Early Indistinct: John Cougar Didn't Give John Mellencamp A Fair Shot!

The Good: One or two decent tracks
The Bad: Short, Repetitive, Instrumentally unremarkable, Frequently overproduced, Vocally unimaginative
The Basics: John Cougar is an early album misstep for John Mellencamp, which - predictably - failed to truly launch his career.


Every now and then when I make an artist with an extensive musical collection my Artist Of The Month, I find myself intrigued by trying to figure out how or why their career went the way it did. So, for example, John Mellencamp has been an accomplished singer-songwriter for just shy of forty years . . . how did it take him so long to break out and get heard by the population in general? After all, it is hard to argue that his first several albums did virtually nothing on the charts, yet somehow he managed to hang on to become a household name and become one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the 1980s and then an impressive enough performer to keep a pretty vibrant career through most of the 1990s. After listening a lot to John Cougar, I finally have my answer as to why John Mellencamp wasn't instantly recognized as a musical genius or one who could truly sell records and dominate the charts.

John Cougar is a pretty terrible album. Fortunately, much of the blame can easily be steered away from John Mellencamp. Mellencamp writes relevant and interesting lyrics for many of the songs on John Cougar, but the album has erratic production and the instrumental accompaniment is all over the place, which results in an album that oscillates between being a mess and being forgettable. And when it is neither of those things, it is sadly repetitive.

With eleven tracks (on the 2005 re-issue), clocking out at 43:20, John Cougar is short, but pretty clearly the work of a young John Mellencamp. Mellencamp wrote ten of the eleven tracks and co-wrote "Pray For Me." Mellencamp provides all of the lead vocals on John Cougar, as well as playing primary guitars. Mellencamp is not credited with producing on John Cougar, which makes some sense given that he was a pretty young artist at the time.

Musically, John Cougar is all over the map. While most of the songs sound like incredibly average rock songs being played by a minimal garage band, the album opens with a pretty dippy pop-rock opening for "A Little Night Dancin'." There is a painfully incongruent keyboard (which sounds a lot like a sax, but there is none credited on the album) on "Do You Think That's Fair." Both "Miami" and "Sugar Marie" are overproduced. Even "I Need A Lover" has an extended musical intro that seems like either pointless grandstanding (though I bet it would be great live as a way to bring in the whole band and then erupt with Mellencamp) or vamping for time because, as much as I like the song, it does not have all that many lyrics/is very repetitive with the lines it does have. In fact, only the stripped down version of "Taxi Dancer" seems to get the balance of music and vocals perfectly right.

Vocally, John Cougar does not challenge John Mellencamp at all. The songs feature his occasionally raspy, usually clear voice. It works, save when his lines don't; there are a few moments where he tries to shove too many syllables into a verse and, because he sings so clearly, it is noticeable in a troubling way.

Lyrically, John Cougar is all over the map. Mellencamp writes musical storysongs for works like "Taxi Dancer" and "Welcome To Chinatown," but the latter is hardly one of his most coherent or compelling musical stories he has told. In addition to being painfully repetitive with the refrain, Mellencamp sings about "Well I ain't that choosy / I'll flip-flop with a floozy / If I figure there's no strings attached / But sometimes I loose my feet / Underneath the back seat / And I have to fly my heart at half mast" ("Welcome To Chinatown"), which lacks the usual thematic depth Mellencamp brings to his songs.

John Cougar is not lacking entirely in social commentary, though. On "The Great Midwest," Mellencamp does his usual job of poking through the veil to illustrate some sense of reality behind the ideology of America. With lines like "... they call this the Great Midwest / Where the cornfields row and flow / They're all 5 years ahead of their time / Or 25 behind, I just don't know / All the young men talk about their 4 wheel drives / And how much money they're gonna make on Friday night / And, they like to brag about how they mistreat their girlfriends / Hey, let's get drunk, party it up, start a fight" ("The Great Midwest"), Mellencamp does a decent job of exposing the reality of America.

Even so, John Cougar is fractured in that Mellencamp refuses to commit to being as smart as he actually is. When he sings "Well Shakespeare threw down his pencil, / Said I think I'm gonna start layin' brick / Too much of this Romeo stuff enough to make / Anybody sick / 'To be or not to be,' I mean what's that supposed to mean / I'm changin' my image tomorrow / Be a groupie, make the scene" ("Pray For Me"), it is hard not to be a bit disappointed by him playing ignorant, even in the form of a musical protagonist.

