Lonesome Jubilee, The - John Cougar Mellencamp > Reviews > Check It Out ...

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Average
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money

Advantages:	Lyrically strong .  Not simply a re - tread of the previous album
Disadvantages:	Not quite as tight as 'Scarecrow'

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Following on from the mid-west tales of 'Scarecrow', The Lonesome Jubilee moves Mellencamp's writing to the city.
The acoustic roots of the previous album seep through at times, but this is a harder-edged record with the emphasis on rock rather than folk/country.
A key to the sound of the album is the introduction of the fiddle and accordion which provide a unique blend with the electric guitars and give the record it's signature.
Mellencamp's recurring lyrical theme of people impacted by a greedy and naive society is mixed with uplifting songs that border on pop. Downbeat tales of unemployment sit side by side with reflections on the best years of youth.
The album created a number of hit singles in the States, where Mellencamp is far better known than in the U.K.
Still a cut above the output of most other artists in the mid to late Eighties, it doesn't quite surpass the previous offering of 'Scarecrow', but it comes close.