In a profession that now stretches 5 a long time, John Mellencamp has been a person of many faces, many musical kinds, and plenty of names. Decide any two John Mellencamp songs of his at random, and it might be onerous to imagine they have been made by the identical man. However there’s a deeply American spirit that holds his work collectively, from the raucous rock & roll of the early days to the lowdown folks and nation of newer years.
What follows is a set of 20 important Mellencamp songs, from his debut as Johnny Cougar to Strictly a One-Eyed Jack in 2022. Our objective isn’t to incorporate each hit (that may take 20 tracks after which some), however to have consultant highlights from every of the person’s main phases. We’ll begin originally and go in chronological order.
“The American Dream” (from Chestnut Road Incident, 1976)
Then often known as “Johnny Cougar,” John Mellencamp’s debut album is filled with unlikely 60s cowl songs and slick, glitter-styled manufacturing. On the time, he seemed and gave the impression of he actually liked Elvis Presley. The opening monitor continues to be a stable rocker, introducing the heartland storytelling that may later make his identify. Even the refrain, “Ain’t that the American dream,” would later be tailored in a extra well-known tune of his.
“Ain’t Even Done With the Night” (from Nothin’ Issues and What If It Did, 1981)
Donning the extra severe “John Cougar” identify, John Mellencamp set his sights on chart success: This tune was a part of a string of singles (together with “Hurt So Good” and the Pat Benatar-covered “I Need a Lover”) that established him as a radio presence. “Ain’t Even Done…” was the sweetest of the batch, a track that captures the texture of being younger and sexed-up. The lyrics evince each insecurity (“Don’t even know if I’m doing this right”) and limitless chance. Certain, there’s a little bit of Springsteen right here, however the lead mandolin factors at his future route.
“Jack & Diane” (from American Idiot, 1982)
An 80s anthem and a No. 1 hit, “Jack & Diane” places some ambiguity in John Mellencamp’s storytelling: We don’t know the place Jack and Diane will find yourself, that is only a snapshot that feels gritty and actual. Sonically, it was state-of-the-art, with that heavy acoustic guitar, the large chord crashes, and the rousing “Oh let it rock” refrain.
“Pink Houses” (from Uh-Huh, 1983)
Enter “John Cougar Mellencamp,” and essentially the most emblematic track of his profession (if not fairly the largest hit). The refrain of “ain’t that America” has been adopted by politicians on each side of the spectrum, however like “Born in the USA,” that is a straightforward track to misread. Mellencamp’s track is patriotic however not a flag-waver: It calls out inequality and misplaced goals, and says that the peoples’ capability to roll with it’s what makes this nation nice.
“Small Town” (from Scarecrow, 1985)
One other yr, one other anthem: Once you hear the phrases “heartland rock,” “Small Town” is probably going the primary track that involves thoughts. No double edge on this one, it’s a pure celebration of his roots, and the video contains a few of the most rural scenes ever to seem on peak-era MTV.
“Rain On the Scarecrow” (from Scarecrow, 1985)
“Scarecrow” made a forceful case for the economically threatened American farmer. Anticipating Farm Help and some stacks of similarly-themed songs, this one went a good distance towards placing the plight of farmers on the nationwide radar.
“Paper in Fire,” (from The Lonesome Jubilee, 1987)
Now hitting the height of his 80s fame, John Mellencamp was mixing rock and roots into his personal sort of American music. The pairing of accordion and fiddle with Kenny Aronoff’s energy drumming made this an particularly potent band. Although it nonetheless works as a fist-waver, “Paper in Fire” discovered him writing on a extra metaphorical stage about how the grandest goals can flip to ashes.
“Shama Lama Ding Dong” (single, 1987)
For all of the deep ideas in his songs, John Mellencamp may do pure enjoyable with the most effective. This rarity is a primary instance: Initially performed by Otis Day & the Knights within the film Animal Home, “Shama Lama Ding Dong” was a nod to the soulful sound of North Carolina seaside music. It was a well-liked stay tune within the Lonesome Jubilee period, and a studio model appeared on the B-side of the “Cherry Bomb” single. Nonetheless non-LP in any case these years, so completely satisfied searching.
“Big Daddy of Them All” (from Large Daddy, 1989)
Large Daddy was a shock. It was a darker album that largely averted the same old rockers and anthems and had extra of a world-weary tone. The hit single “Pop Singer” is one in all John Mellencamp’s crankiest. This kind-of title monitor opened the album and set its tone, telling of a personality who beneficial properties energy however loses his soul. The sound is likewise stripped-down, with an aggressive lead guitar that seems solely within the center and finish.
“I Ain’t Never Satisfied” (from Each time We Needed, 1991)
Simply when it appeared John Mellencamp had grown away from straight-ahead rock, he picked it again up with a vengeance on this oft-overlooked 1991 album – the primary to be credited to “John Mellencamp.” He was assured sufficient to launch half of its ten tracks as singles – however oddly, this standout monitor wasn’t a kind of. With a killer guitar riff and intelligent lyrics (“I try anything once, but then I do it to death”), that is as stripped-down and punkish as Mellencamp will get. Cheers to the terrific guitarist David Grissom, pinched from Texas rocker Joe Ely’s band.
