig](/source/Bob_Ludwig) – [mastering](/source/Mastering_engineer) * 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
position |- {{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}} Category:2012 albums Category:John Hiatt albums Category:New West Records albums Category:Albums produced by Kevin Shirley --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mystic Pinball](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystic_Pinball) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystic_Pinball?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.