![]() ![]() What took so long for this collaboration to happen? Question: There is being much made of you and Bruce singing together on a record for the first time, but you’ve known each other for decades. In his conversation with USA TODAY, Mellencamp, who recently canceled his tour because of COVID-19 obstacles (“for the third time,” he says with a sigh), delves into his long relationship with Springsteen, the portentous themes on the new album and the history of the everlasting “Jack & Diane.” The duo romp a little more on the easy swinging “Did You Say Such a Thing,” but also warn “the forecast is severe” on the piano and accordion-laden “A Life Full of Rain.” The album’s first single, “Wasted Days,” finds the pair in a reflective state (“Who’s counting now, these last remaining years / How many minutes do we have here?”). He also enlisted an old friend for a trio of songs, a kindred spirit in wistful storytelling: Bruce Springsteen. On Friday, Mellencamp unveils his first album in five years. “Strictly a One-Eyed Jack” features a dozen songs packed with themes of mortality and dense lyrics, guided by the album’s protagonist, “a dangerous old man” (i.e., the one-eyed Jack, which Mellencamp will further explain). From the early days of Johnny Cougar – a name he says “was forced on me. and I don’t like anybody telling me what to do” – through '80s MTV staples (“Pink Houses,” “Hurts So Good,” “Small Town”) rootsy zigzags (“Paper in Fire,” “Get a Leg Up,” “Wild Night”) a shadowy musical written with Stephen King (“Ghost Brothers of Darkland County”) and voluminous accolades (the Songwriters Hall of Fame, ASCAP Founders Award and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are but a few), his accomplishments overwhelm. Mellencamp’s is a rightfully celebrated career. Or, as it turns out, on the other end of the phone for an hour. Exactly the type who would make an ideal conversationalist over a few drinks. He’s calling from “on top of the mountain” in Northern California – not literally, but in his home – and for a guy often pegged as prickly, he’s immediately disarming. “If a squirrel chews through the line, we’re in trouble,” John Mellencamp says by way of introduction. ![]() Simply a One Eyed-Jack is an album that really grew on me each time I heard it, and I believe it will grow on you too.Watch Video: Diamond shines at Songwriters Hall of Fame The album cover features a portrait of Mellencamp wearing a patch over his eye painted by Mellencamp’s son Speck. It was long overdue to see these two collaborate and the result is fantastic. The duo would end up recording three tracks together: Wasted Day, Did You Say Such a Thing, and the instrumental A Life Full of Rain. Shortly afterwords, Mellencamp invited Springsteen to his recording studio in Belmont Indiana. The recording sessions were put on hid in March 2020 when the pandemic began and didn’t resume until 12 months later. Originally Mellencamp started working on S trictly a One-Eyed Jack shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Ironically, the Mellencamp’s features a track with the other artist who saw peaks with Americana music, Bruce Springsteen. He delivers storytelling through his raspy vocals with a guitar and string accompaniments that truly shine. The album showcases Mellencamp’s storytelling from an older, more mature standpoint. Now 70 plus year’s old, Mellencamp has delivered just that with Strictly a One-Eyed Jack. I believe every musician has at least one more good musical piece left in him. Following the release of 1989’s Big Daddy album, there just hasn’t been a lot to get excited about Mellencamp and his music outside of his work at Farm Aid. From 1982 through 1988, Mellencamp was on-fire delivering masterpieces such as Scarecrow and The Lonesome Jubilee. ![]() Simultaneously, John Mellencamp would do also do the same thing. The mid 1980s saw Bruce Springsteen reach new heights with his music focus a lot on Americana. #9 John Mellencamp – Strictly a One-Eyed Jack The album by the artist must have been released between November 1st, 2021 and October 31st, 2022. ![]() The main point is simple – to make this list you must have at least 20 years of producing established music. Enter the Top 10 Album Countdown: The New Oldies. As a result these veteran artists are not getting the attention they deserve. It seems that record companies, radio stations, and streaming services are pushing some the great established musicians to the background. Something seems to be missing these days. ![]()
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