There’s a lot of boo ha about artists recording “live” – spending days not months recording the music with the least amount of production, without over dubs, with out the polish of a studio. Our beloved Tom Jones did a grand job with ‘Praise and Blame’ – there’s of course Johnny Cash and his wonderful work with Rick Rubin.
What makes these albums so good, is of course the rawness, the voice of course, but also the songs – the songs are great songs.
This is also the case with John Mellencamps new album, its rough, its raw, it could have been recorded in 1954 but it works so well because the songs are so good. The songs are embedded in America, in rockabilly, in country, in folk, in Americana they are steeped in America’s (and Mellencamps, I suspect) history. They were also recorded roughly, in some very famous places: First African Baptist Church in Savannah, GA (the first African American Christian churchin North America), Sun Studios in Memphis, and in Room 414 of the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio, TX, where Robert Johnson recorded “Stones in My Passway” in 1936.
But forget the way it was recorded, to me it’s not important if it was recorded in mono, in stereo, in a church half way up the Mississippi, I challenge you to find 13 better songs than on this album, from the opener ‘Save Some Time To Dream’, to ‘Clumsy Ol’ World’, we find Mellencamp in fine form, “Love at First Sight,” with Mellencamp accompanied only by an acoustic guitar, is among the finest love songs I’ve heard in awhile. ‘Coming Down The Road’ will having you yeehaaing till Christmas its so darn catchy and ‘The West End’ is a slow, deceptive song that has echoes of Carl Perkins, Mark Knopfler…..but wait…..I’m wrong – this album sounds like no-one…..it sounds like John Mellencamp, a great American singer/songwriter who has just recorded an album to savour, an album that could have been made anytime in the last 50 years, an album that I recommend drop into your basket next time your on Amazon.
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And I just love this video with my new best friend Freda Fudge dancing to John’s song (let me know if you want Freda number – she’s lovely)
Yeah LD, love John ‘Cougar’ Mellencamp. He’s 3 weeks younger than me.
I had already earmarked one of his earlier songs for my October mix. SPOOKY!
I wrong about this album………it’s more than just a collection of 13 great songs – what makes it so special is the feel of it, the old sound that you hear from old musicians playing on old instruments, in an old way.
I was listening to it again in bed last night with ear phones on (to drown the noise of the A/C and Mrs. Dogs snoring) and it dawned on me that I wouldn’t normally buy rockabilly or country or anything like that – so why do I like the songs on here that do sound a bit rockabilly and country?
It is, for me, the way that Mellencamp has combined the best of both worlds – his song writing skills with the sound of the 50′s – such a good combination.
Hi Cheesy – glad you like. I’m looking forward to your mix if it includes the likes of Mellencamp. Wonder what song you thinking of including?
mmm……….how about Crumblin Down or Lonely ‘ol Night or Jack and Diane or… or …. or.. I could go on as I like the guy. Can see playing some of his old stuff today.
BTW Cheezy – did you get my email?
Great album this – totally agree with the comments above. It’s raw and it’s honest. I’m not a huge fan of the country/ rockabilly sound, but some artists have done it so well – think Flying Burritto Brothers, Levon Helm, The Highwaymen, Delaney & Bonnie. He certainly falls into this camp…