John Mellencamp

Sad Clowns and Hillbillies (featuring Carlene Carter) (2017)

 


  1. Mobile Blue
  2. Battle of Angels
  3. Grandview
  4. Indigo Sunset
  5. What Kind of Man Am I
  6. All Night Talk Radio
  7. Sugar Hill Mountain
  8. You are Blind
  9. Damascus Road
  10.Early Bird Cafe
  11.Sad Clowns
  12.My Soul's Got Wings
  13.Easy Target
  

Pretty much a perfect title for the songs in this collection. As Mellencamp croons his way through these 13 songs, he easily sounds like....well...a sad clown and a hillbilly. Maybe a surly clown would be a better description, but I'm sure you get the idea. The album title states "with Carlene Carter". I confess I don't know who she is, but my guess is she is a bluegrass singer that Mellencamp holds in high regard. So many of the songs feature her on vocals as well.

The majority of the songs here have a folksy-bluegrassish tint to them - complete with plenty of "fiddle playing". All of this to say that the music here really isn't my cup of tea. It's hard to give an objective review to a piece such as this. True, all reviews are subjective to a point, but my honest opinion would have to be that this album is "listenable" if not particularly "enjoyable". It's best though, to consult a listener who actually appreciates and enjoys the music that's on here rather than myself.

I actually only made it through two listens.

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