denver Post

Interesting how reviews can vary , I read one review which claims the song "no one cares about me" is a standout and in the Denver Post here it claims its not even worthy of inclusion, I tend to agree with the post here, its really the only bad song on the record.

http://www.denverpost.com/entertainment/ci_15723430

John Mellencamp, "No Better Than This" (Rounder)

John Mellencamp set out to make a historic record in historic places, and in a few days between dates on the Bob Dylan/Willie Nelson tour in 2009, he came up with "No Better Than This," out next week.

At its core, "No Better" is a stripped-down roots offering that has Indiana's celebrated songwriter channeling Dylan's voice and, to an extent, Nelson's love of melody. His grizzled, road-weary vocals are the real thing, and these pop-rooted Americana songs are solid, if sometimes a little basic.

But wait, there's more. Mellencamp recorded these songs in some important places — including Sun Studios in Memphis and room 414 of the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio, the same place Robert Johnson recorded in 1936.

Can you hear the tinny charm of the Gunter's cramped room in "Right Behind Me," a fiddle-fronted blues jam? Or is Mellencamp getting arty for art's sake?

It's a little of both. "Right Behind Me" is a seductive song and a soulful performance that was no doubt inspired by the environs. The soft-focus "Love at First Sight" — recorded at the First African Baptist Church, the first black church in North America going back to pre-revolutionary years — is warm and hopeful.

It's a great idea, and the execution — T Bone Burnett's mixing/production included — is on- point. The songs aren't always up to the challenge. The skippy "No One Cares About Me," recorded at Sun, isn't worthy of inclusion here. Nor is "Clumsy Ol' World." But tracks such as "A Graceful Fall" almost make up for the inconsistency of the writing. Ricardo Baca