What did he play? I'm guessing it was just JM and Andy Y?

I really enjoy all the old articles.

I have a James Brown Reader book edited by Alan Leeds (the guy that does all the liner notes for JB releases and was once JB's road manager) that compiles some really great articles on JB from throughout the years; there's Racing in the Street: A Bruce Springsteen Reader by June Skinner Sawyers which as cool.

I wonder if a collection of classic Mellencamp articles would be a viable commercial proposition? It'd be a better read than Born in a Small Town which, for me, was somewhat poorly researched.

I hope he just decides to stop letting unimportant things prevent him from his destiny which is writing and painting about the "human condition" I personally can't wait for the next album and I hope it's rock album like he said.

Did he say the next record as gonna be rock'n'roll? I missed that I guess. Cool.

I hope JM keeps it simple and organic for the next release. My dream (and no offense to the current lineup, which is fantastic) would be for JM, Kenny, Mike, Larry, and Toby as the core band to get in a room and knock out 10-14 songs in a couple months (I don't think they can do it in 16 days like in '83 any more LOL). Andy, Dane, Miriam, Jon E. etc could contribute on the side if/when needed?

Not sure about Kenny's earring there 


Love and Happiness is on youtube from, I presume, the same Arsenio show. Great performance.

Great...thanks walktall. Downloading now.

He also played Birmingham, England on April 10th 1992(I was there, 16 years old...time flies); I've often wondered.if this show was right after inspiration hit him in Amsterdam and he went with the English town's name for the song.

We had a great time listening to these yesterday in the car. Love the Dance Naked remix: the kids were bopping away in the back of the car too. I wonder what the story is there; it's so much fuller-sounding than the original release? It was great to listen to. Big fav, though, was Baby Please Don't Go, love this cover.

I also got to wondering why Here Comes Angie and March of the Forgotten Seven were left off the '98 record and leaked thereafter; does the Forgotten Seven song refer to a specific news item ala Jena?

Now...yes, I'm a pain in the ass...but does anyone have the audio of the truly fantastic Letterman '89 Pop Singer (the one with Kenny and the girls on loads of percussion as opposed to full drum kit) and Jailhouse Rock from Honeymoon in Vegas? Hope you're enjoying the baseball, walktall!

Yeah...a belated reply here, but a reply nevertheless.
Fascinating song, and I agree with Kenny Aronoff when he *suggested* it may be Mellencamp's coolest song. I remember an interview in '93 wherein JM stated he was inspired to write this after a show in Amsterdam in '92; he was either staying in The Hague or had passed through it and was weirded out by the debauchery on display and for sale...


*edited* to correct typo due to this damn touchscreen autocorrect thing.

That's the article down below in your new post, walktall, that I must've seen somewhere; maybe an old copy of MtM I had back then...

Yup, happy b-day JM!

Brilliant, thank you walktall! Downloading now and it's going straight on the ipod for the long drive we're undertaking; the kids are getting a blast of JM today.

That would be just awesome; no rush whatsoever, it'd just be great to hear those songs. I hear what you're saying about the difference in through traffic between here and, say, what we have over on BTX for Springsteen.

I do think, however, that there are a somewhat bewildering array of forums/subforums here; one 'General Mellencamp Discussion' board would suffice, if you ask me. I think the tour posts/discussions are wasted in their own subforums. One big forum would attract more thoroughfare/opinion/posters...just my 2 cents.

Thanks for those two songs, walktall...I'll download, digest them and come back with my thoughts.

Do you have Gamblin' Bar Room Blues, Rave On, Baby Please Don't Go, Never Too Old and the Dance Naked 'remix' I read about somewhere (not the live mix, I have that on a Wild Night single)?

I always wondered why Freddie's Dead was dropped from the Mayfield tribute in '93 or '94...I finally got to hear it a few years back (not in the finest audio quality, admittedly) and it was just so cool. Loved all the different rhythms Kenny had goin on.

We just have to get a box set of this stuff someday.

Well they both look pretty happy there. I can only wonder as to the nature if their fallout

I've also wondered if John is somehat 'all folked-out' recently; Key West Intermezzo and Love and Happiness back in the set. He's been touring this show an awful long time; maybe he's gearing up for throwing us a rock'n'roll shaped curveball.

Having said all that, maybe a live record with great versions of The west End, death letter, etc might be the way to go.