My Amazon Reviews: John Mellencamp "Mr. Happy Go Lucky"

Mellencamp Transitions Yet Again
3 Out Of 5 Stars

John Mellencamp has never been one to allow his muse any slack. Be the disputes he's had over his name, his image and even his sound, Mellencamp has been kicking at the prickles since he started out. For 1996's "Mr Happy Go Lucky," Mellencamp again threw a spanner into the public's expectations and hired noted dance producer Junior Vasquez to man the production booth. Purists immediately cried foul over the album's dependence on drum loops, samples and other gimmicks, but they missed the point. Mellencamp, who had just recovered from a major heart attack, was compelled more than ever to explore his music on his terms and "Mr Happy Go Lucky" succeeds more than it fails.

Even with the touches added by Vasquez, the album still depends mainly on the kind of rootsy/folkish rock Mellencamp had been coaxing out of his songs sine "Big Daddy." The big hit, "Key West Intermezzo," glides atop a shuffling groove, but has the traditional drum clap and home-baked electric piano moving things along under Mellencamp's usual gruff melodic singing. Even with a dance producer, Mellencamp sounds more like Springsteen than Madonna. In fact, the one or two times that Mellencamp seems to be letting Vasquez push him, like "This May Not Be The End Of The World," sound forced.

You'll still be getting plenty of the patented Mellencamp sounds (I count "Key West Intermezzo" among them), like "Just Another Day" and "Circling The Moon," plus his deepening love of roots rock, like "Jackamo Road" and "The Full Catastrophe." Never one to sit on his laurels or cater to anyone's expectations, John Mellencamp was still capable of bending genres and confounding expectations. "Mr Happy Go Lucky" was another one of those albums and a worthy disc out of Mellencamp's library.

     

My Amazon Reviews: Dave Rawlings Machine "A Friend of a Friend"

The name speaks a certain truth
4 Out Of 5 Stars

Dave Rawlings has been siding along the Americana and Roots music scene for over a decade, primarily with singer/songwriter Gillian Welch. But you may have heard his work on albums by Bright Eyes, Old Crow Medicine Show and Ryan Adams (whose song they co-wrote for Adams' "Heartbreaker," "To Be Young," appears here). Along with Welch, several of Rawlings' friends appear on "Friend of a Friend," and is all the prior mentioned artists ring your musical chimes, you're going to enjoy this CD.

Welch is in heavy rotation on "Friend," she is either playing guitar or harmonizing on most of the songs. Rawlings also lays some reclamation to his previous contributions to others, like the aforementioned "To Be Young," as he takes an Old Crow song - "I Hear Them All" - and claims it for himself. But he's more than adept on covers; when he combines Bright Eyes' "Method Acting" with Neil Young's "Cortez The Killer," the songs' resonant themes blend seamlessly. Rawlings and Welch also have some fun with their rootsiness; "Sweet Tooth" is a singalong that may be about something deeper then a craving for candy, and "How's About You" is a convincing porch rocker.

"Friend of a Friend" is an affirmation of Rawlings' individual talents. It's a charming album that wears its traditionalism on its sleeves, and will make fans want for more contributions than from what you usually hear on Welch's fine recordings.