Mellencamp's Playlist

John picks his favorite songs and comments on each one. From February 2007:

Track 1 Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues - Bob Dylan, "The Perfect Record. It
works both as folk and rock."

Track 2 California - Joni Mitchell, "The first record by a woman that I ever
heard that sounded as if she was making love to the male listener."

Track 3 Tumbling Dice - The Rolling Stones, "The best garage record ever
made."

Track 4 Pastures of Plenty - Woody Guthrie, "Every song that Woody wrote was
plainspoken and honest."

Track 5 We Gotta Get Out of This Place - The Animals, "Eric Burdon and the
Animals were able to take any song and make it their own. While the Beatles
were content to hold your hand, the Animals made you feel they wanted to go
a lot farther."

Track 6 Season of the Witch - Donovan, "Like Dylan, his is a wonderful blend
between folk and rock."

Track 7 Summer In the City - The Lovin' Spoonful, "Folk music from Greenwich
Village that permeated Middle America."

Track 8 All Day and All of the Night - The Kinks, "Just can't quit 'em."

Track 9 Walk a Mile In My Shoes - Joe South, "A tremendously overlooked
songwriter from the South."

Track 10 Tight Rope - Leon Russell, "One of the greatest, most heartfelt
records ever recorded."

Track 11 Gasoline Alley - Rod Stewart, "A great blend of Scottish and
American folk music."

Track 12 Suffragette City - David Bowie, "Great acoustic rock songs, being
at the right place at the right time in the early '70s"

Track 13 America - Simon & Garfunkel, "Intelligence and fun, all in the same
word."

Track 14 Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes - Paul Simon, "A wonderful
combination of Paul's songwriting with an upbeat music that had not been
heard in the late '80s."

Track 15 Masters of War - Bob Dylan, "What a great talent can do with just a
voice, an acoustic guitar, and a harmonica."

Track 16 Nature's Way - Spirit, "One of the great overlooked gems from a
California band that, for a certain type of listener, still sounds fresh
today."

Track 17 When You Dance You Can Really Love - Neil Young, "A beautifully
crafted and recorded folk/garage record that touched every hippie I knew."

Track 18 Search and Destroy - Iggy & The Stooges, "Raw Power!"

Track 19 Ride Sally Ride - Lou Reed, "A New York record that had a New York
club feel of the time. Dangerous and thrilling from track to track."

Track 20 It's All Over Now, Baby Blue - Joan Baez, "A beautifully sung and
performed album from a great folk artist."