CREATE John Mellencamp - The Best That I Could Do Disc 2

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by krambigmac, Oct 2, 2018.

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  1. krambigmac

    krambigmac Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Bellingham MA
    I've recently been on a Mellencamp kick and realized that he has way more awesome songs than I ever gave him credit for. I wanted to do an album by album thread but I can't guarantee I could keep up with that so I figured it would be fun to create a 2nd disc for his 1978-1988 greatest hits compilation. Basically, choose songs from that era that could fill a 2nd disc. The original release was just under 59 minutes but apparently it was not on vinyl until last week and it was a 2LP set so no need to be anal about the time so long as it makes sense. I planned on keeping the track count and time pretty close to the original release.

    Here is the US listing from Wikipedia. Japan had two bonus songs but I'd allow those to be included on a theoretical disc 2. I know that there was a more robust GH later on (Words and Music) but I wanted to dig into the early works.

    No. Title Original release Length
    1. "I Need a Lover" A Biography 5:38
    2. "Ain't Even Done with the Night" Nothin' Matters and What If It Did 4:37
    3. "Hurts So Good" (Mellencamp,George Green) American Fool 3:39
    4. "Jack and Diane" American Fool 4:16
    5. "Crumblin' Down" (Mellencamp, Green) Uh-Huh 3:36
    6. "Pink Houses" Uh-Huh 4:45
    7. "Authority Song" Uh-Huh 3:50
    8. "Lonely Ol' Night" Scarecrow 3:46
    9. "Small Town" Scarecrow 3:41
    10. "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A." Scarecrow 2:55
    11. "Paper in Fire" The Lonesome Jubilee 3:53
    12. "Cherry Bomb" The Lonesome Jubilee 4:49
    13. "Check It Out" The Lonesome Jubilee 4:20
    14. "Without Expression" (Terry Reid,Graham Nash (uncredited)) Previously unreleased 5:06

    MY DISC 2:
    1. "Factory" A Biography 3:02
    2. "Taxi Dancer" A Biography 4:05
    3. "A Little Night Dancin'" John Cougar 3:43
    4. "Small Paradise" John Cougar 3:40
    5. "Miami" John Cougar 3:53
    6. "Hot Night in a Cold Town" Nothin' Matters and What If It Did 3:47
    7. "Hand to Hold on To" American Fool 3:25
    8. "Thundering Hearts" American Fool 3:40
    9. "Play Guitar" Uh- Huh 3:25
    10. "Serious Business Uh-Huh 3:25
    11. "Rain on the Scarecrow" Scarecrow 3:46
    12. "Minutes to Memories" Scarecrow 4:11
    13. "Justice and Independence '85" Scarecrow 3;32
    14. "Hard Times for an Honest Man" The Lonesome Jubilee 3:27
     
  2. Jackson

    Jackson Senior Member

    Location:
    MA, USA
    John's long and stellar career, and the simple fact that he's only gotten better with age proves that the ''The Best That I Could Do'' collection was hardly the best that he could do. So with that in mind how about a two disc collection covering his career up the present.

    1.Empty Hands
    2.Between A Laugh And A Tear
    3.Down And Out In Paradise
    4.Minutes To Memories
    5.Jackie Brown
    6.Pop Singer
    7.Martha Say
    8.Theo And Weird Henry
    9.Last Chance
    10.Love And Happiness
    11.Human Wheels
    12.Beige To Beige
    13.Sweet Evening Breeze
    14.Jerry


    1.Rodeo Clown
    2.John Cockers
    3.County Fair
    4.No Better Than This
    5.Hey Jesus (A Ride Back Home)
    6.Longest Days
    7.Battle Of Angels
    8.Troubled Man
    9.Troubled Land
    10.Easy Target
    11.The Full Catastrophe
    12.Another Sunny Day 12-25
    13.Key West Intermezzo
    14.Sometimes There's God
     
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2018
  3. white wolf

    white wolf Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    What about - What If I Came Knocking"
    Great Song in my opinion.

     
  4. jeffrey walsh

    jeffrey walsh Senior Member

    Location:
    Scranton, Pa. USA
    Last Chance is soooooo good!
     
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  5. Jackson

    Jackson Senior Member

    Location:
    MA, USA
    An overlooked gem for sure.

     
  6. Duke Fame

    Duke Fame Sold out the Enormodome

    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    I can't actually come up with enough for a 2nd disc, but unlike the other posts I'll stick to the period specified (nothing past Lonesome Jubilee) and say that I'd eliminate "Without Expression" and add the following for a killer 1 disc version:

    1. "This Time" - Nothin' Matters and What If It Did 4:18
    2. "Hand to Hold on To" - American Fool 3:25
    3. "Play Guitar" - Uh-huh 3:25
    4. "Rain on the Scarecrow" - Scarecrow 3:46
    5. "Minutes to Memories" - Scarecrow 3:46
    6. "Rumbleseat" - Scarecrow 2:58
     
  7. bartels76

    bartels76 Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    CT
    That song came out after 1988. This comp idea is from the first 10 years.
     
  8. bartels76

    bartels76 Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    CT
    I would replace Check It Out with the live video version instead.
     
  9. krambigmac

    krambigmac Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Bellingham MA
    That live Check It Out is amazing. I haven't dug into the 90s-2000s other than the singles so that's why I was sticking to the first 10 years. I can't believe most of those later albums never got a vinyl rerelease. Human Wheels through to Freedom's Road (other than the 1998 self titled) never got one.

