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Mellencamp
This definitive biography of John Mellencamp is “a true coming-of-age story” (John Sykes, chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation) of an iconic American rock and roll original, featuring exclusive in-depth interviews and never-before-told details. Perfect for fans of Janis and Born to Run .
John Mellencamp is not your typical rock star.
With music inspired by the work of William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, and other giants of American literature, he has experienced a colorful career unlike any other. Now, this fascinating biography fully charts the life of one of this country’s most important voices in American music.
Mellencamp’s story is also the story of the American heartland. His growth as an artist and evolution into legendary status directly reflected the major changes of the last fifty years. From the Summer of Love to the growing divisiveness of American politics and beyond, his music has served as the backdrop to this country for millions of fans.
Featuring exclusive interviews with friends, family, and colleagues, and exploring everything from the founding of Farm Aid to his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, this is a fresh, expansive, and “inspirational” (Nora Guthrie, president of The Woody Guthrie Foundation) look at a true original.
John Mellencamp is not your typical rock star.
With music inspired by the work of William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, and other giants of American literature, he has experienced a colorful career unlike any other. Now, this fascinating biography fully charts the life of one of this country’s most important voices in American music.
Mellencamp’s story is also the story of the American heartland. His growth as an artist and evolution into legendary status directly reflected the major changes of the last fifty years. From the Summer of Love to the growing divisiveness of American politics and beyond, his music has served as the backdrop to this country for millions of fans.
Featuring exclusive interviews with friends, family, and colleagues, and exploring everything from the founding of Farm Aid to his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, this is a fresh, expansive, and “inspirational” (Nora Guthrie, president of The Woody Guthrie Foundation) look at a true original.
320 pages, Paperback
Published May 21, 2024
49 people are currently reading
218 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
January 13, 2022
John 'Cougar' Mellencamp was a staple in my formative years. I loved his music, saw him twice in Melbourne on his Lonesome Jubilee tour, and was generally a fan. I owned all of his albums, on CD and vinyl, right up until 1991's Whenever We Wanted. This was the turning point for John when he began shunning the rock music for the music he produces today.
Like him or not, if you were around in the '80s and '90s you knew his stuff or heard it often. Jack and Diane, Hurts So Good, I Need a Lover, Paper in Fire, Cherry Bomb, Small Town, Rain on the Scarecrow, Pink Houses, Authority Song, Lonely Old Night, R.O.C.K in the U.S.A, Rave on, Pop Singer, Get a Leg up, etc....... Mellencamp was up there with the highest selling artists. Yet he never truly performed how he wanted. He hated the 'Cougar' tag given to him for a tougher image by record execs. Hated performing standard rock and pop songs, hated one of his biggest hits with a passion - Hurts So Good. Yet on stage, he was the ultimate performer, his shows were great and filled with hits. John Mellencamp was and is a small-town boy who loves the American backbone farming community, hates all forms of racism and discrimination, shuns the megastar spotlight, and is true to his roots.
What a great guy! Well, maybe but John Mellencamp is a prick. He has a foul temper, he is a control freak and so very hard to get along with. To his bandmates he is verbally abusive, blaming, and shaming. Quick to fire up and quick to fire them. He has no tolerance for what he needs as an artist, and that is managers and record companies. There is no way but his way. John Mellencamp is a tightly strung perfectionist, he never wants to fail and there is nothing wrong with that. The problem comes when he needs to get a message across, the people skills are non-existent.
John has a litany of failed relationships and marriages behind him. Many a bandmate has he fired, re-hired, and fired again. Some of his band have performed on his albums, toured with him, and then basically been shut out. But it is here where John is an enigma. Tough on his kids but his love for them shows no bounds. So very close to his Grandfather and any bandmate or friend who has a loved one ill, you can count on John to be caring and concerned. Friends, he will call on the phone every day and unending respect for the American legends - Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Srevie Wonder, and Johnny Cash to name a few.
Every album from his first to his current has been a different journey. Musical genius interspersed with horrific anger and verbal abuse. So many different recording studios, managers, mixers, vocalists, guest vocalists, record company fights, and disappointments. John has more than 20 albums now, from the rock of the '80s to the soulful personal music he makes now but he is still reaching at the age of 70.
And now for my review.