Ultimately, John Cougar is a comparatively underwhelming album that was an early misstep for John Mellencamp. For sure, he recovered from it fast, but listeners will understand why he wasn't a break-out artist from his first big studio album when they hear it! The best track is "Taxi Dancer," the low point is probably "Small Paradise."

For other works by John Mellencamp, please check out my reviews of:
Chestnut Street Incident
A Biograpghy
Nothin' Matters And What If It Did
American Fool
Uh-Huh
Words And Music: John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits

3/10

For a full list of the albums and singles I have reviewed, please check out my Music Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Rocking Out On His Own, John Mellencamp's Uh-Huh Endures!

The Good: Good lyrics, Catchy tunes, Decent vocals, Engaging instrumental accompaniment
The Bad: SHORT, Frontloaded, Repetitive on some songs
The Basics: Aging well, Uh-Huh remains a damn good, albeit short, album.


Every now and then, publications and website generate lists of their opinions of the best works for various criteria. The longer I explore the works of John Mellencamp, the more I understand why so many of his albums make it into essential album lists from the 1980s. Despite the albums being short - which was very much a sign of the times, given that vinyl and cassette were still the standard and they had limited durations - Mellencamp's albums from the 1980s are usually packed with decent songs beyond the two or three singles that made it onto the radio. That is certainly how it is with his album Uh-Huh.

Uh-Huh was the first album Mellencamp produced under the name John Cougar Mellencamp. It was the first album Mellencamp created after leaving the record label that had made him an icon with American Fool. Uh-Huh also represents a new high water mark for Mellencamp with the amount of creative control he had over his own works and, as such, it is one of the most distinctly Mellencamp albums of his early career.

With only nine songs (10 tracks - an acoustic version of "Pink Houses" - on the 2005 c.d. reissue) clocking out at 32:59, Uh-Huh is very short. What is on the album, though, is distinctly the work of John Mellencamp. Mellencamp wrote four of the songs and co-wrote the other five. Mellencamp provides all of the primary vocals on Uh-Huh and while he is not credited with playing any instruments on it, he was co-producer on Uh-Huh.

Uh-Huh sounds very much like a garage band generating pop-rock songs. The guitar and drums dominate the music and the album alternates well between quieter, more contemplative, pop tracks like "Pink Houses" and "Jackie O" and more banging, guitar-driven tracks that compete with pounding drums like "Play Guitar" and "The Authority Song."

Vocally, John Mellencamp growls his way through Uh-Huh. At this point in Mellencamp's career, he had found his range and he sticks in it in Uh-Huh. Perhaps his most impressive musical moments are how fast he can sing, as he does on "Serious Business." Otherwise, he sings clearly enough to get his message across.

On Uh-Huh John Mellencamp sings about revolution and the real state of America in the early '80s. Songs like "Crumbling Down" became anthemic for young people and it is hard not to see why songs like "The Authority Song" resonated long after the 80s. Sure, it might be repetitive when Mellencamp repeats the mantra "When I fight authority, Authority always wins" ("The Authority Song"), but he makes it work and rock.

As one might expect, Uh-Huh contains some musical storysongs. His musical storysongs tend to blend social commentary and the sense of personal experiences. While "Pink Houses" cracked at the facade of Americana, anyone who has had a dream and had to sell out for American Capitalism is likely to be able to relate to "Warmer Place To Sleep." With lines like "I had breakfast with the wise man /He told me what he thought I should know / And I've been to bed with Jezebel / And I found the well was deep /And I'd trade in my ambitions / For a warmer place to sleep" ("Warmer Place To Sleep"), Mellencamp sings well about how dreams die in America.

Uh-Huh also features Mellencamp reacting to his own celebrity. When he sings "This is serious business / Sex and violence and rock and roll / You know my head is sweating / I can't dance and I can't relax / Outside is too threatening now / I've come this far and I can't go back / Call up some old friends / Call up some strangers" ("Serious Business") it is hard not to believe that he is singing about some of his new experiences as a rock star.

