John Mellencamp

John Mellencamp

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 6, 1998)
• Original Release Date: October 6, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00000D9W1
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #77,393 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

For the multinomenclatured John(ny) (Cougar) Mellencamp, falling into loping historical pace as the "poor man's Springsteen" has been a blessing in disguise. If you're perpetually second best, to whose expectations do you ultimately answer? Certainly not your audience's--they're prepared for so-so songwriting. It's a win-win situation in which even your most lackluster material appears "Thunder Road" brilliant. Follow this train of thinking and you might hear Mellencamp's eponymous album (and first for Columbia) as something of a minor masterpiece. The self-dubbed Li'l Bastard is pushing himself stylistically, adding exotic flavors (sitar, tabla, organ) and high-tech ones (tape loops, synths) to his bass-guitar-violin foundation. This provides for some intriguing moments, such as the rhythm-tracked shuffle "I'm On My Way" and the hip-hop-scratchy exercise "Break Me Off Some." The uninitiated, however, will observe a far less sensational situation: the Hoosier's nonchalant reliance on his trademark Cougar-isms--Biblical metaphors, "Jack and Diane"-ish one-dimensional characters, and the simple, chirrupy jangle of a trusty six-string acoustic. Somewhere between the two extremes lies the artistic truth. Mellencamp is kicking desperately at his gate, and that's a good thing. But his corral remains relatively small and limited. There aren't any Ghost of Tom Joads in his immediate future. --Tom Lanham

Product Description

Special edition of Mellencamp's label debut for Columbia with a two track bonus CD featuring live versions of 'Your Life Is Now' & 'Eden Is Burning'. A combined total of 14 tracks. Double slimline jewel case. 1998 release. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of America's finest songwriters, October 12, 2001

By	Robert Dumas (Pawling, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

For me, one of the pure joys of being a John Mellancamp fan has been watching this incredible singer/songwriter grow and mature as his career moved inexorably forward.

This album is a fresh start for Mr. Mellancamp. It's his first release on Columbia and is simply titled "John Mellancamp." Ironically, it's one of the finest albums he's ever released.

The key to any artist, I think, is growth. Many fans are content to be mired in the cloying repetition of the popular music world, but the best players change and evolve. Mr. Mellancamp has changed from the petulant pop star who told everyone he "needs a lover that won't drive him crazy" and that love "Hurts So Good" to a more introspective, gentle poet who, on this CD, begs the question, "Will you teach your children to tell the truth?"

The sound on this album maintains the rough folk/rock feel he first uncovered in the late `80s on albums like "Lonesome Jubilee" and "Big Daddy," but also incorporates some of the experimental tacts Mr. Mellancamp began taking on "Mr. Happy Go Lucky." All of it works rather nicely. The songs are catchy, foot-tappable and sing-alongable, yet, at the same time challenge the listener with a homogenous blend of styles, rhythms and themes.

The song "Your Life Is Now," could not have been written when Mr. Mellancamp was in his 20s. Its theme is more altruistic and portrays a man doing some serious soul searching; not poontang searching! Musically, it could have easily appeared on "Lonesome Jubilee" or just about any Mellancamp album since then. Nonetheless, the haunting melody and probing lyrics help send a lump directly to the throat.

"Eden Is Burning" is another highlight. Described by Mr. Mellancamp himself on VH-1's "Storytellers" as a "sequel to `Jack & Diane,' the song is a great rave-up about the loss of innocence.

The calypso/reggae beat of "I'm Not Running Anymore," is a perfect example of some of the new sounds Mr. Mellancamp has been embracing of late. The result is an infectious hip-shaker that also serves as the singer's personal declaration of independence from his inner demons.

The song "Break Me Off Some," much maligned here because of its attempts at fusing hip-hop elements to Mr. Mellancamp's heartland folk rockers, is actually one of the highlights of the album. I loathe rap music simply because I find most of its rhythms to be plodding, derivative and frankly, ripped-off. Not to mention, the lyrics are either a) incomprehensible or b) unrelatable. Here, Mr. Mellancamp tightens the groove and adds so much of his own feel to it that the genre seems more natural in this setting than on an Eminem tune.

Not every song on this album works. "Miss Missy" and "Positively Crazy," are unremarkable. However, "It All Comes True," is one of the most haunting songs that Mr. Mellancamp has ever composed; a warning to the today's youth to make the best of their time.

