The other day I was browsing Amazon and came across a John Mellencamp live offering that I must have missed. Plain Spoken From The Chicago Theatre. All of a sudden, two clicks later it’s in the mail1 . Since it arrived I’ve been watching the Blu-ray and listening to the music at every opportunity. So while I’m immersed, here are my thoughts.
Unboxing
This package is a 2 disc combo . A CD of the October 25, 2016 concert plus a concert Blu-ray that, by default, plays with Mellencamp’s running commentary interspersed throughout. He tells his life story and shares his life lessons and philosophies. It’s an insight into the mind of a real artist. FYI, you can choose to watch the concert without the commentary too.
Insightful Commentary
I have been a fan of John Mellencamp since his “Cougar” day’s. It’s been almost 40 years and I am so excited to report that this album/Blu-ray does not disappoint!
Mellencamp is not only a prolific singer-songwriter. He is also an accomplished painter, poet, activist and playwright. He talks about his creative process here. He continues his role as an advocate for the common man, speaking out against the injustices society. A voice seasoned with experiences and bad choices. But also a voice that he has raised for the farmer, the working man and the underdog. To listen to his songs is to hear stories about people we seem to know or maybe ourselves.
He was always a reluctant rockstar. His tremendous success in the music business has allowed him to create whichever art he pleases. He is the real deal. And he could care less if you like it or not. There’s a lot to learn about “the little bastard” from listening to his commentary.
Plain Spoken
The sound quality on both Blu-ray and CD is exceptional. Mellencamp’s gravel-laden, smoker’s vocals have matured into a raspy treat. Check out “The Full Catastrophe” here. The atmosphere of the concert is dark which fits perfectly with Mellencamp’s gravelly delivery.
Personally I’ve tried to keep up with John Mellencamp over the years. He’s one of those artists that I am confident enough in to just purchase his latest album sight unseen. But he’s so prolific it’s hard to stay current. I still need to see what his 2014 musical, “Ghost Brothers of Darkland County” is all about.
The pleasant surprise on this album for me were the songs I did not know. They were from his 2014’s Plain Spoken and 2017’s Sad Clowns and Cowboys. The 72 year old rocker can still write and deliver a great song! At his age he has perfected his craft!
The other pleasant surprise was Mellencamp’s performance in the concert. I was lucky enough to see him live back in the ‘Jack and Diane’ days and he was a great performer back then. It appears that age hasn’t softened his intensity at all. The band is very tight. On this performance, John is accompanied by old friends and bandmates: Lisa Germano on violin, Mike Wanchic on guitar with Andy York also. The impressive group is rounded out by Troye Kinnet on keys, Dane Clark on drums and John Gunnell on bass.
This team can deftly jump through the decades, cherry (Bomb) picking Mellencamp hits. The arrangements are rarely the same as the ones you hear on the radio but they are all delivered with enthusiasm and skill
Small Town- Plain Spoken
If you haven’t listened to John Mellencamp in a while, you will love this collection! If you are new to him, you’ve got some catching up to do. I hope that this record brings John back to the public at large because his message has always been important and is needed, especially these days. But don’t worry about Mellencamp if the new generation doesn’t catch on, he really doesn’t give a shit.
AND…. I see that John has an acoustic live album released 2021 called The Good Samaritan Tour! I can’t wait to hear that one!
- That’s right, I still prefer physical things rather than downloaded things and I don’t mind buying from the source, so I get the discs. Plus, I love to get stuff in the mail. Then I rip them onto the computer and eventually store the packaging away. Wasting trees? You might say. I don’t think so! You see, when we all lose the internet and the hard drives fail ……. Who’s going to be the guy that he still has a source of music?? Me! That’s who! ↩︎