“Wild Night” (from Dance Bare, 1994)
Cowl tunes are a permanent a part of John Mellencamp’s catalogue, he even devoted a full compilation album to Different Peoples’ Stuff in 2018. “Wild Night” makes our record, partly as a result of it was an enormous hit and since it provides one in all Van Morrison’s most beloved tunes a run for its cash. Mellencamp doesn’t change the texture of the track a lot, although he does change Morrison’s horns with a wall of guitars. However the vocal tradeoffs with Me’Shell Ndegeocello are the true kicker.
“Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)” (from Mr. Completely happy Go Fortunate, 1996)
Mr. Completely happy Go Fortunate is a captivating one-off in John Mellencamp’s catalogue, a surreal circus of a disc partly impressed by his near-fatal coronary heart assault two years earlier. Amongst its darker psychedelic tracks is that this sunny, however nonetheless dreamlike story of an impulsive love affair. The can’t-miss refrain proved his hitmaking instincts have been nonetheless intact – although this was one in all his final songs on this vein, and his remaining journey to the singles Prime 20.
“Miss Missy” (from John Mellencamp, 1998)
Meant to be a recent begin, the self-titled 1998 album is one in all his missed gems. A lot of it nods towards Dylan and Donovan with its acoustic taste and intensive use of Indian devices, however there are additionally old-school rockers like “Miss Missy.” A romantic tune with an infectious hook, it contains a one-time supergroup with the Heartbreakers’ Stan Lynch, Weapons N’ Roses’ Izzy Stradlin, and Lisa Germano on harmonica.
“Cuttin’ Heads” (from Cuttin’ Heads, 2001)
Musically that is one in all John Mellencamp’s extra audacious tracks, mixing Delta blues with hip-hop, and together with a visitor rap by Chuck D of Public Enemy. Lyrically it’s much more so, with Mellencamp’s verse concerning the legacy of racism giving strategy to Chuck’s rap towards any use of the n-word (the phrase is definitely within the track, in a “don’t call me…” chant that references a classic Sly Stone monitor). It’s a trenchant commentary that solely wanted one false transfer to topple it.
“Down in the Bottom” (from Bother No Extra, 2003)
Bother No Extra proved to be a transitional album – John Mellencamp’s first dedicated to folks and blues materials, however he nonetheless rocked it fairly onerous. Initially minimize by Howlin’ Wolf, “Down in the Bottom” is a hellbent blues a couple of man who’s been dishonest and now has the woman’s husband on his path. It’s top-of-the-line variations of this oft-covered track, which additionally occurs to be a Rolling Stones favourite.
“Our Country” (from Freedom’s Street, 2007)
For anybody who longed for a return to the Scarecrow period, the missed Freedom’s Street was simply the ticket. For the primary (and final) time in an extended whereas, John Mellencamp embraced the heartland rock sound of outdated, with “Our Country” specifically coming throughout like a contemporary “Pink Houses.” However this time the message is much more easy, saying America’s bought room for everybody. Greatest often known as a truck business, it additionally squeaked into the nation Prime 40.
“Don’t Need This Body” (from Life, Loss of life, Love & Freedom, 2008)
“This gettin’ older – well, it ain’t for cowards.” A quotable line if there ever was one, and one which wraps up John Mellencamp’s perspective on this new, rural-blues stage of his work. Like lots of his latter-day songs, “Don’t Need This Body” is steeped in hard-won ideas about age and mortality – nevertheless it additionally sounds grizzled and defiant. New collaborator T-Bone Burnett supplies a haunting, out-of-time manufacturing.
“No Better Than This” (from No Higher Than This, 2010)
John Mellencamp and T-Bone Burnett went high-concept on their second collaboration, recording at Georgia’s First African Baptist Church and at Solar Studio, each in mono with loads of room echo and slapback bass. It comes out as a scruffy folks/rock album with a little bit of humor between the traces – particularly on the title monitor, the place the singer needs to relive his youth however says he’d accept a superb get together and a full night time’s sleep.
“My Soul’s Got Wings” (from Unhappy Clowns & Hillbillies, 2017)
Name this one a double collaboration, with its vocal tradeoffs between John Mellencamp and Carlene Carter – the daughter of June Carter and former spouse/muse of Nick Lowe – who sound positively made for one another. It additionally allowed Mellencamp to put in writing along with his songwriting hero Woody Guthrie, whose household introduced him some poems that hadn’t been set to music. He goes for an uplifting, nation/gospel really feel; the shock is how younger and feisty Mellencamp can nonetheless sound in any case these mortality songs.
“Wasted Days” (from Strictly a One-Eyed Jack, 2022)
Longtime associates John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen lastly bought round to reducing a number of duets for this 2022 album, which once more finds the passage of time on their minds: “Wasted Days” is a somber tune that asks numerous the robust questions (“How many summers still remain, how many days are lost in vain?”) The reassurance comes from their vocal mix, with Springsteen offering the high-lonesome concord to Mellencamp’s lowdown lead.
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