Uh-Huh is more than just the three iconic '80s songs that people might associate with the album. Despite uncharactistic rhyme schemes on "Jackie O," there are no truly bad songs on the album and it illustrates well the potential Mellencamp had for continuing to produce well beyond one hit record. The best song is "Pink Houses," the weak track is "Lovin' Mother Fo Ya."

For other works by John Mellencamp, please check out my reviews of:
Chestnut Street Incident
A Biograpghy
Nothin' Matters And What If It Did
American Fool
Words And Music: John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits

8/10

For a full list of the albums and singles I have reviewed, please check out my Music Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Unremarkable Ditties: Nothin' Matters And What If It Did

The Good: Some decent lyrics, Vocals aren't bad
The Bad: SHORT, Musically unimaginative, Lack of a hook
The Basics: Very much a young album, John Mellencamp's Nothin' Matters And What If It Did is understandably one he has distanced himself from!


John Mellancamp was my October Artist Of The Month and given how fast the year is going and how I have not chosen a subsequent Artist Of The Month, I've decided to continue my immersion in the works of John Mellencamp through the end of the year! Little makes me instantly regret that decision like the next Mellancamp album in my docket: Nothin' Matters And What If It Did. Nothin' Matters And What If It Did was one of John Mellancamp's earliest albums and it is one that is distinctive only in the lack of any worthwhile songs outside the two songs that made it to the radio. Forgettable and monotonous, Nothin' Matters And What If It Did is the work of a young artist making pop ditties that lack his distinctive sound, energy or enthusiasm in their presentation.

It did not surprise me to read an article in which John Mellencamp, years later, distanced himself from Nothin' Matters And What If It Did. Nothin' Matters And What If It Did lacks deep social commentary that is present on most John Mellencamp albums and Mellencamp challenges himself in no noticeable ways on the album.

With only eleven songs (12 on the 2005 c.d. reissue) clocking out at 35:59, Nothin' Matters And What If It Did is short and two of the songs - "Cry Baby" and "Peppermint Twist" are barely songs - they are more like vocal warm-up exercises/thrashing on instruments. That said, what appears on Nothin' Matters And What If It Did is very much the work of John Mellencamp as he was at the start of his career - though interviews seem to indicate that the record company exerted a lot of creative control over the whole venture. Nevertheless, Mellencamp wrote and composed all of the songs, save the album's opener "Hot Night In A Cold Town." Mellencamp provides all of the primary vocals and plays guitar on Nothin' Matters And What If It Did, but he was not involved in producing the album.

Nothin' Matters And What If It Did is dominated on the instrumental front by pianos. While the guitar, bass and drums that are more commonly associated with John Mellencamp are present, the piano is the dominant instrument on most of the songs, which gives all of the songs a lighter, more up-beat overall sound.

Vocally, John Mellencamp plays very comfortably in his youthful voice's range on Nothin' Matters And What If It Did. Mellencamp sings all of the lyrics clearly enough, but this is not an album where he holds notes particularly long or tests the limits of his voice at at register. He is comfortable with presenting cool, crisp vocals on the album and he delivers that pretty consistently.

On Nothin' Matters And What If It Did John Mellencamp sings mostly about relationships. His lyrics are mildly poetic, but do not evoke as strong of images as those from his later works. Indeed, it is a young man who wrote "Make me feel like I wanna feel / Baby tear this pain from my heart / Make me feel like I wanna feel / Make me feel like I did in the start / Maybe it's a change of plan / Now that your dreams have left me behind / Or is it another man / Who didn't care that you were mine" ("Make Me Feel"), not a seasoned veteran of love and love lost.

Still, Mellencamp tries to communicate on songs like "Don't Misunderstand Me." With lyrics like "I bring you renegade stories / And you tell me I'm crazy and wild / You say that I lack maturity / Stop actin' like a child / But you know I am a liar / And my promises only get in my way / You feel so good, when you're in my arms / Ain't there one right thing I can say / To make you want to stay" ("Don't Misunderstand Me"), Mellencamp hints at the emotional honesty that helped make most of his lyrics truly resonate with listeners.

The closest that John Mellencamp comes to a musical storysong on Nothin' Matters And What If It Did is "Wild Angel." Mellencamp singing "Cabin fever nearly drove us insane / When the snow fell on us last December / Look at me girl, I don't feel the same / Now those days they've all gone together" ("Wild Angel") is a stark contrast to the ridiculous amount of repetition of lines on the songs that surround it - "Cry Baby," "Peppermint Twist," and "Cheap Shot." Mellencamp abandons his early Folk influences on Nothin' Matters And What If It Did.