Well, you just read it. You want to read all about John and his music, bands, outbursts, loves and losses as I have described above then read the book - there truly is nothing else but a really close look at the man. However, if you hate a multi-talented guy then heads up. The guy can paint too. I mean he has had galleries hang and sell his work.
Oh and he has a deep admiration of Stephen King so for me, there are more brownie points.
Like him or not, if you were around in the '80s and '90s you knew his stuff or heard it often. Jack and Diane, Hurts So Good, I Need a Lover, Paper in Fire, Cherry Bomb, Small Town, Rain on the Scarecrow, Pink Houses, Authority Song, Lonely Old Night, R.O.C.K in the U.S.A, Rave on, Pop Singer, Get a Leg up, etc....... Mellencamp was up there with the highest selling artists. Yet he never truly performed how he wanted. He hated the 'Cougar' tag given to him for a tougher image by record execs. Hated performing standard rock and pop songs, hated one of his biggest hits with a passion - Hurts So Good. Yet on stage, he was the ultimate performer, his shows were great and filled with hits. John Mellencamp was and is a small-town boy who loves the American backbone farming community, hates all forms of racism and discrimination, shuns the megastar spotlight, and is true to his roots.
What a great guy! Well, maybe but John Mellencamp is a prick. He has a foul temper, he is a control freak and so very hard to get along with. To his bandmates he is verbally abusive, blaming, and shaming. Quick to fire up and quick to fire them. He has no tolerance for what he needs as an artist, and that is managers and record companies. There is no way but his way. John Mellencamp is a tightly strung perfectionist, he never wants to fail and there is nothing wrong with that. The problem comes when he needs to get a message across, the people skills are non-existent.
John has a litany of failed relationships and marriages behind him. Many a bandmate has he fired, re-hired, and fired again. Some of his band have performed on his albums, toured with him, and then basically been shut out. But it is here where John is an enigma. Tough on his kids but his love for them shows no bounds. So very close to his Grandfather and any bandmate or friend who has a loved one ill, you can count on John to be caring and concerned. Friends, he will call on the phone every day and unending respect for the American legends - Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Srevie Wonder, and Johnny Cash to name a few.
Every album from his first to his current has been a different journey. Musical genius interspersed with horrific anger and verbal abuse. So many different recording studios, managers, mixers, vocalists, guest vocalists, record company fights, and disappointments. John has more than 20 albums now, from the rock of the '80s to the soulful personal music he makes now but he is still reaching at the age of 70.
And now for my review.
Well, you just read it. You want to read all about John and his music, bands, outbursts, loves and losses as I have described above then read the book - there truly is nothing else but a really close look at the man. However, if you hate a multi-talented guy then heads up. The guy can paint too. I mean he has had galleries hang and sell his work.
Oh and he has a deep admiration of Stephen King so for me, there are more brownie points.
October 12, 2021
This is Nonfiction/Biography. As an 80's girl, I grew up listening to John Cougar Mellencamp's music. I am a fan. In this biography, the author covers mostly the business life of John. How he got started, how he ran his business, how he liked total creative control, etc. But this one was lacking when it came to his personal life. I would like to have heard the whole story. This one wasn't quite 3 stars but I rounded up.
June 15, 2022
I've been a Mellencamp fan since 1982. AMERICAN FOOL was the first album I ever bought with my own allowance money. However, as much as I respect and admire the man, I am doubtful I would get along with him if I ever met him in person. That is not a criticism of him, but a simple fact that indicates how well-told his story is in this book.
Paul Rees's biography, indeed, tells the story of a "Troubled Man" who has throughout his life struggled with anxiety (with it often manifesting as anger that could at times become violent). This makes him neither a good man nor a bad man. It makes him human. It is also the story of his struggle to be who he is by drawing attention to social justice issues, who he needed to be for his family, and who the managers, bandmates, and fans wanted him to be for show business.
The book is written in the classic style of rock 'n' roll journalism for which publications like ROLLING STONE are known. If you've ever read the Danny Sugarman and Jerry Hopkins biography of Jim Morrison, NO ONE HERE GETS OUT ALIVE, you'll find the style in MELLENCAMP very similar. I read this book over a few weeks. It was not slow reading. Instead, I forced myself to put it down at a specific time each night so that I wouldn't stay up all night poring over it. I was that enthralled.
