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John Mellencamp - Life Death Live & Freedom Audio CD

A fair review of the John Mellencamp "Life Death Live & Freedom" 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: Life Death Live & Freedom
Rating:
Release Date: 2009-06-23
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: If I Die Sudden 2: Troubled Land 3: Don't Need This Body 4: Longest Day 5: Young Without Lovers 6: A Ride Back Home 7: Jena 8: My Sweet Love

the cougar is back
it's not too long and amazing to listen to. this is a live album, really better than the last three or four Mellencamp cd's. most of the great musicians who used to play with John aren't with him anymore, but the instant group is very good. you can buy this album. among other things, it's cheap.


Better than the studio album
I immediately snapped it up. I was completely unaware that this (not sure what to call it: EP? mini-album?) release had come out until I stumbled on it the other day browsing for some good CDs.

"Life Death Live and Freedom" (8 tracks; 33 min. ) was recorded during Mellencamp's 2008 summer tour (more on that later) and brings live versions of a bunch of the songs from the 2008 "Life Death Love and Freedom" album. Let me state immediately that I like the live versions of these songs a lot better than the dour-somber studio versions. Check out the opener "If I Die Sudden", which bristles with energy. Also love "Don't Need This Body". Likewise with the short "Young Without Lovers", in which Mellencamp manages to get the crowd to sing along (even though it was a new song at the time). "Jena" and "My Sweet Love" are a nice way to round out this too-short release.

Short indeed. Not sure why a few more 'bonus tracks' from the 2008 tour couldn't be added, even if they weren't from the "Life Death" album, I mean really. That aside, I saw Mellencamp on the 2008 summer tour here at the Riverbend Amphitheatre in Cincinnati, and it was a great show, as usual. Saw Mellencamp again on this summer's tour with Bob Dylan, by which time there were far fewer songs from the "Life Death" in the setlist. This EP/mini-album (thankfully priced accordingly) is highly recommended for Mellencamp fans. .


He still has alot of talent
JUST great for a hits album, of later day stuff. The songs MY SWEET LOVE and RIDE BACK HOME are "REALLY", the best 2 songs MELLENCAMP has MADE and SANG in over ten years. I also thought "LIFE IS HARD" ( from CD HAPPY GO LUCKY ), is and always will be . . . one of the better TUNES john has wrote in years. FUNNY thing is, it is the last track on that album. That song just FITS evrybody. . . . . PLEASE john use it on your "someday" later years HITS VOLUME 2 cd. IT is GREAT fan FAVORITE that was not a RADIO hIT. MAKES GReat filler ( good song ) for a hits cd, from the late middle 90's to now. IN AWAY, the song LIFE IS HARD. . . . is a AMERICAN ANTHEM for life in the USA in the 90's. SHOULD HAVE MADE IT to RADIO.


Live life like the man says ..
This sounds like a off the cuff idea to elaborate on the pride of making the last studio album; the songs are sort of reworked with somewhat different arrangements, more direct and less murky. I stumbled onto this one at a local HMV store in Toronto (they sell everything from JM to bubblegum these days!); energetic live recordings - I have been picky in choosing JM over the years but I thought the last album was absolutely a masterwork. More importantly, JM sings with a strong conviction in his voice and this is definitely not an attempt just to rehash the studio stuff to make a quick buck. I hope his new direction will lead us to even better recordings, in not too distant future.

Highly recommended . .

Preetam Datta; Oakville ON
.


Captures John in his element
This CD puts me back in the audience, rocking out. I am a huge fan of John Mellencamp's and have seen him live on numerous occasions. I love the way it captures the spirit of John live and a whole other take to these songs. He's in his element here, performing for us.

My only disappointment was that Amazon doesn't offer the digital booklet with it's MP3 download of the CD.


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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