John Mellencamp (album)

Last updated

John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp eponymous cover.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 6, 1998
Recorded1998
Genre Rock
Length45:56
Label Columbia
Producer John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp chronology
The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988
(1997)
John Mellencamp
(1998)
Rough Harvest
(1999)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Entertainment Weekly B [2]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]

John Mellencamp is the 15th album by American singer-songwriter and musician John Mellencamp, released on October 6, 1998. It was the first of three albums Mellencamp would record for Columbia Records. "On this record, we ended up quite a bit away from where we started," Mellencamp told Guitar World Acoustic in 1998. "Initially, I wanted to make a record that barely had drums on it. Donovan made a record (in 1966), Sunshine Superman , and I wanted to start with that same kind of vibe—Eastern, very grand stories, fairy tales. We ended up with a few Eastern instruments. But everybody prepared to make that record. After the last tour, I gave everybody Sunshine Superman, and I said: 'Listen to this record, because you're going to need to know it.'"

Contents

While it is unusual for an artist to release a self-titled album this late in their career, Mellencamp was asked by Columbia Records to self-title his debut album for them to mark a fresh start and a creative rebirth.

Track listing

CD
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Fruit Trader"John Mellencamp3:57
2."Your Life Is Now"Mellencamp, George Green 3:59
3."Positively Crazy"Mellencamp, Green, Andrew York4:09
4."I'm Not Running Anymore"Mellencamp3:26
5."It All Comes True"Mellencamp, Green3:58
6."Eden Is Burning"Mellencamp3:50
7."Where the World Began"Mellencamp; Green3:29
8."Miss Missy"Mellencamp3:40
9."Chance Meeting at the Tarantula"Mellencamp4:05
10."Break Me Off Some"Mellencamp; Moe Z M.D.; Green4:10
11."Summer of Love"Mellencamp; York4:01
12."Days of Farewell"Mellencamp; Toby Myers 3:12
Total length:45:56

Personnel

Band

Guests

Charts

Chart (1998)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [4] 41
The Billboard 20041

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackmore's Night</span> British-American band

Blackmore's Night is a British-American neo-medieval folk rock band formed in 1997, consisting mainly of Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night. Their lineup has seen many changes over the years; Blackmore and Night have been the only two constant members. They have released eleven studio albums. Their early releases were mostly acoustic and imitated early music, but eventually Blackmore's Night started using more electric guitars and other modern instruments, as well as performing folk-rearranged cover versions of pop and rock songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Mellencamp</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1951)

John J. Mellencamp, previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrumentation. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, followed by an induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018.

<i>Chestnut Street Incident</i> 1976 studio album by Johnny Cougar

Chestnut Street Incident is the debut studio album by John Mellencamp, then known as "Johnny Cougar," released in 1976.

<i>Self Portrait</i> (Bob Dylan album) 1970 studio album by Bob Dylan

Self Portrait is the tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on June 8, 1970, by Columbia Records.

<i>The Lonesome Jubilee</i> 1987 studio album by John Cougar Mellencamp

The Lonesome Jubilee is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter John Mellencamp, credited as John Cougar Mellencamp. The album was released by Mercury Records on August 24, 1987. Four singles were released from the album, the first two in 1987 and the last two in 1988.

<i>Mr. Happy Go Lucky</i> 1996 studio album by John Mellencamp

Mr. Happy Go Lucky is the 14th album by American singer-songwriter and musician John Mellencamp. It was released on September 10, 1996. It was his first album released after his heart attack in 1994. Mellencamp's music on the album is said to reflect his brush with death. The album was recorded in Belmont, Indiana, in Mellencamp's Belmont Mall recording studio. The first single from the album, "Key West Intermezzo ," peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is his last Top 40 single in the United States to date. "Just Another Day" was the album's second single and stalled at No. 46 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Don Gehman is an American record producer, engineer, and executive, best known for his work with John Mellencamp and Hootie & the Blowfish. He was one of "the most successful producers of the 1980s and 1990s." As a sound engineer, he also helped invent the modern rock P.A. and monitor systems.

<i>Dance Naked</i> 1994 studio album by John Mellencamp

Dance Naked is the thirteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter John Mellencamp released on June 21, 1994. The album was released in response to the record company's accusations that Mellencamp's previous album, Human Wheels, didn't "fit the format." Mellencamp was irritated with this remark, feeling that none of his albums ever fit the format. As a result, he wrote several purposely radio-friendly songs and recorded them within the span of 14 days at his Belmont Mall recording studio in Belmont, Indiana, intending to show the lack of effort required to produce the type of album they were asking for.

<i>Words & Music: John Mellencamps Greatest Hits</i> 2004 greatest hits album by John Mellencamp

Words & Music: John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album by American rock and roll artist John Mellencamp. This two-disc set was released October 19, 2004 on the Island and UTV Records labels. It is a retrospective of Mellencamp's career at the time of its release, and features at least one song from each of his studio albums released between 1978's A Biography and 2003's Trouble No More. Two songs, "Walk Tall" and "Thank You", were recorded exclusively for this album. No songs from Mellencamp's 1976 debut album Chestnut Street Incident or 1977's The Kid Inside are represented. Also omitted is Mellencamp's cover of "Without Expression", which was released on his previous compilation album The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988.