I remain a Mellencamp fan, regardless of some of the brutally honest tales of his anxiety, humanity, and anger that some folks have chosen as a reason to punish the book itself with a low rating. If you're expecting a story about an infallible American hero who is the nicest person you'll ever meet, you'll be disappointed. Famous people are human, too, and they struggle.
Like every person, Mellencamp has both strengths and flaws. Rees's biography does not shy away from shining a light on either of them.
Paul Rees's biography, indeed, tells the story of a "Troubled Man" who has throughout his life struggled with anxiety (with it often manifesting as anger that could at times become violent). This makes him neither a good man nor a bad man. It makes him human. It is also the story of his struggle to be who he is by drawing attention to social justice issues, who he needed to be for his family, and who the managers, bandmates, and fans wanted him to be for show business.
The book is written in the classic style of rock 'n' roll journalism for which publications like ROLLING STONE are known. If you've ever read the Danny Sugarman and Jerry Hopkins biography of Jim Morrison, NO ONE HERE GETS OUT ALIVE, you'll find the style in MELLENCAMP very similar. I read this book over a few weeks. It was not slow reading. Instead, I forced myself to put it down at a specific time each night so that I wouldn't stay up all night poring over it. I was that enthralled.
I remain a Mellencamp fan, regardless of some of the brutally honest tales of his anxiety, humanity, and anger that some folks have chosen as a reason to punish the book itself with a low rating. If you're expecting a story about an infallible American hero who is the nicest person you'll ever meet, you'll be disappointed. Famous people are human, too, and they struggle.
Like every person, Mellencamp has both strengths and flaws. Rees's biography does not shy away from shining a light on either of them.
June 15, 2025
Nice biography of John Mellencamp covering his entire life and career up to about 2020. Quite the volatile guy, one that either you love or hate.
October 5, 2021
Ugh. I kinda hated this one. Not only was it long on studio who played what on which song boringness, but also because Mellencamp is kind of a dick. He's not a nice man to the people he worked with, the majority of whom gave his bad temper and violent behavior a pass because "creative genius." Barf. However, I did learn that his grandkids call him "Peepaw" and that's wonderful.
September 28, 2021
Much more than I might have wanted to know about the music industry - studio sessions, etc.
but the details of Mellancamp's life were interesting.. not an easy person to like but a loyalty to his music industry band, managers and friends.
but the details of Mellancamp's life were interesting.. not an easy person to like but a loyalty to his music industry band, managers and friends.
December 8, 2021
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a biography supposed to make you, at the very least, more interested in its subject? I didn't exactly have a glossy view of John Mellencamp before, but this book turned me right off him.
January 30, 2025
I became aware of "John Cougar" like most, in 1982 with his American Fool album, and became a huge fan. I own all his albums, even the three really crappy early ones. But I will say that, from 1979 to his latest release, with the odd minor exception, I love all his albums.
I even count myself lucky enough to have seen the stage show of Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, his collaboration with Stephen King. Loved that too.
I'd read Kenny Aranoff's biography a couple of years ago, and I'd also heard that Mellencamp could be a bit of a dick, but this is the book that confirms it. He's also had to be, to get past the record company's enforced name change, and marketing him as the next Rick Springfield.
He's a dick, yes, but his heart is usually in the right place. I can't imagine he's an easy guy to be around, but I do appreciate the art he makes and I can say I truly enjoyed this warts and all glimpse into his life. Well paced, well observed, well written.
One of the better musician bios I've read.
I even count myself lucky enough to have seen the stage show of Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, his collaboration with Stephen King. Loved that too.
I'd read Kenny Aranoff's biography a couple of years ago, and I'd also heard that Mellencamp could be a bit of a dick, but this is the book that confirms it. He's also had to be, to get past the record company's enforced name change, and marketing him as the next Rick Springfield.
He's a dick, yes, but his heart is usually in the right place. I can't imagine he's an easy guy to be around, but I do appreciate the art he makes and I can say I truly enjoyed this warts and all glimpse into his life. Well paced, well observed, well written.
One of the better musician bios I've read.
August 19, 2024
Thank you to Atria Books for the finished copy to review.