Nothin' Matters And What If It Did is utterly forgettable outside the two radio-played tracks "This Time" and "Ain't Even Done With The Night." It's unsurprising that no other songs from this album appear on the many compilations Mellencamp has released over the years.

For other works by John Mellencamp, please check out my reviews of:
Chestnut Street Incident
A Biograpghy
American Fool
Words And Music: John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits

3/10

For a comprehensive list of the albums and singles I have reviewed, please check out my Music Review Index Pagefor an organized listing!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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About All We Really Hope For From A Classic Rock Album: American Fool!

The Good: Catchy tunes, Wonderful lyrics, Good sound
The Bad: SHORT!
The Basics: John Mellencamp's American Fool holds up as a worthwhile album, despite its brevity!


When it comes to classic albums from artists who had a distinctive career or singles with whom they are most associated, I have something very clear I am looking for when I listen to their well-known albums: I listen for the non-singles. So many classic rock albums that were bolstered by two or three singles have very little else on them worth listening to. In other words, the artist lucked out and sold some albums based on the power of singles that were either superior to or very different than whatever else was on the album. I chose John Mellencamp as my October Artist Of The Month because I wanted to see if his career was one that could actually be distilled down to a single "best of" album or if he had songs that were not released as singles. One of his albums with the most hit singles on it was the 1982 album American Fool, so this became a crucial album for me to formulate my opinion.

And American Fool is more than just the three (or four, depending on where in the world one lived!) singles that became smash hits off the album. American Fool is the album that had the well-known John Mellencamp songs "Hurt So Good," "Jack And Diane," and "Hand To Hold On To," but there are other songs on the album that it is easy to listen to and find equal merit in.

With only nine songs clocking out at 34:26, the biggest strike against American Fool is its short duration. On c.d., American Fool could easily have been combined with another John Mellencamp album to offer listeners real value. American Fool is very much the musical vision of John Mellencamp. Mellencamp wrote five of the songs and co-wrote three of the others. Only "China Girl" was not written and composed by Mellencamp. Mellencamp is credited with lead vocals, but not any of the instruments on American Fool. He also was not a producer for the album.

American Fool is very much a guitar/bass/drums rock and roll album. In fact, the drums are incredibly important on the album, lending distinctive beats to "China Girl," "Hurt So Good," and "Close Enough." While the drums are pounding on almost every track and the accompaniment to John Mellencamp usually includes multiple guitars, the album is produced such that the instrumentals never overwhelm the vocals. The album may end with a contemplative ballad with "Weakest Moments" and be a little slower on "Thundering Hearts," but the rest of the album is pretty energetic rock and roll.

Vocally, John Mellencamp is entirely in his element on American Fool. He sings articulately, energetically and alternates with some slurring on other songs (he sings "I won't break you" on "China Girl" where it sounds like he's assuring her he won't rape her!). His voice has an occasionally raspy quality to it, but for the most part, he sings clearly and with a decent amount of vocal force (if not incredible range).

On American Fool John Mellencamp is a wonderful musical storyteller. There is a reason that "Jack And Diane" became a classic. When Mellencamp sings the story about how the two young people grew up together and "Suckin' on chili dogs outside the tastee freeze / Diane's sittin' on Jackie's lap / He's got his hand between her knees / Jackie say, hey, Diane / Let's run off behind a shady trees / Dribble off those Bobby Brooks / Let me do what I please" ("Jack And Diane"), he tells a pretty iconic musical story.

By this point, Mellencamp was achieving recognition and some measure of celebrity and he started to incorporate that into his music. With lines like "I may not be a pillar in my town / Or have the kind of job you think that I should. /I know you see me out running around with a couple of people / You think are no good. /I've tried to clean it up a couple of times, but I'm a / Backslidin' fool when it comes to walkin' that line" ("Close Enough"), Mellencamp starts to acknowledge that his life is no longer the typical American life.

