My Amazon Reviews: John Mellencamp "Trouble No More"

Contract No More
3 Out Of 5 Stars

John Mellencamp made no secret about the fact that his tenure on Columbia was not much to his liking. Seems the did the usual artistic meddling (most notoriously complaining about India Aire's appearance on "Cuttin' Heads"), and the hastily recorded "Trouble No More" carries the scent of a contract buster.

Alleged to have come together after Mellencamp performed "Stones In My Passway" at a tribute to journalist Timothy White (to whom the album is dedicated), Mellencamp and his band spent two weeks recording a roots-influenced set of covers. While the bulk leans to old blues (Son House's "Death Letter" being the high point), Mellencamp also does a nice job on the old country classic "The End Of The World." The band is playing loose and raw, which adds to the album overall.

While some may think Mellencamp is jumping on a bandwagon, it pays to recall that he's been driving this wagon since "The Lonesome Jubilee" explored Appalachian influences and "Big Daddy" was almost half a bare-bones folk album. The difference now is that Mellencamp is less afraid of the grit in the guitars than he used to be, which makes his growl in "John The Revelator" all the more appealing. The only misstep is the heavy handed protest-tune "To Washington," which aims its 2x4 at GWB (in 2003, I have to credit JM, this was not a warmly welcomed practice). But aside from that, "Trouble No More" holds up with Mellencamp's finer albums.