I always love music memoirs and am a fan of John ‘Cougar’ Mellencamp’s music, so I was excited to read this one. It was an eye opening read, as it does not paint him in a very good light personally as far as his interactions with those he worked with, but yet he supports a lot of good causes. I thought the audio was great and this was one I read in one sitting as I could not put it down.
I always love music memoirs and am a fan of John ‘Cougar’ Mellencamp’s music, so I was excited to read this one. It was an eye opening read, as it does not paint him in a very good light personally as far as his interactions with those he worked with, but yet he supports a lot of good causes. I thought the audio was great and this was one I read in one sitting as I could not put it down.
January 14, 2022
John Mellencamp is a musician that far too few people have explored. His music has significantly shaped heartland rock, and with a career spanning a little over 45 years, Mellencamp ranks up as one of the best artists of his genre, next to the likes of Bruce Springsteen.
With Mellencamp, it's more than just how John Mellencamp was able to top the charts time and time again, especially with hits such as "Jack and Diane," "Hurts So Good," and "Small Town." Mellencamp digs deep into his whole life thus far, from his humble yet near-tragic beginnings in Seymour, Indiana, to the present day. In between, it details how Mellencamp reached his prime in the 80s and 90s and his relevancy since then, whether he'd be participating in a Farm-Aid concert or spending his free time painting.
With colorful writing courtesy of Mr. Paul Rees, it's easy to excavate Mellemcamp's life in and outside the studio. It's indeed one of the rare books about Mellencamp, and I'm glad that there are still people who appreciate him these days.
With Mellencamp, it's more than just how John Mellencamp was able to top the charts time and time again, especially with hits such as "Jack and Diane," "Hurts So Good," and "Small Town." Mellencamp digs deep into his whole life thus far, from his humble yet near-tragic beginnings in Seymour, Indiana, to the present day. In between, it details how Mellencamp reached his prime in the 80s and 90s and his relevancy since then, whether he'd be participating in a Farm-Aid concert or spending his free time painting.
With colorful writing courtesy of Mr. Paul Rees, it's easy to excavate Mellemcamp's life in and outside the studio. It's indeed one of the rare books about Mellencamp, and I'm glad that there are still people who appreciate him these days.
November 7, 2024
Full disclosure: I am a born-and-bred Hoosier, and I grew up as John Mellencamp was making it big. His music is part of the soundtrack of my childhood (and let’s be honest, my adulthood too). So the minute I saw this book in a bookstore, it was a must-buy for me.
Reading tales about life in small town southern Indiana was so good for my soul. I fully enjoyed this. It wasn’t a shiny tale by any means and that’s ok. It was real and raw and that’s how life is.
Me before: It’s got to be so fun to write new songs!
Me after: Oh crap. The pressure to produce another hit and to provide for your bad members. 😳
I loved learning more about an artist that’s had such a presence in my life, and I take away from it a whole new appreciation for his music. So very glad John has shared his talent with the world over the years, both musically and visually.
Reading tales about life in small town southern Indiana was so good for my soul. I fully enjoyed this. It wasn’t a shiny tale by any means and that’s ok. It was real and raw and that’s how life is.
Me before: It’s got to be so fun to write new songs!
Me after: Oh crap. The pressure to produce another hit and to provide for your bad members. 😳
I loved learning more about an artist that’s had such a presence in my life, and I take away from it a whole new appreciation for his music. So very glad John has shared his talent with the world over the years, both musically and visually.
January 24, 2024
My rating is for the book. Where many people don't like the inside baseball of how he worked with others, I find that rather fascinating. I'm not rating the book high on terms of how it reflects on one of my favorite artists, because that doesn't seem fair to the author. The goal here is to write a truthful account of the subject. And if people don't like the truth, than they should be upset at the person rather than the author.
The best word I can use to describe John is that he is a "contradiction." He supports many causes. From Farm Aid to Black Lives Matter, he has thrown his hat in the ring for those who are taken advantage of. As a matter of fact, "Jack and Diane" was originally meant to be a song of an interracial couple. And for those reasons, you want to believe that he is a good person. Good persons look out for others.
But when you read about how he treats the many people he works with, he is a miserable ass. He's just not difficult to work with, he is a bully and mean-spirited. A person that throws chairs at people and punches record executives. He loves to quote a saying from his grandfather "If you are going to hit a c---sucker, kill him." And from all the stories I have heard from locals (I live in Bloomington) ... his boys are mean, at least they were growing up around here. And he tends to defend them.