While American Fool is well-known for "Hurt So Good," the album has another, much more powerful song about human relations. After a very danceable, energetic album, Mellencamp closes on "Weakest Moments." "Weakest Moments" sounds almost like wedding vows with its promises, that come after sadness: "You say you remember when it was your world / And you were Mister Ruby's girl. / He gave you dreams and schemes that swirl / Around your head and your body. / And when you drink sometimes, you try to liberate. / And you stagger in the front yard till you find the gate / That swing on that thin line of love and hate. / And baby, just let it go." ("Weakest Moments"). It is well-written, has a universal sentiment and is sung with such passion and longing that it is hard to hear it and not wonder, "how was this not a single?!"

Ultimately, American Fool does what listeners and fans of John Mellencamp would hope it would do: it is a solid album that is more than simply the three singles virtually everyone knows from it! The best track - not found on every Mellencamp compilation - is "Weakest Moments;" "Can You Take It" is probably the closest the album has to a weak link!

For other works by John Mellencamp, please check out my reviews of:
Chestnut Street Incident
A Biograpghy
Words And Music: John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits

8.5/10

For a comprehensive list of the albums and singles I have reviewed, please check out my Music Review Index Pagefor an organized listing!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Discontent Rocks On John Mellencamp's A Biography!

The Good: Decent vocals, A number of good lyrics, Overall sound
The Bad: Some cringeworthy lyrics (rhymes), Repetition
The Basics: A Biography is a surprisingly solid early album by John Mellencamp which oscillates between strong musical statements and predictable rhymes.


I will admit that when it comes to my music criticisms, early albums have a tendency to suffer under my pen. I found myself considering that as I listened (and re-listened and re-listened!) to John Mellencamp's early album A Biography. A Biography was Mellencamp's second album that he released under his early stage name Johnny Cougar and it got me thinking that this is what so many demo albums sound like. The album is not a demo, but given that it is Mellencamp's first entire album where he released songs he himself wrote, it acts in many ways like one.

As a result, A Biography showcases the many (early and innate) talents of John Mellencamp and while my first listen yielded a "the sound is so limited!" reaction, the more I listened to the album, the more that reaction softened. Yes, A Biography sounds a lot like John Mellencamp was composing through class and got stuck in his own head on some songs and then got together with some friends and knocked out the recording with a small garage band, but that doesn't make the album bad. In fact, it makes it all the more impressive that Mellencamp found an early audience and managed to get the time and industry support to develop.

With only ten songs, clocking out at 42:58, A Biography is a fairly short album that managed not to sound short, probably because of the relative strength of the lyrics on the songs. As well, Mellencamp manages to balance energetic rock songs and more melancholy ballads to arrange the album in a compelling way. A Biography very much represents the creative talents of John Mellencamp (regardless of what name he went by for the album's release). Mellencamp wrote and composed all ten songs and he provides all of the lead vocals on A Biography. Mellencamp also plays acoustic guitar on the album and did some of his own backing vocals. The only major creative control Mellencamp ceded was on production; the album was produced by John Punter.

A Biography is a John Mellencamp album that sounds like proper John Mellencamp. The album is guitar-heavy and what might surprise listeners who only really heard his radio hits is how heavy the guitars rock on some of the songs. Indeed, "Born Reckless" - if the vocals are removed - sounds more like a ZZ Top song than what one thinks of as a work by John Mellencamp! The drums are heavy on "Factory" and Mellencamp pulls off quiet and cerebral using subtle saxophones on "Taxi Dancer." The noticeable departure from the guitar-driven sound of the rest of the songs (outside the quieter "Taxi Dancer") is "I Need A Lover," which has pretty strong keyboards.

But what I mean by sounding like a "proper" John Mellencamp album is definitely in the vocals. All ten tracks sound exactly, as one might expect, like John Mellencamp. While some artist's voices evolve and change, A Biography makes the argument that by his second album, John Mellencamp had found his sound. He stays within a very familiar range, his voice sounds occasionally raspy, and the rest of the time is smooth and clear.

The clarity is no surprise given how Mellencamp wrote all of the songs on A Biography; he's an artist who has something to say and he is determined to make sure listeners understand what he is singing. On A Biography, John Mellencamp most frequently sings about social issues. In the heartland folk tradition, Mellencamp sings musical storysongs on songs like "Taxi Dancer." Mellencamp evolves the unfortunate character who ". . . started out, just to be a dancer / Gonna make her livin' dancin' / In the Broadway shows / So she hitchhiked cross the country /From Pasaroba to the Big Red Apple / Where your dreams are made / Your debts must be paid on time / Well she wasn't used to livin' in the city / So she took a job cleanin' up as a maid" ("Taxi Dancer"). The story might be more universal than we like to admit, but Mellencamp makes it easy with "Taxi Dancer" to empathize with everyone who has chased a failed dream.

