I kinda miss the music old John Mellencamp. Yeah, he's enjoying life and doing a lot of interesting stuff with old blues and folk music, but back when he was a hit making machine, there came a point where he realized he could say something with his music. That songs didn't have to just be three minutes of catchy, mindless hooks. "Pink Houses" was the first big manifestation of this, and he embraced it fully with the Scarecrow album. "Paper in Fire" from the Lonesome Jubilee album saw him starting to push the boundaries, musically speaking. There are tonal shifts throughout, dramatic volume swings and the instrumentation--dobro, banjo, violin--are arranged in ways seldom heard on top 40 singles. He also brings in a little gospel for the first time (at least, that I can think of off the top of my head). The following years saw him pursue unusual arrangements and instrumentation and gospel elements on subsequent albums, and I think his musical creativity and maturity is still, sadly, overshadowed by the "Johnny Cougar" and "Little Bastard" years.
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