Less is More on Mellencamp's No Better Than This

Aritst:  John Mellencamp
Title:  No Better Than This
Label:  Rounder Records

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and GRAMMY Award winner John Mellencamp takes a minimalist approach with his recent release, No Better Than This. Since the outset of his career in 1976, Mellencamp says that many of his previous successes were "happy accidents" but asserts that this is the kind of work he had always wanted to do.

With the feel of a five o'clock shadow and a burning cigarette, the record has a raw and untouched air about it—as if he just sat down with some friends in his living room and hit the record button (which isn't too far from the truth). Mellencamp's raspy, Dylan-esque vocals and the classic blues-meets-rock-meets-country sound makes for a collection of tunes that is far from innocent but talks about life as a man who has seen a great deal. The 58-year-old Indiana native teamed up with producer T-Bone Burnett to craft this album, and together they successfully recapture the vintage feel of the classic rockers and crooners of days gone by.

The organic touch comes largely from the fact that the entire record was cut in mono—just one mic, a few understated instruments and a 1955 Ampex recorder. The other nod to Mellencamp's shaved down sound is also due to his choice of historic recording venues while on tour with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson: Sun Studios in Memphis (where many say rock-n-roll was invented back in the 1950s), The First African Baptist Church in Savannah (a hub in the Underground Railroad), and lastly, the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio where the blues legend Robert Johnson recorded in 1936. Needless to say, the songs on this album are a far cry from the slick production of "Jack and Diane" or "Hurts so Good."

The opening "Take Some Time to Dream" comes from the voice of an older and perhaps wiser Mellencamp and is a series of advice and lessons learned. He urges the listener to accept mistakes, question faith, and to shy away from being judgmental. In his old age, Mellencamp seems more introspective and self-conscious as seen in "Coming Down the Road" where he admits he wasn't who he thought he was. "Each Day of Sorrow" is equally transparent as he asserts he has "No friend in Jesus" and confesses he is "Scared and alone/With no love in my heart."

Overall, No Better Than This is a rootsy rendition of life experience and a relaxed salute to those who preceded him—all with the notion that maybe less really is more.

**This review first published on August 24, 2010.