While he sings about relationships on "I Need A Lover," John Mellencamp is far more sensitive to women on songs like "Taxi Dancer" than on "High C Cherrie." "High C Cerrie" is a musical storysong about a hooker and with that song, he creates a pretty despicable worldview (his musical protagonist is animalistic and a would-be rapist). After trying to get laid for a six-pack, the musical protagonist hounds the song's subject: "Hey baby, are you with escort / Are you really on your way home / (Cherrie) Would you make it with a poor schoolboy / Would you let this dog throw you his bone / I don't mean to be pushy / But I know I'd shove you down on the ground (hell ya) / How can a sane man / Adjust to havin' you around" ("High C Cherrie"). Fortunately, that song is the exception to the rule on the album and Mellencamp makes it pretty clear the song's protagonist is worse than the hooker, which makes it interesting.

But not all of the songs are winning for the way Mellencamp wrote them. "Factory" is, as one might expect, a song about slaving away in the factory as a youth. Work songs are a pretty compelling genre, especially for expressing discontent with the status quo. Mellencamp gets in his social commentary when he sings "I'm diggin' real hard for some money to spend / Well it ain't that bad if the summer's free / I got my evenings ... to cruise the scene oh yeah," but he almost completely guts the punch of such lines with the obvious, cringeworthy, rhymes "Working at the factory / Gonna get me some of them luxuries / Well now me and the boys / Machines are making noise" ("Factory").

Despite some mediocre lines and the way the opening song just keeps going, A Biography is eminently listenable and well worth picking up even now. The best track is "Let Them Run Your Lives," the low point is "Alley Of Angels."

For reviews by other, former, Artist Of The Month artists, please check out my reviews of:
The King Of Rock: The Complete 50's Masters - Elvis
Rumours (2-disc version) - Fleetwood Mac
Cold Spring Harbor - Billy Joel

6/10

See how this album stacks up against others I've reviewed by checking out my Music Review Index Page where reviews are organized from best to worst work!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Chestnut Street Incident: The Inauspicious Debut Of John Mellencamp (My October Artist Of The Month!)

The Good: Some inventive arrangements, Generally good vocals and instrumental accompaniment
The Bad: Very basic sound, Repetition, Relies heavily on cover songs, SHORT!
The Basics: On this day in 1976, John Mellencamp released his debut album Chestnut Street Incident and began his impressive career in an unimpressive, though decent, way!


The past two months, I've been very light on my reviewing and that has included not having Artist Of The Months, whose works I immerse myself in for the entire month. That trend is changing today as I return with a new Artist Of The Month and a return to more regular blog posting! My October Artist Of The Month is John Mellencamp!

It is fortuitous that I begin my reviews of John Mellencamp's works at the very beginning today. Today is the 39th Anniversary of the release of the album Chestnut Street Incident, which was John Mellencamp's debut . . . though he went by Johnny Cougar for this and his second album. I chose John Mellencamp as my Artist Of The Month for two reasons. First, it is autumn here in Michigan and for some reason, when autumn hits I get a hankering for John Mellencamp's music. I don't know why. The second reason I decided on John Mellencamp as my October Artist Of The Month is because when I reviewed Mellencamp's compilation Words And Music (reviewed here!) back in the day, I essentially said that it was pretty much all the John Mellencamp casual fans would ever need. Mellencamp is frequently referred to by me as an artist whose best works have appeared on the radio or on his compilation albums and I figured it was about time to see if that was actually true. One of my goals this month is to find the quintessential John Mellencamp track that was never released as a single and is not found on his compilation albums.

That mysterious, grail, track is not on Chestnut Street Incident. Chestnut Street Incident is an interesting mix of Mellencamp's own songs and cover songs that have been arranged by Mellencamp, but it barely hints at the talent Mellencamp would later develop. That said, it's not a bad album, just an average one.

