Mellencamp

I'm a little surprised. I did not expect to like this CD much. I'm not a huge fan of John Mellencamp. I remember back when he was "Johnny Cougar" and wrote catchy pop tunes. The problem was that they were so catchy that they were promptly overexposed to the point where they could induce nausea. Mellencamp always came across as a hybrid wannabe who couldn't decide if he wanted to be Bruce Springsteen or Lynyrd Skynard. It turned out that he was able to out-sell both of them by cranking out what seemed like an endless supply of bland hit singles.

We're qute a few years removed from those days, and this new CD is a solid, well-crafted example of mature Americana. There are equal parts of country and blue-eyed soul on display here. The musicianship is top-notch. Lyrically it's a bit stuck in the crusading Midwestern social commentator mold, but it's just predicitable not offensive.

Unless you're already sick of that damned truck commercial song, that is. Even with the ubiquity of "Our Country" draining that song of any possible entertainment value, at least it displaced Bob Segar's "Like A Rock," a feat for which I will forever be grateful. At first listen "Our Country" is borderline jingoism that doesn't much appear to be grounded in reality. Further examination reveals a deeper mentality at work, but on the surface, the song comes across as a GOP sing-along campfire tune.

"The American's" is fantastical idealism at work, too, with the line "I'm an American from South of the Mason-Dixon line....I respect you and your point of view." Sort of makes you wonder which Mason-Dixon line Mellencamp's been hanging out South of. That particular song sounds more like a brilliant parody of Mellencamp than an actual song by him. Luckily, the rest of the CD is not so divorced from reality. "The American's" is a stand-out as the album's howler, a song so bad you have hear it to believe it.

On the other hand, "Jim Crow" is a sharp, well-written tune about the South, with chilling guest vocals by Joan Baez. This harsh look at the state of race relations makes up for the more commercial flag-waving in evidence elsewhere on the CD. The song has great guitar work by Mike Vanchic and Andy York. Just when you think that he's going to be content to dole out a standard helping of cheap patriotism and "look how danged rural I am" tunes, Mellencamp shows that he can give us an intelligent observation.

Even "Our Country" which on the surface seems like a simple truck commercial song, is instead a rewrite of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Our Land." There is some irony and progressive politics at work there. Unfortunately, like Guthrie's song, "Our Country" seems destined to be beloved by people who would be horrified by the song's true intent.

"Rural Route" is a decent little story song about an abducted girl. It sounds more like early Steve Earle than Mellencamp, which is a good thing. It's a rewarding artistic direction, should Mellencamp pursue it further in the future. I could deal with a concept album that tells a story in this form. Even his vocals take on a new light, more journalistic than anthemic.

The nominal album closer "Heaven Is A Lonely Place" is a good backwoods rave-up with some great roots-rock moments. Also on the plus side are the cutting lyrics and a killer arrangement. This doesn't sound anything like a hit single, which is a high compliment. Mellencamp is at his best when he's not swinging for the fence in terms of chart position.

A hidden track at the end of the CD is a either a searing politcal analogy about abortion or the war in Iraq, or a song about Rodeo clowns. The problem with hidden tracks is that it's hard to tell. In the days of vinyl, this would have been a throw-away B-side to a 45. Now it's a bonus track.

So I'm shocked. I survived a John Mellencamp CD. There are a few good songs, a couple of great songs, and a couple of remarkable stinkers, but for the most part, this is a pretty good CD. Even on the less-than-stellar songs, the musicianship is tight. Mellencamp has a hell of a band behind him. If you like Mellencamp in his heyday, you'll be pleased with a new collection of songs. If you didn't care for him you may still be surprised.