Lonesome Jubilee (Rpkg) [Original recording remastered]

John Mellencamp | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 24, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Island / Mercury
• ASIN: B0009IW9DE
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,456 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #76 in Music > Rock > Roots Rock

Editorial Reviews

John Mellencamp, The Lonesome Jubilee

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mellencamp's Finest Achievement, June 26, 2005

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Thomas Magnum (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lonesome Jubilee (Rpkg) (Audio CD)

John Mellencamp is often called a poor man's Bruce Springsteen. In many ways he is, and that is not such a bad thing to be. Like the Boss, Mr. Mellencamp sings about personal experiences and tells tales of people struggling to get ahead in the world. Where Mr. Springsteen sings about Jersey & the East Coast, Mr. Mellencamp sings about his region of the country, Indiana & the Midwest. The Lonesome Jubilee is my favorite Mellencamp album and he expands on the musical stylings of his previous release, Scarecrow. He employs fiddles, accordians and mandolins to give the album a rustic, midwestern feel. "Paper In Fire" opens the album with a bang and then slides into "Down & Out In Paradise" which is a critical rocker about the state of the nation. "Cherry Bomb" is a great song about days gone by and is his "Glory Days". Like "Down & Out", the album makes many political statements with songs like "We Are The People", "Empty Hands", "Hard Times For An Honest Man" and "Hotdogs & Hamburgers". After the political heaviness, he closes the album out with the silly and fun "Rooty Toot Toot". John Mellencamp always has alot to say and on this album, he speaks from the heart and it makes for great music. The bonus track is a strong number, "Blues From A Front Porch", but it would have een nice if they include the b-sides from the album's singles, the live version of "Check It Out", "Never To Old" (b-side of "Paper In Fire") and "Shama Lama Ding Dong" (b-side of "Cherry Bomb").

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential recording from an artist at his peak, July 4, 2005

By 

A. Gammill (West Point, MS United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lonesome Jubilee (Rpkg) (Audio CD)

While 1985 seminal SCARECROW remains the signature John Mellencamp album, THE LONESOME JUBILEE, in my opinion, is his greatest musical achievement. Both discs have a lot to say, lyrically speaking. But whereas Scarecrow scored the messages with 60's-influenced rock, Jubilee expands this sound to include more rustic instrumentation. The result is a pleasure to hear, as Mellencamp and his band effortlessly (or so it seems) make every song a keeper. Even potentially heavy-handed material such as "We Are the People" and "Empty Hands" (with one of my favorite lines, "They say people get what they deserve/But Lord, sometimes it's much worse than that") is served up with such conviction that it's hard to fault their earnestness.

Unreleased material (the bonus track) is, of course, always welcome. But as someone has already mentioned, it sure would have been nice to have the b-sides from Jubilee's singles on the disc. Or even John's VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS contribution, "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," which was released shortly after this album came out.

But I've still got my treasured 45's, so I can live with it. In any event, if you only get one Mellencamp remastered disc, this is the one.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another American classic from John Mellencamp., August 4, 2005

By 

M J Heilbron Jr. "Dr. Mo" (Long Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lonesome Jubilee (Rpkg) (Audio CD)

"The Lonesome Jubilee" is the third Mellencamp masterpiece in a row. And here it is, in an exquisitely remastered CD.

From the Stones-y squall of "Uh-Huh" to the Springsteen sweep of "Scarecrow", we now have an album that can only be 'qualified' as "Mellencamp."

His artistic growth here reflects his absorbed influences and then expands them. There are new instruments, new textures, new tempos. His lyrics are more expressive, more vivid and more concise. There is a fearlessness to his recording...a confidence beyond his previously problematic braggadocio.

In simpler terms, this album rocks. It's awesome.

Opening with the thrilling guitar-lap steel-fiddle-accordion-God know what else "hook" from "Paper in Fire", Mellencamp sets the stage for the unexpected. When his beloved drummer Kenny Aronoff kicks in, a smile will spread across your face. You instinctively will recognize his "sound", but also realize he doing more with it than he ever has before.

The angular "Down and Out in Paradise", with it's off-kilter push-pull rhythms, follows. This is one of those first person narratives with a terrific sense of immediacy...and "Check It Out" has a nice gentle, anthemic quality to it. I love the soaring fiddle-led hook, and so must have a lot of folks, as it's now one of his more-recognized songs.

"The Real Life" is a bit weaker melodically, but the band sounds tight and amazing. Every piece in its' place. "Cherry Bomb" has a soothing, friendly tone with terrific duet-like backup vocals and again, that lilting fiddle dancing above the whole song. Plus that accordion hook...it was an instant classic, and deservedly so.

"We Are The People" is where he falters a bit...a little too heavy-handed compared to the rest of the album. The music, again, is outstanding...it's now "his" sound. "Empty Hands" is another not-so-wonderful moment...a little boring...

It proves to be a momentary setback, as the album comes roaring back with three killer tunes in a row. "Hard Times For An Honest Man" gets the mix right. He's very direct with his point, yet the melody serves the lyrics, and the music is irresistible. "Hotdogs and Hamburgers" gallops along at a brisk pace, another one of his classic "story songs" with intimate details and epic bridges.

"Rooty Toot Toot" may be my favorite. It's a perfect song. Killer hooks, sweet instrumental breaks, a chorus you'll be singing before the song is over. Sure, it won't change the world, but for three minutes and 33 seconds, it will make YOUR world a lot better! Just a terrific way to end the album...

The extra track isn't much...a less-than-two minute snippet blues with multiple vocalists...the album was perfect as it was.

These remasters have been revelatory, and should urge other artists and record companies to reassess their catalogs. Bruce, U2, Prince...heck, the Beatles should be so lucky to have their albums treated with such care.