No Better Than This

The two or three readers of this blog probably figured out a long time ago that I am a John Mellencamp fan. I am the kind of fan that quickly corrects anyone using the name "Cougar" when speaking about him. Indeed I have been listening to him and his ever-changing band since about 1982 when I was 12 years old and American Fool was released. I am fairly certain there is not a day that has gone by without a Mellencamp song or reference somehow filtering into my thoughts since then.

My first concert was in Providence, RI around 1992 after Whenever We Wanted was released in late 1991 and I have seen quite a few since then, the most incredible was in Albany, NY not long ago when Mrs and I stood at the foot of the stage after obtaining fan club seats.

While I enjoyed the rock and roll shows I have been hoping for years that Mellencamp would dig deep and go for a sound that some may refer to as retro. For me, it's always been about the music. I really enjoy a combination sound of folk (especially old stuff like The Carter Family), Appalachia, rockabilly, etc and starting in 2003 John finally started laying it down with the release of Trouble No More in which he covered and tweaked twelve songs by such artists as Son House, Lucinda Williams, Robert Johnson, Woody Guthrie, Dave Allard (Dicky Doo) & Marion Smith and others. I LOVE this record and hoped for more.

Now, I never really liked saddling an artist with a genre. Why not just have it be music and not have to split it into a group? So, since at least the 80s and 90s, John really hasn't fit in, which I think is fantastic. I am not a fan of most 'popular' music, especially the over-hyped, over-manufactured noise that is produced today. It just seems too fake. Not authentic.

Mellencamp's next album, Life Death Love And Freedom was excellent, and I love it, but still not quite what I was hoping for. The record was produced by T Bone Burnett who has a great sound and seems to shoot for authentic sound in music. He has worked with many artists over his 40 year career. The link will take you to his web page for more information

Moving on to No Better Than This. The record was also produced by T Bone Burnett and all songs were written by John Mellencamp.John hit it right on! Exactly what I was hoping from him for many years and knew he had the ability to produce based on covers I have heard over the years. The full text of the album sleeve can be found here under 'album details'. Some of the tidbits I appreciate greatly I will share, taken from the album information and appropriately quoted.

The thirteen songs were written over a thirteen day period in the spring.

"“I got up every day and wrote and wrote and wrote.” The songs reflect various American traditions including blues, folk, western, gospel, rockabilly and country and address such themes as the need for hope, the nature of relationship and narratives that recount extraordinary occurrences in everyday life."


"The album was recorded on vintage equipment – a 55 year-old Ampex tape recorder with just one microphone -- in Savannah at the First African Baptist Church, in Memphis at Sun Studios and in San Antonio in room 414 of the Gunter Hotel. "

The significance of the recording locations is described in the album information.

The first song released off the album is also the title track No Better Than This. Below is the video produced for the song. It's actually a fun video with not much going on other than a pretty young woman shaking her stuff which works for the song (and for me). The entire album is available on John's web site. There is a 'jukebox' in the upper right side of the page with an option for a pop-out player, though I do advocate purchasing and supporting the music if you can.

I have given this many, many listens and love it more with each play. It's what I have been waiting years and years for.