Rock Music and Blues Music reviews, In an attempt to bring you the very best in Rock and Blues reviews, Rikks Revues has gathered the best Independent and signed, or Major and smaller label Rock and Blues acts and has gathered them in one place for your viewing and listening pleasure. So take your time, and when you get done with one review, go back (click the arrow after the review) to the main Rock and Blues reviews page, and check and see what other star, or star in the making you might have missed. If a single artist has more than one review, they will all be listed on the artists main page, newest reviews always nearer the top. Enjoy the Review of Words & Music John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits, the new CD then head back to the main Rock and Roll reviews  and Blues music page and check out any other artists you may have missed, or would like to read about.

To go to artist's/ band's website, click on their CD cover. After the review their are links to song clips, and links where you can Buy Words & Music - John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits .........

Words & Music - John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits

I can remember the first song I heard by John Mellencamp (OK, if you will allow your age to be shown it was simply John Cougar at the time), and it wasn't even done by him, it was in 1979 when fem-rocker Pat Benetar belted out "I Need A Lover" that I was introduced to his music, yeah that was the same year his self titled CD completely slipped by me, that is until I discovered his second offering, this is where I really picked up on John (Cougar) Mellencamp, Nothin Matter's and What If It Did (1980) is still to me one of Mellencamp's masterpieces, hey if it weren't for him bringing in straight forward rock music to help us get the damn disco off the radio we may have seen a different musical outcome. At lkeast for me folks I really didn't want any more Gloria Gaynor or Anita Ward, my bell had long since rung, and Disco was declared dead!

I am grateful that Mellencamp finally regained his dignity.... with 1983's release UH-HUH, the name was now lengthened to  John Cougar Mellencamp, and a couple albums later the record exec's tag of COUGAR was gone altogether with the release of The Lonesom Jubille, the name was simply Mellencamp across the top of the CD, and it was a good thing. Yeah, John Mellencamp was here to stay and rock music historians as well as music lovers the world over are happy the stay was extended.  

So, the thing about John Mellencamp that has always stuck with me is his simply singing songs that the real youth of America, the heartlanders, could really dig their teeth, and ears into. Mellencamp always struck a chord with the youth whether it be coming of age songs like "Ain't Even Done With The Night" or the 1982 anthem "Jack and Diane"..... Maybe it is the cry he threw into the nations ears about the hardship of the American farmers, Mellencamp was one of the major draws for the Willie Nelson Farm Aid concerts for years as well. Or maybe it's simply the ability to do like few others in the history of Rock and Roll.... Put out 15 albums (not including this or the less superior Greatest Hits The Best That I Could Do) and it was almost guaranteed since about 1982 that you could hear at least a couple tracks in the top 40 from about every single one. John Mellencamp got to transcend decades without batting an eye and keeping his music sounding fresh at the same time throughout.

Words & Music hosts 35 of the best of John Mellencamp from times gone by, and it includes 2 new tracks that show Mellencamp still hasn't lost it with "Walk Tall" and "Thank You" (clips from both below). Get a load of this too, 5 tracks here were co-written by John Mellencamp and George Green, there is one Van Morrison track ("Wild Night" with Me'Shell Ndegéocello), one 1959 song from his Trouble No More CD (Dicky Doo & The Dont's, Or David Allard and Marion Smith's "Teardrops Will Fall"). Trouble No More was Mellencamp's last CD (2003) where he did nothing but covers of songs from Robert Johnson to Woody Guthrie to Lucinda Williams. The other 30 tracks were all penned by one of popular music's real Icons himself.

When you get the CD, and you will, do not expect to find these songs starting at the beginning and ending now, there is absolutely no chronological reason for the order these cuts are in, but that's OK in the case of Word's & Music - John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits, these songs really do stand the test of time and the order makes no difference. They all fit in the puzzle nicely. John Mellencamp proves in this collection that he truly is one of the greatest treasures in American popular music! For a complete track listing, song clips and comparison prices on the CD, don't stop now. keep scrolling down a bit!

   ( 5.5 Stars out of 6 )

  PLay MP3 Clip of Walk Tall

  Play MP3 Clip of Rain On The Scarecrow

  Play mp3 Clip of Ain't Even Done With The Night

  Play MP3 Clip of Thank You

Track Listing:

CD ONE - 1) Walk Tall (2) Pink Houses (3) Lonely Ol' Night (4) Jackie Brown (5) Rain On The Scarecrow (6) Love And Happiness (7) Check It Out (8) Peaceful World (9) Paper In Fire (10) Your Life Is Now (11) Human Wheels (12) When Jesus Left Birmingham (13) Authority Song (14) What If I Came Knocking (15) Crumblin' Down (16) Smal Town (17) R.O.C.K. In the U.S.A. (18) Cherry Bomb (19) Pop Singer

CD TWO - 1) Thank You (2) Martha Say (3) Key West Intermezzo (4) Hand To Hold On To (5) I Need A Lover (6) Hurts So Good (7) Get A Leg Up (8) Wild Night (9) Dance Naked (10) Teardrops Will Fall (11) Ain't Even Done Wit The Night (12) Just Another Day (13) Jack & Diane (14) Rumble Seat (15) I'm Not Running Anymore (16) Again Tonight (17) This Time (18) Now More Than Ever

If you are lucky enough to get the limited Edition with the bonus DVD - The DVD track listing is for 5 Videos - 1) Crumblin' Down (2) R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A. (3) Rain On The Scarecrow (4) Check It Out [Live] (5) Key West Intermezzo