John Mellencamp, who turned his real-life persona – “an American kid who grew up in the Heartland” – into his show-biz persona, is shocked that other American kids from the heartland aren’t having his Los Angeles politics:
“Love the art, ignore the artist” is an aphorism that’s served me well over the years. Uh Huh, Scarecrow and Lonesome Jubilee were three of the best albums of the 1980s, especially for another “American kid growing up in the heartland”.
As to Mellencamp’s politics getting rejected? To cite the sage, there is indeed “no free ride. Nobody said it’d be easy”. Some guys put you in your place. Some day hopefully we can look back and remember when.
Never really got into his music and literally hated Jack & Diane, because it was played incessantly when it came out. I did like “Scarecrow” and “When Jesus Left Birmingham”, up until the last part of the song devolved into the refrain from J&D.
Shut up and sing. The Chicks just called and they want their name back.
Heh. When someone I know returned with his family to the US after many years away, the first song that played in the airplane when they took off to NYC was “Pink Houses”… “nah, nah, nah, ain’t that America! Something to see!…” Big smile. Good vibe. Thought this move will work out well (it did).
It wasn’t until years later that he found that the “nah, nah, nah” part was Mellemcamp being a smug, sanctimonious liberal…
He’s always been a smug, sanctimonious liberal. And he’s outkicked his creative coverage many, many times; there’s really not much to care about in his career besides a few albums from ’83 to maybe ’91.
His acting debut was also his last film – justifiably so. And his self-produced biopic (mixing a concert with auto-biographic clips) was dull enough that i literally stopped watching – and I had started out really interested.
Have you noticed how many stores and restaurants play Baby Boomer muzak? It’s as if no good music was made after about 1979 and all the musicians were fake.
Add this clown to the list of exhibits.
Mellencamp isn’t up there in terms of Springsteen-type money, but he’s not scrounging for crackers to put in his lunch bucket. I’m always suspicious of singers calling the prop department for their wardrobe as if a coverall says you’re just a working man. The working man who needs a coverall doesn’t need (or believe) the “I’m one of you” BS.
OTOH, maybe John will be out in the parking lot after the show, offering to change the oil for a lucky fan or two.
^ I wondered to myself about that overalls getup. Seems more like some dorky old man that doesn’t want make the effort to actually put on normal clothes (pants, shirt). I mean, it kinda falls in line with the political rant and the eff you all.