In my opinion the sum of his songs as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, John Cougar Mellencamp and plain old John Mellencamp place him alongside Bruce Springsteen and ahead of Bob Seger, Steve Earle, Tom Petty and Joe Ely in the pantheon of all-American heartland rock, and the nine that feature here epitomise his early more rocking years. This was Mellencamp's fifth studio album release and is acclaimed as his commercial breakthrough but in reality since "American Fool" he's rarely made to it to the UK best seller racks, unlike say in Switzerland and while I happily acknowledge that I'm more than a bit biased I have never understood why he isn't/wasn't a bigger star here in the UK. Rory Appleton is the pop culture reporter at IndyStar.I've just been listening to John Cougar's "American Fool" and forty years on it's still as good as it ever was. Looking for things to do? Our newsletter has the best concerts, art, shows and more - and the stories behind them It also lambasts someone for "talking smack" - as well as a more colorful version of that sentiment - "in the papers." There's even a song on the album, "Did You Say Such a Thing," that spells it out:
Whether anyone thinks he hit or missed certain marks on the new album probably means very little to him. Mellencamp has a supposed lifetime record deal through Republic Records and knows who he is. The album is decidedly uncommercial, and I can't see any of its tracks supplanting any of his past hits currently cemented - apparently by an unwritten rule I'm just starting to experience - into once-an-hour status on Indianapolis pop and rock radio.īut that's not necessarily a bad thing when your legacy is set. Maybe he just wanted to carve a way to slap an eyepatch over the portrait his son, Speck, painted of him as the cover art. However, the style doesn't hit as well in the more up-tempo songs, such as "Simply a One-Eyed Jack," which is also peppered with nonsensical lyrics that are generally a departure from the album's thematic structure - despite Mellencamp naming the album after it. Its strength is in the musicianship of Mellencamp's merry band of mostly Hoosiers (drummer Dane Clark, pianist Troye Kinnett, bassist John Gunnell and violinist Miriam Sturm have roots here). Mellencamp's 25th studio album has its slow, almost jazz-like piano ballads ("Gone so Soon"), violin-thumping country tunes ("Driving in the Rain") and even the faintest hint of pop ("Wasted Days," with Bruce Springsteen), but central lyrical themes of deception, rain and analyzing an eventful life carry on throughout, as in the opening verse from "Wasted Days":įor fans who've plotted Mellencamp's trajectory as an artist over the decades, it's worth tracking his latest movements through the album. John Mellencamp: Rock legend will release his first new music in 5 years Friday. Like any good writer - and there's no denying the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is that, even some years removed from his megahits - this does not mean the songs all sound the same. Its first chord is as grim a sound as 12 strings can make, and that tone carries on through the album. Hoosier rock legend John Mellencamp's latest album, " Simply a One-Eyed Jack," out Friday, brings the melancholy and self-examination in spades.
The pandemic has been a banner 18 months for melancholic self-reflection, and art often reflects reality.
0 kommentar(er)
