It’s been a while since I’ve heard an album from John Mellencamp as musically strong and lyrically powerful as Freedom’s Road.
I have always been a fan of John Mellecamp. He had a decade of excellent music - a run of 6 albums starting with 1983’s Uh-Huh and ending with 1993’s Human Wheels.
But something seemed to happen after that. Melencamp started to drift musically, without any real focus or pasion behind his songs. And once I started to see the numerous ‘greatest hits’ albums released, I began to resign myself that his best work was in the past. I wasn’t expecting to see him come out with an album like this.
In my opinion, Freedom’s Road’s is John Mellencamp’s best work since 1985’s Scarecrow. It’s a look at the world today that mixes both passion and compassion with a mature musical sensibility. It covers some of the same ground as Neil Young’s Living With War, but approaches it with less bitterness and a more hopeful outlook.
One of my favorite songs on Freedom’s Road is Someday, the opening track on the album. Check out this live performance of it from NBC’s Today Show:
It also has the uplifting song “Our Country”, popularized (and unfortunately in some ways minimized) by its use in the Chevy truck commercials. It’s a song that stands strong on its own merits:
I’ve played this album several times, and I find myself enjoying it more with each listen. If you were a fan of John Mellencamp in the past, or enjoy progressive country music, it would be worth your time to check this album out.
Freedom’s Road is a road worth traveling…
What I really want to know is when Mellencamp dropped his Cougar designation and why. Other than that, I find him to be one of the best musicians of his time.
My understanding is that using the name “Cougar” was a record company decision - not his. He had wanted to use his real name all along. Once he had a proven record of success, he changed it back - but in two steps. He listed his name as “John Cougar Mellencamp” on the ‘83 record “Uh-Huh”, and then he dropped the “Cougar” completely on the album “Scarecrow”.
Thanks, John. It was one of those “unanswered questions” that did not keep me awake at night, but had me wondering nevertheless.