Freedom's Road
John Mellencamp
Producer: John Mellencamp
Universal Republic, 2007
1 CD
Catalogue #: 1718006
EAN: 0602517180062
UPC: 602517180062
Personnel include: John Mellencamp (vocals); Mike Wanchic, Andy York (vocals, guitar); Miriam Sturm (violin); Troye Kinnett (keyboards); John Gunnell (bass guitar); Dane Clark (drums).
John Mellencamp's heartland rock has attracted as many critics as fans, but regardless of the listener's stance, 2007's FREEDOM'S ROAD makes one thing abundantly clear: Mellencamp is very, very good at what he does. The artist has used the five years since his last album of all-new material to full effect, crafting the songs, sound, and themes of FREEDOM ROAD to perfection.
Mellencamp's usual mixture of rock, folk, blues, and country is here in full force, but it feels refined to a sharp edge on both rousing, anthemic tracks ("The Americans") and haunting atmospheric ones (like "Jim Crow," which features Joan Baez on guest vocals). The song "Our Country," popularized in a truck commercial, is here, yet stands tall in the context of the album, taking on an unexpected vitality. The sound is bold and rootsy (thanks in part to the country quartet Little Big Town), and the songs paint on a large canvas their American tales of desperation, integrity, tragedy, and hope. But Mellencamp's vision, while broad, is rarely sentimental or contrived, resulting in one of his finest overall releases since UH-HUH and SCARECROW.
Tracklist
John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp debuted in the early 1970s without a clear identity, but by the early '80s he morphed (thanks, in part, to one of the all-time great backing bands) into a fine, socially conscious, blue-collar roots rocker. Since he hit his commercial and creative stride in the mid '80s, his music has become increasingly personal and (occasionally) experimental, but without losing any of its power.
