Life Death Love and Freedom : John Mellencamp : Review : Rolling Stone

Earlier this year, John McCain used John Mellencamp's hits "Our Country" and "Pink Houses" during stump speeches, until the Democratic singer asked him to stop. It's unlikely that the Republican candidate would find anything useful for his campaign on Life, Death, Love and Freedom. Mellencamp teamed up with producer T Bone Burnett to create a whole new sound — a set of textured, atmospheric folk and country blues that adds up to one of the most compelling albums of Mellencamp's career. There's not a bright, catchy riff or fist-pumping populist anthem to be found among these brooding, low-key songs about growing old, sick, lonely and pessimistic.

Burnett brings a fuzzy moodiness to the gospel hymn "If I Die Sudden" and the Springsteen-like "Don't Need This Body," both underpinned by distorted guitars and reverb-heavy leads. Politically motivated songs like "Jena," about the racially charged Jena 6 trial in Louisiana, and "Young Without Lovers," a more general plea for tolerance, sometimes strain to deliver a Big Message, with lines like "Let the people have the right to be different." But Mellencamp excels at the simple tunes: the twangy "My Sweet Love," kick-started by a big Bo Diddley beat and sweetened with female harmonies, and "A Ride Back Home," his desperate plea to Jesus over spare, ragged guitars. Life's dark undertones may not make for easy listening, but Mellencamp's raspy drawl has only gotten more soulful with age.

MARK KEMP

(Posted: Jul 10, 2008)

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Review 1 of 3

5of 5 Stars

If "Freedom's Road" was the darker and deeper brother of "The Lonesome Jubilie", that's what one critic said, he will think that "Life, Death, Love and Freedom" is the darker and deeper side of "Big Daddy". With songs like "John Cockers", "Without a Shot" and "Troubled Land" paint the truth of America with the first about and lonely, greedy man, the second uses our children and corruption to explain the Iraq War. and the latter of them explains all of the problems with our nation. This collection uses Country-Blues, Folk-Rock, Folk and Rock on this disc to give life to all the tracks on the disc and T Bone is quite the producer. 5 stars

Jul 16, 2008 20:46:18

Review 2 of 3

4of 5 Stars

Has the sound and feel of JM's Trouble No More but all original songs. Lots of dobro and mandolin, drums with brushes, etc.

I think his 1999 self titled record is still his best (or tie with Big Daddy) but this is better than Cuttin Heads or Freedom's Road.

Keep in mind that this is a MELLOW record and the theme of death is a major theme, not exactly a party record...but that's ok

I'll give it a few more spins and see if it finds it's way to 5 stars.

Jul 16, 2008 10:43:14

Review 3 of 3

5of 5 Stars

Folk and country blues story tellin' music is the best. Loved it - buying it!!

Jul 15, 2008 21:23:54

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