With only eleven tracks, clocking out just under forty minutes, Chestnut Street Incident is hardly dominated by the creative force of John Mellencamp. Mellencamp wrote four songs, co-wrote two more, and did five cover songs. Mellencamp provides all of the lead vocals and the guitar. The album was produced by Tony Defries and, like most debut albums, one has to wonder just how much creative control the young John Mellencamp actually had.

Musically, Chestnut Street Incident is straightforward rock and roll. The album is guitar-dominated and features Mellencamp backed by drums, more guitars, and more subtle keyboards, synths, saxophones and steel guitar. The album is pretty much what one would expect from a mid-1970s rock and roll album; emphasis on vocals and lyrics, some decent tunes, but nothing overbearing or explosive. This is rock and roll that is emerging from a folk-rock tradition (emphasis on storytelling) while managing to avoid even the hint of disco. What is most impressive about the instrumental accompaniment on Chestnut Street Incident is that it does not make Mellencamp sound like the leader of a garage band; the instrumental accompaniment on Chestnut Street Incident might not be extensive, but it sounds developed.

Vocally, John Mellencamp began his career with surprisingly indistinct vocals. While his interpretation of "Jailhouse Rock" is distinctly different from Elvis's version of the song, it is largely because of how Mellencamp alters the beat structure from the more familiar Elvis version. Mellencamp's vocals on Chestnut Street Incident lack the distinct gravel or strained sound that he would have later in his career. Instead, he has a smooth mid-register voice that makes its statements articulately, but without a sense that one is listening to a great or original singing voice.

As for the statement Mellencamp is trying to make with his first album, it seems to be that small town life in the heartland is hardly as wholesome as one might imagine it to be. Of the four original songs by John Mellencamp, perhaps the most distinctive is the album's opener, "American Dream." Mellencamp begins his auspicious musical career poking at the image of heartland America by wryly observing "Some of the girls are out teaching high school biology / And all of my boyfriends they work down at Cummmins factory / But me I'm still out on the streets trying to locate some destiny" ("American Dream"). Between that and "Dream Killing Town" (which Mellencamp co-wrote), Johnny Cougar gives expectations about America a smooth-sounding middle finger!

On "Chestnut Street" and "Chestnut Street Revisited" - which is essentially a remix and expanded version of the song that appeared only four tracks prior - Mellencamp makes himself out to be a decent musical protagonist has a keen eye for the way things truly are. With lines like "By the end of the day, all the kids would go play / And I'd come staggering home / With a dream in my hand and a master plan / That wouln't leave my mind alone / I compromised all my schemes / And fluctuated all my dreams / I'm just a small town boy bein' used like a toy / And nothing is like it really seems" ("Chestnut Street"), Mellencamp establishes himself as a decent musical storyteller right off the bat!

On "Good Girls," John Mellencamp makes observations on relationships, which fits the rock and roll theme. Not painting either men or women out as saints, Mellencamp sings "I don't wanna walk with you / And I don't wanna talk with you / And I don't wanna be with you / 'till the night time / Good girls have reputation / Good girls have to keep it clean / But you girl you're so damn reckless" ("Good Girls").

Ultimately, Chestnut Street Incident is a very average debut, worth listening to once or twice, but hardly a timeless or indispensable John Mellencamp album.

The best track is "American Dream," the least impressive song is "Supergirl."

For other, previous, Artist Of The Month, reviews, please check out:
Tunnel Of Love - Bruce Springsteen
The King Of Rock: The Complete 50's Masters - Elvis Presley
The Next Day (Deluxe Edition) - David Bowie

5/10

For other movie reviews, please check out my Music Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Common Man Gets Lucky Blues: Words & Music John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits

The Good: Well-written, Good vocals, Decent music, A good body of work
The Bad: You know, there aren't really any. Okay, "I Need A Lover."
The Basics: A fabulous collection of singles from John Mellencamp's extensive career, Words & Music John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits is a must-own for any fan of rock and roll.


John Mellencamp - and he has settled on his name - has established himself as an everyman artist who cares about the lower and lower-middle class and sings about their lives. He has an extensive body of work - some sixteen albums - which is encapsulated on Words & Music John Mellencamp’s Greatest Hits, a two-disc set that contains a total of thirty-five songs.

