Search - John Mellencamp :: Life Death & Freedom

Love of Life, Love of Freedom

Rudy Palma | NJ | 07/15/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Despite its scintillating title John Mellencamp's new LP "Life, Death, Love and Freedom" is one of the quietest records of his career, but its lyrical depth, coupled with rich, intimate simplicity, makes it a formidable one. This is essentially folk music with some exceptions, yet these songs very much pulsate with electricity and character.



Vocals and guitar generally take the forefront, with Mellencamp's sentiments hanging loose in the balance. It's dark, even cryptic, but it's also bold and exciting, especially from a talented songwriter who could simply churn out a dozen radio-friendly southern rockers if he wanted to. Evoking similar themes as heard on last year's warmly received "Freedom Road," Mellencamp sounds as inspired as ever in his comments concerning the state our country is in. He speaks to those frustrated about its current state of affairs and the need for change, yet never lets negativity win.



Many of the songs have already found public exposure such as "Jena," the controversy-arousing response to the by-now infamous controversy that occurred last year in Jena, Louisiana, as well as "If I Die Sudden," a resigned, dignified approach to mortality he has introduced into concert setlists. Frenetic, bouncy lead single "My Sweet Love" injects the otherwise downtrodden album with its near-syrupy sentiments.



"Mean," an understated, nearly spoken-word protest of another's jaded outlook on life, finds Mellencamp wise and observant, but never too cynical to see the silver lining or lose a sense of innocence.



"I'm not following your frame of mind/Complaining about this life all the time/Surely something good here as the world spins by/Could you please stop being so mean?"



"Without a Shot," an astoundingly eloquent criticism of the Iraq War, finds Mellencamp wading through the rubble of our nation and struggling to make sense of it all, marking what is definitely one of his finest moments as a songwriter.



"So we open up our eyes at midnight/See the setting of the sun/Foundation is crumbling/The inner structure's gone/Used up by corruption/And the passage of time/We hope we've got some fight left/'Cause our children, our children are dying."



Further standouts like "Troubled Land" ("I got a pain in my side/But I keep traveling on") and "Don't Need This Body" ("Well all my friends are sick or dying/And I'm here all by myself/All I got left is a head full of memories/And a thought of my upcoming death") shed further light on the current state of quiet desperation working its way into the tiniest nooks and crevices of our nation. Something has got to give, and Mellencamp's passion and fury combine to produce a vivid snapshot of America in the 2000s.



He concludes the album with "For the Children," a gentle reassurance to youth growing up in a confusing time ("I hope you can be a child of life/With big dreams for everyone/And know that dying's as natural as birth/And our troubles here, they don't last long"), and "A Brand New Song," an ode to reinvigorating livelihood and looking to a brighter future.



It may not have brash, in-your-face entertainment value or artistic pretensions (Starbucks label affiliation aside - give the guy a break, he needs a way to get his music out there in this unpredictable, adversarial market), but "Life, Death, Love and Freedom" is pure, wall-to-wall beauty and truth. If all singer/songwriters could be as soul-searching and thoughtful as Mellencamp proves himself to be on this album, this world would be a richer, more rewarding place to live and breathe. Sure, there are no easy-as-Coca Cola concert singalongs like "Jack and Diane" or "Small Town" here to guzzle down, but Mellencamp, like most talented artists, has evolved.



For all of those living in fear, frustration and heartache in today's world, he reaches out through his words and music. All he asks now is that you might pay him a listen."

His Best Work in a Decade

Jack Robert Fixx | Earth | 07/21/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Here is John Mellencamp in all his American Glory. People who still bank on his stalwart hits like "Jack and Diane" just because it's still in heavy rotation on FM top forty are missing the best of this man's career. Songs like "A Troubled Land" and the beautifully melancholy "A Ride Back Home" are songs for the everyman and everywoman in the United States who are feeling spiritually bankrupt these days. This is truly a CD for the downtrodden, made for hard times, crafted for the helpless and the hopeless. I'm betting this one will go down as one of Mellencamp's masterpieces long after he stops making music. "Life Death Love and Freedom" is proof that there are still great songwriters out there and not all of them have sold their soul to the pop machine."

On Death and Dying

Anthony Bambocci | 07/23/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Okay, for those John Mellencamp listeners that fell in love with his music by purchasing `Uh-Huh', `Scarecrow', `Big Daddy' or `Lonesome Jubilee' at some point in their lives, let me say that you should not purchase "Life, Death, Love and Freedom". With the exception of `My Sweet Love', you will be sorely disappointed. There is very little that is radio friendly. I can only compare it to the reaction from fans of Bruce Springsteen that purchased `Nebraska' thinking it would be another `Born in the USA'. That is the bad news.



The good news is that the lyrical strength of this release is truly impressive. They might represent the best introspective words ever written regarding reflections of a person growing old (`with less days in front of the horse than in the back of the cart') and awareness of one's mortality. That said, "Life, Death, Love and Freedom" is very dark. Few young listeners will appreciate the significance and older listeners may have to hide the gun that they may want to put to their head after a few listens.



Within the past few years, a trend in the recording industry has been to take an established artist and develop material that is stripped down to essential elements (Neil Diamond, Jakob Dylan, Johnny Cash, etc.). Caveat Emptor - that is what you are getting here. With a few exceptions, this is essentially a folk release As such, it will probably find a small audience to appreciate it. That is a shame because it is a very, very good folk CD. You just have to be into that genre. I am, and after fifteen straight listens, it is still in my CD player.



......Now if you'll excuse me I have to go buy some bullets.....

"