    That may be a better idea, get the original up to around 80 minutes while deleting the exclusive song. How Rain on the Scarecrow didn't make it is very strange. I always assumed that was his masterpiece since it was the setlist staple and has such a strong message. I think his 78-80 stuff is way off most peoples' radar, including John himself. Factory sounds like a rough demo but I think a hard sloppy rocker is a great way to start off a chronology that slowly morphs to improved songwriting as the years went on.

    I'll be seeing him in February so I'd better learn a bunch of the newer stuff. I do know that Lawless Times kicks all kinds of ass so I'm sure it will be fun.
     
  10. ky658

    ky658 Senior Member

    Location:
    Ft Myers, Florida
    I would include this one, as this was the first song played on the radio when the "Nothing Matters..." album was released back in the day:

     
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  11. JAuz

    JAuz Forum Resident

    Location:
    US
    1988 seems like a weird place to end that compilation. Was there some label change after The Lonesome Jubilee? It seems much more convenient to include songs from Big Daddy and end out a few eras:
    - the Johnny Cougar/John Cougar/John Cougar Mellencamp eras (up though 1989)
    - the 70s/80s
    - Big Daddy also has a similar sound as The Lonesome Jubilee and 2 pretty popular hits.

    Whenever We Wanted (1991) is John's big guitar album and sounds much different than the previous ones. It's also the first one without "Cougar" anywhere in his name so it's a good place to stop. Why not add in "Pop Singer" and "Jackie Brown" and make it a cleaner cutoff?
     
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  12. ElevatorSkyMovie

    ElevatorSkyMovie Senior Member

    Location:
    Oklahoma
    John was on Mercury until the late 90's, correct? The self titled album came out on Columbia in '98.
     
  13. jeffrey walsh

    jeffrey walsh Senior Member

    Location:
    Scranton, Pa. USA
    Your missing out, I pick up at uh huh, the early lps are a bit to me.
     
  14. Duke Fame

    Duke Fame Sold out the Enormodome

    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Huh?
     
  15. jeffrey walsh

    jeffrey walsh Senior Member

    Location:
    Scranton, Pa. USA
    You got off the train too early, you’ve missed out on some great songs. Insert the word crappy in my original post.
     
  16. Duke Fame

    Duke Fame Sold out the Enormodome

    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Oh. Got it.

    I'm actually with you, I love a lot of his post 80's stuff, but the original post was to keep it in line with the CD which was only 78-88.
     
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  17. Jackson

    Jackson Senior Member

    Location:
    MA, USA
    Someone previously mentioned a double LP release of this collection. I didn't know this even existed, it's the first time i've heard it mentioned anywhere. Can someone vouch for the quality of the vinyl, and also the mastering.
     
  18. BOZMAN

    BOZMAN Forum Resident

    I had the new vinyl version of this in my hand yesterday, but I put it back. I would like someone to chime in on the pressing and sound quality too. Universal uses a myriad of pressing plants, and I don't want any more records from United.
     
    Jackson likes this.
  19. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product

    The Real Life
    Thundering Hearts
    Play Guitar
    Down And Out In Paradise
    Justice and Independence '85
    Miami
    Rumbleseat
    Hard Times For An Honest Man
    Serious Business
    Rain On The Scarecrow
    Weakest Moments

    Not real familiar with the compile, but unless I missed something, these songs are all good enough to be on any compile up to and including the lonesome jubilee material (where I think this compile dates from)
     
    Hep Alien likes this.
  20. Huntigula

    Huntigula Idiot Savant

    Location:
    Brighton, MI
    1978-88? Hm. Seems simple enough.

    -Small Paradise
    -Great Midwest
    -Cheap Shot
    -Thundering Hearts
    -Close Enough
    -Play Guitar
    -Golden Gates
    -Rain on the Scarecrow (how did this not make the first one?!)
    -Between a Laugh and a Tear
    -Down and Out In Paradise
    -We Are the People
     
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  21. krambigmac

    krambigmac Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Bellingham MA
    Hmm, not familiar with a few of those. Can't wait to get my listening space set up so I can finally spin those records again. There's a great 70 song playlist on youtube where I learned a few of the songs I wasn't familiar with. Found it by searching John Mellecamp singles but I don't think all those songs were singles. Listening on the lo-fi earbuds at work is making me hungry for my turntable and Denton speakers (basement still being remodeled so no good place to hook stuff up until that is done)
     
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  22. Huntigula

    Huntigula Idiot Savant

    Location:
    Brighton, MI
    TBH, there really isn't a bad song on Scarecrow or Lonesome Jubilee. The early albums can be hit or miss.
     
    Jackson likes this.
  23. Roland Stone

    Roland Stone Offending Member

    The 2004 two-disc comp, WORDS & MUSIC, is a generous, well-programmed anthology for the period it covers, and features two very good exclusive songs, "Walk Tall" and "Thank You."
     
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  24. Jackson

    Jackson Senior Member

    Location:
    MA, USA
    As is the boxed set '' On The Rural Route 7609'', arguably the programming could be better, but there's no denying the quality of what's included, and the packaging is terrific.


    [​IMG]
     
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  25. John Grimes

    John Grimes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Columbia, TN
    Would like to know the quality of the the Vinyl version of The Best I Could Do. Anyone?
     
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