<i>The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988</i> 1997 greatest hits album by John Mellencamp

The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988 is the first greatest hits compilation album by American singer-songwriter John Mellencamp, released by Mercury Records in 1997. It compiles Mellencamp's most popular material recorded during his first decade with Riva and Mercury Records, beginning with 1978's A Biography, up through 1987's The Lonesome Jubilee, with a new recording of Terry Reid's "Without Expression". Mellencamp picked the songs for the album and also came up with the title for the album. The album reached No. 33 on the Billboard 200. This album and Rough Harvest came about because, after leaving Mercury Records for Columbia Records, Mellencamp still owed the label two more albums.

<i>Big Daddy</i> (John Mellencamp album) 1989 studio album by John Cougar Mellencamp

Big Daddy is the tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter John Mellencamp, released in 1989 by Mercury Records. It was his last album to be released under the name John Cougar Mellencamp, a combination of his real name and his original stage name of Johnny Cougar. The album peaked at number seven on the Billboard 200 and contained the singles "Pop Singer" and "Jackie Brown", which peaked at No. 15 and 48, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100. A re-mastered version of the album was released on May 24, 2005, and contains a bonus acoustic version of "Jackie Brown". Like The Lonesome Jubilee, Big Daddy is folk-inspired as violins and fiddles are significantly utilized on a number of tracks. The album's lyrics largely take a serious tone and the album as a whole is regarded by some as Mellencamp's most reflective.

<i>Human Wheels</i> 1993 studio album by John Mellencamp

Human Wheels is the twelfth studio album by American singer-songwriter John Mellencamp. Released on Mercury Records on September 7, 1993, it peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. The single "What If I Came Knocking" was Mellencamp's last No. 1 single on the Album Rock Tracks chart, staying atop for two weeks in the summer of 1993. The album has been certified Platinum by the RIAA for sales of 1,000,000 copies.

<i>Nothin Matters and What If It Did</i> 1980 studio album by John Cougar

Nothin' Matters and What If It Did is John Mellencamp's fourth studio album, under his pseudonym of John Cougar. Produced by soul pioneer Steve Cropper, the album includes the Top 40 hits "Ain't Even Done with the Night", which reached No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 as the album's second single, and "This Time", which peaked at No. 27 as the album's lead single.

<i>Whenever We Wanted</i> 1991 studio album by John Mellencamp

Whenever We Wanted is American singer-songwriter and musician John Mellencamp's 11th album, and the first to be credited simply to Mellencamp's given name.

<i>Rough Harvest</i> 1999 studio album by John Mellencamp

Rough Harvest is the 16th album by American singer John Mellencamp, a collection of alternate, acoustic arrangements of his favorite tracks, as well as several covers, released on August 17, 1999. Recorded mostly in 1997, the album fulfilled Mellencamp's contractual obligation with Mercury Records.

<i>Cuttin Heads</i> 2001 studio album by John Mellencamp

Cuttin' Heads is the 17th album by American singer-songwriter and musician John Mellencamp, released on October 16, 2001. It was his second album for Columbia Records, and it peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 in early November 2001. The album is noteworthy for having only one single, the India.Arie duet "Peaceful World".

The Clique was a late 1960s American sunshine pop band from Austin, Texas, United States. They started as the Roustabouts in the Beaumont, Texas area, 90 miles east of Houston, and later the Sandpipers before renaming themselves the Clique in 1967 and settling in Houston. Original members of the band were John Kanesaw (drums), Bruce Tinch, Cooper Hawthorne, Larry Lawson, David Dunham, and Randy Shaw.

<i>No Better Than This</i> 2010 studio album by John Mellencamp

No Better Than This is the 21st album by American singer-songwriter and musician John Mellencamp. Produced by T Bone Burnett, the album was released on August 17, 2010. It was recorded at several historic locations throughout the United States. The title track was the album's first single and was sent to multiple radio formats on June 28, 2010.

<i>Sad Clowns & Hillbillies</i> Album by John Mellencamp

Sad Clowns & Hillbillies is the 23rd studio album by American singer-songwriter and musician John Mellencamp. It was released on April 28, 2017 by Republic Records. The album features significant contributions from Carlene Carter, who worked with Mellencamp on Ithaca, the movie he scored for Meg Ryan; she sang on the track 'Sugar Hill Mountain' for the soundtrack. Carter opened every show of Mellencamp's 2015–2016 Plain Spoken Tour.

<i>Strictly a One-Eyed Jack</i> 2022 studio album by John Mellencamp

Strictly a One-Eyed Jack is the 24th studio album by American singer-songwriter John Mellencamp. The album was released on January 21, 2022, by Republic Records. The album's cover, a portrait of Mellencamp, was painted by Mellencamp's son Speck, who graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and is currently the executive director of Southern Indiana Center for the Arts in Seymour, Indiana.

References

  1. AllMusic review
  2. Entertainment Weekly review
  3. "John Mellencamp". Rolling Stone . October 20, 1998. Archived from the original on December 25, 2016.
  4. "Australiancharts.com – John Mellencamp – Mr. Happy Go Lucky". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 27, 2021.