John Mellencamp Community

JOHN MELLENCAMP
Plain Spoken (Republic/Universal)
****
IF BRUCE Springsteen is the poet of working-class America, John Mellencamp is the voice of the nation’s heartland.

He might be firmly rooted in Bloomington, Indiana, but he bucks the Midwestern stereotype with his liberal worldview and portrayal of religion as a source of salvation rather than division.

In recent years, not only have his albums grown quieter and more introspective but themes of human frailty and the promise of redemption have become more pronounced.

There are two types of John Mellencamp record: the fully plugged-in, fully producedR.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. type, and the quieter, more introspective flesh-on-wood type.Plain Spoken definitely fits the latter category, continuing Mellencamp’s trend toward more restrained efforts. This makes it less accessible than, say, 2007’sFreedom’s Road and more like its successor Life, Death, Love and Freedom.

Yes, it’s a slow grower, but if you invest the time the melodies and textured instrumentation reveal themselves. As its title suggests, Plain Spoken is straightforward in both its music and its message. The stripped-down approach allows instruments such as violin, accordion, piano, mandolin, tambourine and harmonica to take centre stage, giving the album a rootsier feel than Mellencamp’s past rock fare.

And his smoky drawl is undimmed by the passage of years. If anything, now in his 60s, he’s sounding more world-weary than ever.

His albums of recent years have not only dealt with how he feels America has lost its way, but also struggles for redemption on a personal level. And things have been tumultuous in his own personal life, with his 18-year marriage ending, a short-lived romance with actor Meg Ryan, and now a lifelong commitment to Republic Records.

Troubled Man sets the scene with Mellencamp’s brooding over a life of unfulfilled promise and a tune in which The Eagles meet Grant Lee Buffalo: “So many things have fallen through my hands/I am a troubled man.”
The Isolation of Mister, meanwhile, recalls Pearl Jam’s Off He Goes: “Been so indifferent about so many things ... Thought I was living a life of freedom/But I was living in a cage.”

Mellencamp may be outspoken in his leftist views but he still respects the opinions of others, as demonstrated on the violin-driven ditty Freedom of Speech: “If your thoughts are different/Well, I think that’s OK.”
The mournful yet upbeat Tears in Vain is a standout, with Mellencamp’s lament punctuated by bursts of harmonica and haunting Shadows-esque guitar.

Mellencamp wears his spirituality on his sleeve but manages not to come off preachy, with believers and nonbelievers alike able to take something away: “We all need God when people don’t care/What we do to each other when there’s no one else there,” he sings on Sometimes There’s God.

He may be rocking out less but Mellencamp can still pack a punch with his music, and he’s keeping the faith with the string-band sensibility of America’s heartland.

- John O'Brien

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/album-reviews-john-mellencamp-lowtide-deline-barbra-streisand-j-mascis-missy-higgins-arthur-boyd-tribute/story-e6frfn09-1227071884596

That's a very nice review.



Mike