Check it out (John Mellencamp) (LP 3201 - 3206)

John Cougar  American Fool (Vinyl, Mercury Records, 1982) ***  

John Cougar Mellencamp  Uh-Huh (Vinyl, WEA Records, 1983) ***

John Cougar Mellencamp  Scarecrow (Vinyl, Mercury Records, 1985) **** 

John Cougar Mellencamp  The Lonesome Jubilee (CD, Mercury Records, 1987) ***** 

John Cougar Mellencamp  Big Daddy (CD, Mercury Records, 1989) **

John Mellencamp  Mr. Happy Go Lucky (Vinyl, Mercury Records, 1996) **** 

Genre: Pop, rock, Americana

Places I remember: Marbecks Records, The Warehouse, JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Hotdogs and Hamburgers (Lonesome Jubilee); Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First) (Mr. Happy Go Lucky)

Gear costume: The Real Life (Lonesome Jubilee) 

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: In 1982 there wasn't too much competition for John Cougar and his American Fool album. Guitar rock albums without synths and without Linn drums were rare (if there is a drum machine on American Fool I can't hear it). BTW - don't bother with his previous four albums (yes, four). He was yet to find his true calling on those pre American Fool records.

In American Fool, John shows he is the real deal, even if he is influenced by Stones/ Springsteen and embarrassed by his stage name. It would eventually morph from John Cougar to John Cougar Mellencamp to John Mellencamp as we'll see in these releases, to reflect his growing confidence. Best moments: Hurts So Good, Jack And Diane, Hand To Hold On To.

His seventh studio album was Uh-Huh and another jump forward. It's a tougher, even more stripped back sound, again with little hint of eighties production values. Credit both Mellencamp and Don Gehman for that. Top songs this time were again the first few songs on side one - Crumblin' Down, Pink Houses, and Authority Song.

Scarecrow was the first time I cottoned on to the fact that he had more to him than being a Springsteen clone. The title track and Small Town continue the strong starts he has to these albums. But the rest of the album is of a consistently catchy standard.

The band are well honed by this stage - Larry Crane (guitar) and Kenny Aronoff (drums) were on American Fool (1982) and Big Daddy. Lisa Germano provides some lovely violin along the way. That's a seven year stretch between those two albums - you can't beat that kind of experience.

For me the peak of his powers were shown on Lonesome Jubilee. The writing, the playing and the singing make it a five-star classic all the way. The star of the show in many ways is Lisa Germano's violin. A key element to the new folky Americana textures on Lonesome Jubilee.

Big Daddy continued the stripped back approach but was a letdown for me after Lonesome Jubilee. The songs for the most part are mid-paced and not as catchy overall. On the whole I find it a bit dour. An exception: Pop Singer.

The final album on my list is Mr. Happy Go Lucky. I'd persisted with albums in between Big Daddy and this one but had flicked them off as they didn't move me enough. I kept Mr. Happy Go Lucky though because it started well with Overture and maintained my interest for the most part. In fact, this would be third favourite after Lonesome Jubilee and Scarecrow.

Where do they all belong? I feel like I have the best of Mellencamp right there. I also have a Greatest Hits compilation, but I wouldn't recommend it - the range from early to later periods Mellencamp is too drastic to be enjoyable.