It was only when I began writing my review that I realized that there are no cons to this album or set of albums. This two-disc set is an exceptional collection of this artist and the truth is, it is a close-enough-to-perfect listening experience to warrant the five stars. The rest of the review will simply spell that out, but the bottom line - right here - is that if you like John Mellencamp, like him when you hear him on the radio, or enjoy working-class rock and roll, this album is a worthwhile investment and fairly essential to your c.d. collection.

The truth is, Words & Music John Mellencamp’s Greatest Hits is packed with so many wonderful, recognizable singles ("Pink Houses," "Cherry Bomb") and less-successful singles ("Teardrops Will Fall") that one is surprised when one gets near the end of the second album and "Jack & Diane" finally appears. There's a wonderful "Oh yeah! Duh." type moment in listening to this album the first time. And fortunately, Mellencamp does not weigh down the album with many new tracks that aren't part of his essential body of work. His new singles "Walk Tall" and "Thank You" are on the album and they fit his collection exceptionally well. That he did not use more than two new singles in the set works well. This is a collection with no fluff. Almost all of the songs are recognizable and popular, in short, actual greatest hits.

Listening to Words & Music John Mellencamp’s Greatest Hits one is overcome with the significance of John Mellencamp's musical legacy. From 1979's John Cougar, this collection features "I Need A Lover," which is arguably Mellencamp's worst single. Escaping the open misogyny of that track, the discs feature nineteen tracks from the 80s, thirteen tracks from the 90s, and four from the new millennium. In fact, only "Rough Harvest" lacks representation in the set (and "The Best That I Could Do," which was simply a prior singles collection). This illustrates Mellencamp's incredible staying power.

And it is Mellencamp's staying power illustrated here. All but two of the tracks were written or co-written by Mellencamp and the majority were produced or co-produced by Mellencamp as well. In short, this is an artist who is deeply involved with crafting his works. What he is selling is his vision and it works.

Unlike David Bowie, whose greatest hits illustrate a trendsetter and artist who was pushing the envelope usually ahead of the curve, John Mellencamp's greatest hits collection reveals a body of work that are timeless and refined, exploring the common struggles of life, love and longing. The way the collection is put together is cleverly revealing of Mellencamp's greatness. The songs are not chronological, not organized by popularity or commercial success. Indeed, if one who was unfamiliar with Mellencamp's works were to listen to Words & Music John Mellencamp’s Greatest Hits and attempt to put the singles in order of release, odds are they would find the task nearly impossible and would fail.

Why? Mellencamp's themes are universal and his style is distinctly his own. Once he hits American Fool, Mellencamp reaches a level of lyrical and musical consistency and quality that does not degenerate (for the record, only three tracks in the set precede the singles from American Fool). Does that mean Mellencamp stopped experimenting? No. His duet with India.Arie ("Peaceful World"), his cover of Van Morrison's "Wild Night," and the weird loops on "I'm Not Running Anymore" (think screaming monkey getting baffled) illustrate his willingness to try new things. But the result is still distinctly Mellencamp and it works rather well.

John Mellencamp's vocals are straightforward, masculine and comprehensible. He sings in a voice that the listener can almost always understand and he articulates his lyrics with purpose. So when he sings "der" (for "there") on "Check It Out," we know he is going for effect, slipping slang with intent.

Musically, the songs are largely straightforward rock and roll. Guitar, bass, drums, vocals. And Mellencamp makes it work.

Some of these sets come with a free DVD, which sadly only has five videos on it. Wonderful to get it free, disappointing it was not as extensive as the music portion.

Who will enjoy Words & Music John Mellencamp’s Greatest Hits? Anyone who likes rock and roll. Anyone who wants to hear the common man's song and wants to believe in the triumph of the good ol' boy. Who won't enjoy this set? I'm not sure. It's a comprehensive body from an artist who has managed to survive the "industry" and maintain his down-home personality.

The first disc is near perfect, with the best track being hard to define (I'm personally quite fond of "Lonely Ol' Night") and the weak link being "Pop Singer." The second disc continues the greatness with the best track being "Again Tonight" and the worst track being "I Need A Lover."

For other rockers with whom John Mellencamp is a contemporary, be sure to check out my reviews of:
Aladdin Sane - David Bowie
Break Every Rule - Tina Turner
Hotter Than July - Stevie Wonder

8.5/10

For other music reviews, be sure to check out my Music Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2012, 2006 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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