Friday Night Videos

Even when he was still chafing under the "John Cougar" name, Mellencamp started writing some damn good songs. Songs with teeth that told uncomfortable truths. Early in his career he was a rage machine, always angry at somebody or something. That might've made him miserable to work with, but when he channeled that intensity into his music, such as with "Crumblin' Down," well, we were all better off for it.

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Friday Night Videos

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.

Previously on Friday Night Videos... Night Ranger.

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Friday Night VIdeos

For your entertainment today, we have John Mellencamp's cover of the Van Morrison classic, "Wild Night." I'm a person who normally doesn't get excited over covers, but I have to say I like this version much more than the original. The fact that Me'Shell Ndegeocello brings a whole lot to the song doesn't hurt. My one criticism of the video is the fact that I've never, ever encountered a cabbie that looked like Cindy Crawford. Well, except now that I think about it... nope, they all pretty much look like Danny DeVito.

Previously on Friday Night Videos... Flight of the Conchords.

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Friday Night Videos

The Occupy Wall Street movement over the past couple of months has brought a particular John Cougar Mellencamp piece to mind: "The Authority Song." It strikes me as an anthem custom-made for the folks out on the street protesting rampant corporate greed, and the video, too, plays into the "little guy vs. the machine" archetype. What really jumped out at me, though, is how much that kid in the video resembles a young Mark Wahlberg. I haven't been able to find any references online to Wahlberg's participation in the video, but as Wahlberg was born in 1971 and "Authority Song" was released in 1983, the age would be about right. In any event, the resemblance is uncanny.



Previously on Friday Night Videos... The Cranberries.

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