today I received the bundle with the vinyl and record player. it took a long journey from Louisville, Kentucky to Berlin, Germany.
and it´s worth every mile and worth every minute waiting for it. my excitement about it is hard to put in words. it´s been some time since I purchased a music item bringing such joy!

first of all I want to say that the service has been top throughout the waiting period. the guys from myplaydirect.com even sent an email apologizing for the delay! what a rare incident, someone apologizing to me for being late on something. besides, I didn´t expect the bundle to arrive the next day.

the whole package is just beautiful. the vinyl record, the signed, typewriter-style lyric sheet, and the turntable.
whoever had the idea to create this bundle, all who were involved in producing it, they all did a great job.
it all seems so unique, so special, and so handmade, just like John´s music. it all perfectly fits together, and it really makes me proud of having one of this bundles.

the record player with John´s name on it, is so simple but perfect. it brings back the good old feeling how to listen to music. no download, no sound discussion, no cable salad around, nothing but putting the record on the table, start it and listening. one knob for volume, one for tone.
and...it automatically stops at the end!
with the box, you can carry the player wherever you want!
nothing against an ipod, but this is much more heart and fun.

a big thank you to everyone who worked on this bundle!

wow, great show! thanks a lot for posting this here, so all can enjoy it. the new songs are outstanding, so are the new versions of the older songs.
to hear "Minutes to Memories" is very special.
John put a lot of heart in his performance. plus it must have been very hot inside the studio.

for the first time I could get an insight look into Belmont Mall. this studio where all this music that means so much to me was recorded, always was like a mystic place to me.
Sun Studios, Motown or Chess Studios may be more famous, but Belmont Mall for me always was THE American recording studio. living far away in europe and dreaming of america, this was the real place for me. I thought "it´s there where these cool guys come from and record their music".
a few years ago when we travelled through the east and midwestern US, I tried to visit Belmont Mall, but unfortunately nobody was there.

this show now not only pays tribute to John´s music, but also to this great studio.
Thanks again for sharing!

100% agree your opinion about his last albums. he is constantly writing great songs, his creativity doesn´t seem to end.  where others reached their top level some 30 years ago, John´s consistency is astonishing.

I´d prefer the second one, as it doesn´t connect each song to John´s personal life. I don´t think that necessarily every song is about himself, though his life experiences may influence his view.
but generally he is writing songs and creating music. in my opinion a song is a story told and not a diary.
the second review puts it right: "these songs are about people with a different sort of understanding of life."

who cares about critics? I don´t need anyone to tell me what I like.

"Isolation of Mister" is my top song of the album as today. "Tears In Vain" is growing on and on every time of listening.
these 3 songs (Isolation of Mister, Company of Cowards, Tears In Vain) in a row is fantastic.
I can´t expect receiving the vinyl edition to listen to side A and B. 5 songs each is perfect, this side A looks to be the best since "The Lonesome Jubilee".
I am not a professional music expert, but I find these songs so distinctive, so vintage Mellencamp melodies. I wonder how he takes them from.
delivering once again such great music is a top job! all I can do is say thank you!

want to add "company of cowards" to the songs I like the most from the new album.
it´s interesting to hear instruments like harp or organ on this album.

the new album sounds fantastic! at first glance, it sounds another classic.
congratulations to John and the band, great job done!
difficult to name a favourite song so early, but "Isolation of Mister", "The Brass Ring" and "Freedom of Speech" impressed me the most when first listening.

Thanks a lot to everyone involved for delivering such music!

Succeeded to order:)
Thanks a lot for your help!

Just received the newsletter email regarding the pre-order of "Plain Spoken". immediately wanted to order....just to notice that it´s limited to the us/canada.

is there no chance at all for the rest of the world to order this bundle? shipping costs won´t matter...

Very exciting, thanks for this great news! 10 songs, perfect for the vinyl edition.
hopefully a european tour will follow. no matter when, no matter how many songs, no matter what price...

some people always seem to find something to moan about.
no tour, short tour, arena tour, small venue tour, tour not in any region, setlist changing, setlist not changing, new songs, old songs.....all seems to be wrong sometimes.

we all should be happy, John keeps us alive with fantastic music for decades now. and compared to other superstars from the 80s, he is still very creative and keeps surprising us with any release.

I live in germany and am used to seeing him live once in 20 years. i would pay anything to see him performing just a couple of songs every year, no matter what songs.

I wish anyone who is attending a show a great evening! and I hope after the release of the new album a european tour will be included again. Berlin´s waiting

Strong lyrics for sure. the melody and sound is 100% Mellencamp. listening to the song now, makes the waiting for the new album even harder.
thankfully the new live cd will ease it all!

the press release from the record company says, it´s going to be an "elegant and soul-searching gem".

have any sounds been leaking out of Belmont Studio? did they do all recording there or move to other studios as well?
were Lily and Madeleine Jurkiewicz involved?

"Soul-searching" and the live album from the "Trouble No More" tour with all these blues songs.
it looks like the black influence in John´s music has returned very strong.
Very exciting! I am looking very much forward to the upcoming releases.

great picture!