John Mellencamp - Scarecrow
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Music CD Cover
Artist: John MellencampEdition: Music CD
Format: Gold CD
Published: 1985
CD Release Date: 1994-07-05
Music Label: Mobile Fidelity
Soundtracks:
- Rain on the Scarecrow
- Grandma's Theme
- Small Town
- Minutes to Memories
- Lonely Ol' Night
- Face of the Nation
- Justice and Independence '85
- Between a Laugh and a Tear
- Rumbleseat
- You've Got to Stand for Somethin'
- R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.
- Kind of Fella I Am
Free Music Notes for Scarecrow
Free Music Review: Why didn't this Album Garner "Album of the Year" Consideration?
Hit: 5 Stars
By the time 1985 would roll around, John Mellencamp (or known at that time as John Cougar Mellencamp) had established himself as a star in Rock music. He gained a following back in 1979 with his hit "I Need a Lover". With his 1982 album, "American Fool" he became a household name with the songs "Jack and Diane" and "Hurts so Good". His next album, 1983's Uh Huh" was not considered the blockbuster follow-up to "American Fool" that many expected - although it did produce two hits in "Crumblin Down" and "Pink Houses". So, in 1985 when Mellencamp released "Scarecrow", many would have the question whether John Mellencamp had peaked? The answer clearly would be no. For Mellencamp, he would deliver the defining album of his career - a mix of social and political commentary with some of the classic Mellencamp "Middle America" music that made him so popular. What shocks me is how this album didn't garner attention for Album of the Year.
Perhaps "Uh Huh" got released during the peak of the synth pop revolution of the early 1980s. But as 1985 came around, the music landscape was starting to undergo some changes. Only a about a year before, Bruce Springsteen had released "Born in the USA". I look at "Born in the USA" as a landmark album for many reasons, but perhaps one of the most important reasons is that it began to shift the sound of the 80s music scene away from synth-pop to a more natural guitar-laden sound. By 1985, other artists were now beginning to find commercial success with that sound - such as John Fogerty ("Centerfield"). Artists such as Springsteen and Fogerty were mixing their own musical roots with social commentary. Mellencamp's "Scarecrow" fits into this mold perfectly - and came along at the right time where the music fans were willing to embrace this style. However, Mellencamp's "Scarecrow" goes beyond this embracing - it delivers a most solid sound.
Here is a track by track breakdown of this album:
"Rain on the Scarecrow": This is the title track and not only the best song on the album, but I feel the best of Mellencamp's career. The song's opening immediately creates a haunting song. This is a song that Mellencamp sings about the plight of the American Farmers facing foreclosures. Mellencamp sings this song with pure passion. He does a great job at playing the role of the banker who is handling the foreclosure - "John, it's just my job and I hope you understand". This song featured a very good video - and the added sounds of a farm auction that are in that video give the song a new dimension. Listening to this song, you can see why Mellencamp felt so passionately about "Farm Aid".
"Grandma's Song": This public domain song is sung by Mellencamp's Grandmother, Laura Mellencamp. Not a great song, but it is a great lead-in to "Small Town".
"Small Town": The title says it all. This song is about a - small town. Back in 1986, radio overplayed this song - however looking back at it now - very good song.
"Minutes to Memories": I'd put this underrated song in the upper echelon of Mellencamp's work. This song is a great mix of Mellencamp's Social Commentary with his Middle America music. This is a narrative sung by Mellencamp about an elderly man who has seen things change around him. On top of the great lyrics, there is some great music as well.
"Lonely Ol' Night": This was the first song released from this album. This song almost is in the theme of "Jack and Diane" as it has the feel of a young man growing up in Middle America. This is a great song and probably lured a lot of people to buy this album.
"The Face of a Nation": This is a clear social/political commentary. When Mellencamp sings "You see people starvin' under the tree", it is clear that Mellencamp is looking at society and questioning how these things can happen.
"Justice and Independence": This song has a great melody, but it is also a bit of an symbolic allegory. "Independence" is a man who marries "Justice" who is a woman - they have a son named "Nation". Listen to the words carefully as Mellencamp uses the family as a way to compare to the concepts of Justice, Independence, and Nation we are all familiar with. Masterful songwriting - also some terrific percussion and trumpet work.
"Between a Laugh and a Tear": This is another underrated song that I put in the upper echelon of Mellencamp's career. This title might not indicate social commentary - but it's loaded with references - such as "When paradise is no longer fit for you to live in, and your adolescent dreams are gone". This song is a duet with Ricki Lee Jones and it blew me away.
"Rumbleseat": Kind of a song that takes you back to the 1950s - it has a retro feel to it. It seems to be more of a personal song of Mellencamp's own experiences - great stuff.
"You Gotta Stand For Somethin": I thought this was the toughest to get into, but lyrically it's a solid track. It almost takes you on a historical journey of pop culture from 1950 onward.
"R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A": Great song, but was overplayed on the radio. This is a tribute to the early pioneers of Rock and Roll.
"The Kind of Fella I am": Another great song. This song is basically about a jealous man. It's a fun song and nice way to wrap things up.
The liner notes contain all of the lyrics, songwriting, and musician credits. I love how you get the recording dates and times of the songs. This song is clearly the defining album of Mellencamp's career. It also has the best music that he did. Truly one of the underrated albums of the 1980s - I highly recommend it.
Scarecrow Poster
Though the comparison has often been applied to him unfairly, it's fair to say that Scarecrow is to John Cougar Mellencamp what Born in the U.S.A. is to Bruce Springsteen: a hugely popular hit that solidified both his fan base and his critical reputation. The one important difference is that U.S.A.'s message was largely misinterpreted (Ronald Reagan co-opted the title song in a manner that's tragically ironic), while Scarecrow's ode to Mellencamp's native Indiana comes through loud and clear. Shortly after the release of this album, Mellencamp got involved in the Farm Aid benefit-concert series, and his concern for that lifestyle is evident on songs like "Small Town," "Rain on the Scarecrow," and "Rumbleseat"; other songs ("Lonely Old Night," "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.") are straight from the heart(land). --Randy SilverPop Music CDs
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