I learned long ago, if you are going to like a musical artist because you agree with all of their views and how they treat others... you simply aren't going to have a broad selection to listen to. So I will appreciate the art he produces, and I really need to listen to his last several albums, and shake my head at the person he is. I'd also like to see some of his paintings. He spends more time doing that than anything else.
He does some good things, he really does. And we all have things we have said that we regret, we are a sum of all that we do. However, you can't compensate for all of your flaws with grand gestures. If you write songs that say "treat people well," then your actions should reflect that. The old saying "actions speak louder than words" is true.
The best word I can use to describe John is that he is a "contradiction." He supports many causes. From Farm Aid to Black Lives Matter, he has thrown his hat in the ring for those who are taken advantage of. As a matter of fact, "Jack and Diane" was originally meant to be a song of an interracial couple. And for those reasons, you want to believe that he is a good person. Good persons look out for others.
But when you read about how he treats the many people he works with, he is a miserable ass. He's just not difficult to work with, he is a bully and mean-spirited. A person that throws chairs at people and punches record executives. He loves to quote a saying from his grandfather "If you are going to hit a c---sucker, kill him." And from all the stories I have heard from locals (I live in Bloomington) ... his boys are mean, at least they were growing up around here. And he tends to defend them.
I learned long ago, if you are going to like a musical artist because you agree with all of their views and how they treat others... you simply aren't going to have a broad selection to listen to. So I will appreciate the art he produces, and I really need to listen to his last several albums, and shake my head at the person he is. I'd also like to see some of his paintings. He spends more time doing that than anything else.
He does some good things, he really does. And we all have things we have said that we regret, we are a sum of all that we do. However, you can't compensate for all of your flaws with grand gestures. If you write songs that say "treat people well," then your actions should reflect that. The old saying "actions speak louder than words" is true.
December 4, 2021
I'm not usually a fan of Paul Rees biographies but this one was very solid. 3.5 rounded up to 4 for effort and an insightful view into a complex character. That JM was already 35 in the mid 80s is interesting. That's old for the rock n roll world. Hell, the Beatles broke up before any member was 30. Like others, I got lost occasionally in the various switching out of musicians and supporting players, but this didn't detract from my enjoyment.
January 11, 2022
My husband gave me this book for Christmas since I’m an Indiana girl and a Mellencamp fan. I would have never picked it up on my own, but I’m glad I read it. I learned so many interesting things about John’s life. It gets kind of bogged down in some music industry details that I don’t quite understand, but the author does a terrific job of painting a portrait of the real John Mellencamp. Its’s filled with quotes from the musician himself and tons of his band members, colleagues, and friends. I only wish I had listened to his whole discography as I read. It would have brought lots of new meaning and understanding to the music.
February 24, 2022
Any fan of Mellencamp will love this book. But It is also a behind scenes story of the music business. I admire the determination and fortitude of Mellencamp to be true to himself and do things his way. I recommend the book and look forward to his next album with Bruce Springsteen. I would love to see an exhibit of his art.
July 13, 2025
inspired
November 1, 2021
Living in Indiana for 63 years and working in Bloomington for 22, i had always suspected John Mellencamp was kind of an asshole. This book confirms he most definitely is one of the great assholes of all time. Made some good music 30 plus years ago though.
January 2, 2023
I was born in the land of Pink Houses, where as a kid I searched for the Tasty Freeze, and gawked at the album covers in the skating rink where Cherry Bomb and Hurts So Good blared every Friday and Saturday night. To me John is a too good to be true promise straight out of my hometown. I remember when we inducted him into our High School’s Wall of Fame. I remember Falling From Grace having the town on a buzz while shooting was taking place. I’ve driven past the compound on 46 and pointed out the driveway to so many over the years, but nothing introduced me to Mellencamp quite like this book. Forget the rock star, this story is about the human side of what it’s like to live in a never escaping shadow. Trying to make the next big thing appear out of nothing, this book highlights just how difficult and elusive it can be to grow up while staying true to being the guy who his entire life was and will always be much more than simply a man who was born in a Small Town. Do I agree with his politics or the method for which he got results, probably not, but I will say he is a great American singer songwriter for whom this world is better having caught a glimpse of if even only for the hits and not the real work that was done thereafter.
