Ever since he burst out of Indiana in the mid-'70s, The Artist Formerly Known As John Cougar never allowed success to smother his humble beginnings as an Indiana boy done good. This inevitable best-of follows him down the long, strange road of his career. Mellencamp's initial success came via a bar-band anthem ("I Need A Lover"). He then turned his attention towards writing about life in the Midwest ("Small Town" and "Pink Houses"). Along the way, the self-named "Little Bastard" embraced roots music by incorporating fiddle and squeezebox into his sound ("Paper In Fire"), setting the stage for the later success of alt-country acts such as Uncle Tupelo and The Jayhawks. Always a fan of late '60s rock and soul, Mellencamp paid homage to the T.A.M.I. shows of his youth in "R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A." and added a cover of Terry Reid's obscure "Without Expression" to this package of otherwise previously released material.
Personnel: John Mellencamp (vocals); Larry Crane (guitar, harmonica, background vocals); Mike Wanchic, Mick Ronson, Andy York (guitar, background vocals); Lisa Germano, Miriam Sturm (violin); Kenny Aronoff (hammered dulcimer, vibraphone, drums); John Cascella (accordion, keyboards, background vocals); Carroll Sue Hill, Moe Z. (keyboards, background vocals); Brian Bekvar, Eric Rosser, Jay Ferguson (keyboards); Robert Frank, Toby Myers (bass, background vocals); Chocolate Perry, Willie Weeks (bass); Tom Knowles, Rick Shlosser, Dane Clark (drums); Dave Parman, Sarah Flint, Pat Peterson, Crystal Taliefero (background vocals).
- Format: Vinyl
- Genre: Rock
- Double Black Vinyl
- Released: 09/28/2018
- Remember, for our lowest prices, always order directly from our official JocoRecords website!
TRACKS
A1 I Need A Lover 5:37
A2 Ain't Even Done With The Night 4:38
A3 Hurts So Good 3:39
A4 Jack And Diane 4:15
B1 Crumblin' Down 3:35
B2 Pink Houses 4:44
B3 Authority Song 3:49
C1 Lonely Ol' Night 3:45
C2 Small Town 3:40
C3 R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A. 2:55
D1 Paper In Fire 3:51
D2 Cherry Bomb 4:49
D3 Check It Out 4:20
D4 Without Expression 5:06
