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John Mellencamp - John Mellencamp Audio CD

A fair review of the John Mellencamp "John Mellencamp" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all John Mellencamp reviews here, or go back to the John Mellencamp tabs.

John Mellencamp Band: John Mellencamp
Title: John Mellencamp
Rating:
Release Date: 1998-10-06
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Fruit Trader 2: Your Life Is Now 3: Positively Crazy 4: I'm Not Running Anymore 5: It All Comes True 6: Eden Is Burning 7: Where the World Began 8: Miss Missy 9: Chance Meeting at the Tarantula 10: Break Me off Some 11: Summer of Love 12: Days of Farewell

Classic Underrated Mellencamp!!
This is an incredible piece of work that had very little visibility when it came out (a couple of minor radio hits. ). . . if you have discovered that Mellencamp is more than "Jack and Diane" and "Hurts So Good" etc,. . . Do yourself a favor and spend the measly sum of about $1 (plus the 2. 98 shipping) and get this. I think I bought it for $15 when it came out. . . and it was worth it!.


Mellencamp-singer-song writer
Evidently, Johnny (Cougar) Mellencamp has zero deficiency in that department. What we have here is failure to communicate. The man is an extraordinary singer song writer, different subjects perhaps over the years, demonstrates his ability to change and grow with the times. No to disparage anyone's review or opinion, since taste in music is completely subjective, the difference in very early JC and JM is well, maturity. This is a great album with exceptional compositions, and if you gave it less than 4 or 5 stars, maybe you should give it another spin, and really listen. .


Great Sounds
I am a fan of John Mellencamp, but this release is something different for him. I really enjoy listening to this CD. I find it very peaceful and calming, something I like to play whenever I find myself needing a bit of space--like while driving in heavy traffic or after an event that leaves me feeling tense and angry. The lyrics are great. The songs are exceptional. Fantastic music!.


Some Great Moments on this Self-titled Release...
. . but, overall, not one of John Mellencamp's best.

Recently picking up his newest release ("Freedom's Road") put some perspective on several of John's late-nineties and early 2000s albums for me. While they still have far more to offer artistically than the bulk of popular music during this time-frame, they do not stand up as well to the rest of his catalogue.

"John Mellencamp" runs the gamut stylistically. "Your Life Is Now" and "Eden Is Burning" fit the "Lonesome Jubilee" era, with its violins and folk-informed acoustic guitars, while "I'm Not Running Anymore" and "Break Me Off Some" - with drum loops and scratching - clearly owe more to his mid-nineties release, "Mr. Happy Go Lucky. " When the underlying song is strong enough, this mixture of styles adds flavor and benefits the entire album; unfortunately, that is only the case about half the time.

The great moments are the heartfelt, almost anthemic quality of "Your Life Is Now," the exuberance of harmonica-laden "Miss Missy," "It All Comes True," with its trademark Mellencamp-style storytelling and sincerity and quietly building insistence, and "Days of Farewell," where hip-hop style drum loops and bass meet gospel vocals/shouting (a la "When Jesus Left Birmingham" from the criminally underrated "Human Wheels" album) and violins.

The bad moments include the rhythmic challenges John encounters in his near-rap verses from "Where the World Began" (an otherwise fun, catchy song), the undeniable cheese-factor at work on "Summer of Love" (the whistles that worked so well in "Suzanne and the Jewels" - again off "Human Wheels" - push this one beyond help), and what may be the most painful vocal moment on any John Mellencamp album - the key-changing bend and reach on the line "Yeah - we had some good times. . . " on "Positively Crazy," a tune that was clearly intended to be lazy but lands somewhere between coma and death.

The remaining tracks are lackluster at worst - true fans of Mellencamp will find something to appreciate in each of them. I personally enjoy "Fruit Trader," though it really offers little more than a comfortable, familiar introduction to the rest of the album. "I'm Not Running," with its loops and horns, serves only to lighten the mood a bit between "Positively Crazy" and "It All Comes True. "

"John Mellencamp" lacks the cohesion or charm of other Mellencamp albums but does, however, provide something for fans of any one of those. It's a good starting point in that it summarizes John's various stylistic offerings, but a bad one in that it doesn't consistently demonstrate the strength of his songwriting ability.

On a 5 scale, I'd give this about 3. 5 stars if I could; compared to other John Mellencamp albums, it's a 3, but compared to the rest of the musical universe, it's a solid 4.



.


Disappointment
Happy Go Lucky" album - Although I did like "Fruit Trader" and "I'm Not Running Anymore" 2 good songs out of 12 does not make it worth buying - I have not listened to this album in years. The beginning of Mellencamp's Old Man rock phase - complete let down from his "Mr.


You can see a complete list of all John Mellencamp discography, or go back to the John Mellencamp tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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