John Mellencamp ....

[Trajan]

Wow .... I was NEVER a big fan of his ..... though I have always respected his honesty .....

These last two nights: ... on Leno, and now on Carson Daly:

DAMN this fella is the REAL DEAL ! ...

COMPLETELY sincere roots rock .... with the bluesy edge and campy, cliche syncopations .....

I LOVE that kind of honesty in Rock Music: .... like Tom Merillo of Rage, like Fred Durst or Trent Reznor: .... John KNOWS where he comes from, and knows how to get where he is going, and wants to take you there ......

[w13rd0]

1. Not my usual bag of tea...

...but I really enjoy some of his stuff, and respect him a great deal. Recall that he was doing some fairly progressive stuff (politically) in the 80s and such...

[Tom Kitten]

2. I liked the song about the walls come tumbling down...

...and that is the last you will ever hear from me concerning John Cougar Mellencamp....EVER!

[MadAsHell]

3. I have to admit being a long time fan but ...

If you hear his anti-Bush protest song "To Washington", it should make fans of most here on DU. I found an MP3 on his website but I guess it also on the one of his latest CD's.

[rexcat]

19. The CD is titled "Trouble No More"

I have not been much of a Mellencamp fan in the past but this CD is great. Lots of blues style songs.

[underpants]

4. Justice and Independence Day is a fantastic song

from Scarecrow written right in the middle of the Reagan years.

[mac56]

5. I've been a big fan of his from the beginning.

Yeah, I know it's not cool. But he's been political almost from the beginning. Listen to "Scarecrow", "The Lonesome Jubilee", and "Big Daddy" for some scathing shots against Reagan and Bush I.

This is one from "Big Daddy" that was about Reagan. Not much tweaking would need to happen to make it work about Dubya too.

Country Gentleman

Country gentleman walked a crooked mile,
Got our money in his pocket.
Did it all with a very handsome smile.
Now, he's livin' it up in a great big office.

He ain't a-gonna help no poor man.
He ain't a-goona help no poor man.
He ain't a-gonna help no poor man.
He's just gonna help his rich friends.
He ain't a-gonna help no women.
He ain't a-gonna help no children.
He's just gonna help his rich friends.

Country gentleman, we see him on T.V.,
Glad handin' folks and chattin' to the nation.
We never knew what really to believe.
Just word upon slogan with emotional connection.

He ain't a-gonna help no poor man.
He ain't a-gonna help no children.
He ain't a-gonna help no women.
He's just gonna help his rich friends.

And in the papers all we'd ever read is
So and so big-shot signed his resignation.
Now, country gentleman he wants us to believe
That he's kind and honest with the best intentions.

Country gentleman, now there's a bird that flew
High above his nation, prayed on its weakness.
Picked our bones and threw it in his stew.
Thank God he went back to California.

He ain't a-gonna help no poor man.
He ain't a-gonna help no children.
He ain't a-gonna help no women.
He's just gonna help his rich friends.

[ProfessorGAC]

6. He Leaves Me Cold

I don't actively dislike him, but his music doesn't resonate for me, in any way.

It's certainly not something i would buy, or take the time to attend a concert. That's for sure.
The Professor

[mac56]

7. It's rare that we disagree, Professor -

But I must say that his "Scarecrow" tour (1986, I believe) was among the top three concerts I've ever attended.

[ProfessorGAC]

8. I Understand

I can fathom why people like him. With some artists, i am baffled why ANYONE likes them.

Mellencamp is not one of them.

I can see why people like him, it's just that his music lacks the things that catch my ear. That's not an indictment of him, his music, or his fans. Just a difference in taste that leaves me out of the loop.
The Professor

[XNASA]

9. Er.......Fred Durst is an ignoramous.

He's a homophonic, sexist, racist jerk. He and his band got booed off of the stage here in Chicago last weekend. It's not even the first time that's happened to LB in this town.

JM is an OK guy. Real cornfed Midwesterner, except his wife is a fashion model. My brother and he are dead ringers.

[kmla]

10. Like his music or not, he is definitely true to himself...

Being a native hoosier, I have to admit that my opinion has a slight bias.

That being said, there are a few artists that haven't sold their soul or their music for a few dollars. The ones that have are easy to pick out. They usually have a corporate sponsor for their tour (i.e. Phil Collins or the Stones), or have loaned one of their favorite tunes to sell a product (once again, look at Phil Collins or the Stones).

As for his live shows, he puts on a pretty good show. I have seen him in concert about 6 or seven times in the last 20 years, and he has never disappointed me. No flashpots, no lasers, just a good stage show and a great rapport with the audience.

As for his political beliefs, he hasn't really concealed them. Since the Farm Aid days, he has been pretty much on the side of the regular workin' class guy. And he still is a regular guy. He is often seen in attendance at Indiana University basketball games - he is a huge fan. And he always stops to sign autographs for those who ask.

"Ain't that America, home of the free.."

[Throckmorton]

11. I always could take or leave Jonny Cougar Mellonhead

Woooo Woooooo.

[Skittles]

12. I don't know what it is

no matter how badass he tries to make his image, he just comes off as so much FLUFF to me.

[RandomKoolzip]

13. John Cougar Muenstral Cramp?

He's all right, I suppose. His old drummer (Kenny Aronoff) was the saving grace of his music, which often leans toward blatant lifts of 'Exile on Main St." for my comfort...Great Drummer; too bad he got fired.

[Desperadoe]

14. Not Crazy About His Music

But he is John Prine's buddy so that's good enough for me.

[mac56]

17. That's right!

Check out "Take A Look At My Heart" off of "The Missing Years".

Co-written by Prine and Mellencamp, vocals by Prine and Springsteen.

[THUNDER HANDS]

15. Melloncamp is a bantamweight Bruce Springsteen

But a damn good bantamweight Bruce Springsteen.

:)

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

16. Melloncamp, Bon Jovi, the Boss, all good Democrats

The indie groups are too cool to be that political, unless they are anarchist types.

[kid shelleen]

18. Never really cared much

for his stuff. But for an old fart he sounded pretty damn good last night on Carson's show. The applause for his 'freedom of speech' answer was kinda limp. Fuckin' sheep.

[greekspeak]

20. He's Not my plate of meat and potatos,

But at least he sings simple, appealing, home-spun songs about what he believes in, and has the power to enact positive change through music. Gotta give him respect for that.