“A Ride Back Home” (featuring Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild)(from Life, Death, Love and Freedom, 2008) “Sweet Suzanne” (by Buzzin’ Cousins featuring John Mellencamp, John Prine, Dwight Yoakam, Joe Ely & James McMurtry)(from Falling From Grace soundtrack, 1992) “Love and Happiness” (from Whenever We Wanted, 1991) “Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out)”(from Big Daddy, 1989) “Get a Leg Up” (from Whenever We Wanted, 1991) “Wasted Days” (with Bruce Springsteen)(from Strictly a One-Eyed Jack, 2022) “When Jesus Left Birmingham” (from Human Wheels, 1993) “What If I Came Knocking” (from Human Wheels, 1993) “Cherry Bomb” (from The Lonesome Jubilee, 1987) “Rain On The Scarecrow” (from Scarecrow, 1985) “Check It Out” (from The Lonesome Jubilee, 1987) “Hand to Hold on To” (from American Fool, 1982) “Paper in Fire” (from The Lonesome Jubilee, 1987) “Lonely Ol’ Night” (from Scarecrow, 1985) “This Time” (from Nothin’ Matters and What If It Did, 1980) “Hurts So Good” (from American Fool, 1982) “I Need A Lover” (from A Biography, 1978 & John Cougar, 1979) “Ain’t Even Done with the Night” (from Nothin’ Matters and What If It Did, 1980) “Jack & Diane” (from American Fool, 1982) Here is my list of 100 favorite songs recorded by John Mellencamp (1976 to the 2021): A founding member of Farm Aid and an inductee into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame, Mellencamp has released such classics as “Hurt So Good”, “Jack & Diane”, “Pink Houses” and “Smalltown”. Finally, with the release of 1985’s Scarecrow, he would chose to simply be known by his given name. Prior to settling on his real name, John Mellencamp (born Octoin Seymour, Indiana) performed under the names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar & The Zone, John Cougar and John Cougar Mellencamp. As one of Heartland rock’s premiere superstars, Mellencamp has given us several decades of incredible music. The first time I had the privilege of seeing Mellencamp perform live in concert was in 1982 when he was opening for the rock band Heart. Some Final Comments (originally written in late 2021): Strictly a One-Eyed Jack is currently available on CD and as digital, with Amazon also accepting orders for a vinyl release slated for May 20, 2022. The Associated Press, in their review of Strictly A One-Eyed Jack, says: “Mellencamp’s gravelly voice and rootsy rock are all over the 12-track collection the sound of an artist looking back with some regret and at the present with a critical eye.” Mellencamp has never been an artist who compromises or settles on the easiest route and his loyal fans continue the journey alongside one of the Hoosier state’s greatest exports. While enjoying these two music icons perform together at Sting and Trudie Styler’s 30th annual Rainforest Benefit in 2019, I wondered if they would one day team up in the studio – well, thankfully they did. Billboard spoke favorably of the single by commenting: “Two of the nation’s most beloved chroniclers…sounds like a pair of old friends sitting around a fire.” Springsteen also joins Mellencamp on three tracks (“Wasted Days”, “Did You Say Such a Thing” and “A Life Full of Rain”) on Strictly A One-Eyed Jack. In late 2021, we had a sample of things to come with the release of “Wasted Days”, a much talked about collaboration with Bruce Springsteen, which The Southland Music Line spotlighted this past autumn (Click Here for Review). Through the years, he has received notable praise from others, including music legend, Johnny Cash, who said, “ Mellencamp is one of our greatest living songwriters” and Nora Guthrie, daughter of American folk musician and singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie, said, “John Mellencamp not only has a mind, but better yet, he’s got a mind of his own.” Strictly A One-Eyed Jack, written and produced by Mellencamp at his own Belmont Mall Studios in Bloomington, Indiana, is the next chapter in this music artist’s ongoing evolution from young 70’s and 80’s rocker to one of the architects of modern day Americana. Without debate, Mellencamp continues to be one of the music industry’s most enduring artists. This album is his first studio release since 2018’s Other People’s Stuff, an outstanding collection of covers. While this newest release is his 25th studio album, Mellencamp has also had several more records released when you count his greatest hits, live and acoustic packages. John Mellencamp’s highly anticipated studio album Strictly A One-Eyed Jack finally arrived in January of this year containing the new single “Did You Say Such A Thing”.
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