Customer Reviews

Nothing Matters & What If It Did

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Nothin' Matters & What If It Did was big step up for John Cougar from his previous record. The album shows the clear influences of the AM radio music that he went onto sing about in his hit "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.". The album has an enlivened sound and shows Mr. Mellencamp can write catchy pop tunes. Songs like "Hot Night In A Cold Town", "Ain't Even Done With Night", "This Time", "To MG (Wherever She May Be)", "Tonight" and "Wild Angel' are all radio-friendly, finely crafted songs. The album was a minor hit and set the stage for his major breakthrough.

I'm not a big Mellencamp fan, but there is something about this album that I just keep coming back to. Being born in 1970, I was 10 when this album was released. I didn't listen to it until 1986 or 1987 when a friend of mine brought it with him on a bike trip we took through Cape Cod. I fell in love with it then and keep coming back to it for some nostalgia and just easy listening.

All these songs are simple and enjoyable. This is not a masterpiece by any stretch, but instead an enjoyable collection of songs that just don't tire out. Cougar never sounded better -- the CD has his voice mixed just right. He sings from the heart and never strains to reach any notes he shouldn't.

It takes a lot for me to rate an album with 4 stars, even harder to get 5. This would get 4 1/2 if Amazon allowed halfs.

-OC

This was Mellencamp's last album before he became a big star. Really the only song that shows a hint of the break through that came was Ain't Even Done with the Night,which is one of my favorite Mellencamp songs.The lyrics to many songs are kind of clumbsy and immature,but that doesn't keep Nothin Matters and What if it Did from being enjoyable. Besides Ain't Even Done with the Night, This Time,Hot Night in a cold town, and Crybaby are highlights. The album has a good flow and is fairly enjoyable despite the lack of artistic growth at that point in his career.

This is easily my favorite John Cougar album. Done before he began attaching a cause to every song he wrote, this one features raw piano playing honky-tonk. I've liked most of what John Cougar Mellancamp has done since then, but this early gem is his best.

This is a great album that captures a late night atmosphere in a small town, as only John can do. This is slightly different than his later works, but it's cool to hear John use piano and do some mellow songs, as these became less common later on. This is pretty raw, but it sounds great. I would highly recomend this album.

Anyone who has been a fan of John Mellencamp since the beginning can appreciate the journey he has taken with his music. This one is one of the best of his early works. "Ain't Even Done With the Night" was one of John's first hits, and one of his best ever.

This one is extreemly hard to find. Most places don't even carry it. If you're a true Mellencamp fan, this is the one to get

Don't expect any great John Mellencamp songs like "Small Town" or even "Pink Houses" on this album. Recorded back when he was still John Cougar, this album, like many of his early albums, proved he still had a lot of growin' up to do. In fact, except for the excellent single "Ain't Even Done With the Night," in which he starts to show his songwriting abilities, there is little on this album to recommend. Stick to later period Mellencamp instead.

ALTHOUGH I WAS ONLY 8 YRS. OLD WHEN THIS ALBUM WAS RELEASED I CAN HONESTLY SAY I'VE TOTALLY WORN OUT A CASSETTE TAPE AND A CD.

IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE ALBUMS YOU CAN LISTEN TO OVER AND OVER AGAIN.IF YOU LOVE JOHN MELLENCAMP THIS HAS TO BE YOUR FAVORITE!
WITH SONGS LIKE "DON'T MISUNDERSTAND ME" "TONIGHT" AND "WILD ANGEL"WHO COULD'T LIKE IT. I'M NOW BUYING ANOTHER CD AND 30YRS.
OLD, I JUST DON'T THINK I'LL EVERY GET TO TIRED OR TO OLD TO LISTEN TO IT!!!

This is the absolute best of all his albums. I have the record and a cassette tape which I have worn completely out. I can listen to this over and over and over. I drive to work one hour and 10 minutes one way every day. So I have a lot of driving time on my hands. And just listening to this album is the absolute relaxing drive. My best friend and I absolutely love John Cougar Mellencamp or John Mellencamp now.