For me, it's difficult to judge Mr. Mellancamp's work by saying one album is better than another. To me, one couldn't exist without the other. (i.e. There would be no "Lonesome Jubilee" without "Scarecrow;" there would be no "John Mellancamp" without "Mr. Happy Go Lucky" and so on.) My favorite JM record changes each time I put one in the player.

For me, every album he releases just adds more texture and depth to what has already become an incredible body of work.

The "professional" reviewer above said that Mr. Mellancamp has had to live in the shadow of Bruce Springsteen most of his career and that Mr. Mellancamp would never produce his own "Ghost of Tom Joad."

To that I say, "Thank God." With all due respect to the Boss, John would never get that self-indulgent. That hoary cliché of a comparison is unfair to both artists and obtusely inaccurate as well.

"John Mellancamp" has slowly become one of my favorite JM recordings. Every time I put it on, the people in the room stop and smile and begin to weave and bop a bit without realizing their doing it. Now, that's a good record.

Of course, Mr. Mellancamp has a new release, "Cutting Heads," due any day now and it's likely that CD will soon become my favorite John Mellancamp album.

But you won't go wrong if you add this one to your collection as well.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars His best album since "Lonesome Jubilee," and a true classic., October 28, 1999

By A Customer

To equal "Lonesome Jubilee" was no mean feat, and he did, from "Your Life Is Now" and "Miss Missy" to "Days of Farewell." No one mixes white rock with black roll as Mellencamp and band always have, and the drawl in John's voice is as real as his pioneer roots, and not just some Woody Guthrie/Tom Joad parody.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Jewel In Mellencamp's Crown, March 9, 2005

By	HUGO (HOUSTON, TEXAS United States) - See all my reviews

Face it: Mellencamp is a uniquely superb vocalist and has a knack for writing irresistable music with a more melodic edge than that other guy he's always been unfairly compared to...seems the critics can never get past the mention of that BS on any forthcoming review. Mellencamp's advantages have always been his ability to move the masses with his voice and intensely moving interpretations of mostly self composed lyrics more folks can relate to that have always been more easily accessable even by the casual innocent listener who falls prey to John's music while scanning the radio dial. Mellencamp unintentionally makes you FEEL his music. Though his first outing["JOHN MELLENCAMP"-1998]-this album - on his then new label, Columbia Records, is a strong lyrical effort, the diverse "sounds of the current era" Mellencamp incorporates into his unique brand of rock and roll just don't have the bite and impact he's built his reputation on and become best loved for. This man is a sincere no frills ROCKER from deep within his soul, blood, element - all the way down to his appearance and way of talking, singing...MELLENCAMP is THE MAN! Waiting 7 years to purchase this album has not changed my initial gut wrenching feeling that John had made a huge mistake by signing with Columbia...it's almost like the label just acquired him as a display jewel for their roster and totally ignored his immense talent altogether. Mellencamp was on a decade and a half prosperous and fruitful roll when his albums began appearing on Columbia. Promotion erroneously lacked intelligence and force from the mother label...the artist has acknowledged their indifference to his finest works. Sadly, his "King of Top 40" Multi-Platinum/Gold hit reign was interrupted at this point in time...The fruit of his labors at Columbia were not realized till his 2003 album, "TROUBLE NO MORE", which, for all the attention and impact it made, was too much, too little, too late. Columbia Records screwed up by not promoting such an incredibly talented artist as JOHN MELLENCAMP from the outset - they basically derailed his career. Too bad for the label! There are enough "hit worthy" tracks on this debut[as well as the two brilliant subsequent albums] to have continued his hot radio play-top 40 chart winning streak. Dunno why Mellencamp left Mercury, where he apparently was the priority artist - Kim Richey also left at a pivotal point in her career and was likewise subsequently derailed. Mellencamp is moving on and his career has been revitalized and reinvented with his new double disc "WORDS & MUSIC - GREATEST HITS"(2004) which has reestablished and revitalized him as a much loved and admired multi-platinum status artist and voice of America - that collection inspired me to seek out and purchase the three albums on this morose label I'd passed up initially...I bought them to support John. Can't wait to hear what he'll be cookin' up after his 2005 tour on his next album!