January 8, 2022
Several months ago I started what I am calling a deep dive into all things John Mellencamp. I live 15-20 minutes from his home on Monroe Lake, and I’ve grown up hearing about his career. I even lip-synched “Rain On The Scarecrow” at school with my best friend in 4th grade back in the 80’s. But, until this last year I had never immersed myself like I am now.
Of the 3 notable books written about Mellencamp, this latest has been my favorite. Maybe it’s the recency of it, but I really like the intimacy of the stories and material Rees shares.
I found this book to be a fun, easy read, and a very interesting glimpse into the life and career of a most fascinating man.
Of the 3 notable books written about Mellencamp, this latest has been my favorite. Maybe it’s the recency of it, but I really like the intimacy of the stories and material Rees shares.
I found this book to be a fun, easy read, and a very interesting glimpse into the life and career of a most fascinating man.
April 15, 2022
I really enjoyed reading this book. One time I was playing a gig in Broad ripple in Indianapolis, and Mo Z, his keyboard player, was playing with another band with us that night. I was like, “Wo, you play with John Mellencamp. What’s that like? That must be awesome.” Without blinking, he said, “John’s a tough man to work for.” And that was the end of the conversation. This book testifies to that.
July 10, 2022
Your typical music celebrity bio chronology about a not-as-typical celebrity. I stand by Mellencamp's estimation that "Paper in Fire" may be his best song. His dedication to creativity is to be commended. The rest of his life is a complicated example of what to avoid, maybe.
January 21, 2022
Backwards the sentences are written. Scottish is the author (which may explain it?) Asshole is the singer. (but he's still always John Cougar to me, and Hurts So Good was his best work).
May 10, 2025
Author Paul Rees Mellencamp gives an unflinching look at John Mellencamp's music career and personal life, which is fascinating and unsettling.
Rees takes a quick tour through Mellencamp's scrappy and harsh upbringing, setting the stage for his music career. Mellencamp had a tremendous drive early on that created opportunities and missteps.
Saddled with the unfortunate name of Johnny/John Cougar, his early efforts in the late 1970s were lukewarm outside of the hit "I Need a Lover." He began to turn the corner when he notched hits with "Jack and Diane" from American Fool and "Pink Houses" from Uh-huh, which identified him squarely with small-town America.
With those successes, he vaulted into serious songwriter/musician territory with Scarecrow, which contained eloquent songs about the economic struggles of American farmers and heartland folks. The follow-up, Lonesome Jubilee, favored a more Americana-based acoustic approach, and Mellencamp has more or less maintained it since the late 1980s. Although his record sales tailed off as he aged--as often happens to musicians in their 40s and 50s--Mellencamp still strives to make meaningful music, and his songwriting prowess has remained strong.
The genesis of something is always more interesting to me than the completion, so I appreciate Rees' meticulous reporting on how songs and albums came together. Almost all of Mellencamp's albums were painful births. In the book, Mellencamp is a temperamental and abrasive taskmaster. Interviews with musicians who played on the records and colleagues and friends are not flattering. That he has produced as many albums as he has is impressive, considering his ability to alienate people. Mellencamp has moments of generosity and compassion, but he's a failure at relationships.
Since I'm a fan of his music, I wanted to like Mellencamp as a person, but the book tells me that's not possible. Still, the book makes me appreciate him as an artist and his struggles to make his music a reality. Thanks to Rees for writing a resonant biography about this genuinely American musician.
Rees takes a quick tour through Mellencamp's scrappy and harsh upbringing, setting the stage for his music career. Mellencamp had a tremendous drive early on that created opportunities and missteps.
Saddled with the unfortunate name of Johnny/John Cougar, his early efforts in the late 1970s were lukewarm outside of the hit "I Need a Lover." He began to turn the corner when he notched hits with "Jack and Diane" from American Fool and "Pink Houses" from Uh-huh, which identified him squarely with small-town America.
With those successes, he vaulted into serious songwriter/musician territory with Scarecrow, which contained eloquent songs about the economic struggles of American farmers and heartland folks. The follow-up, Lonesome Jubilee, favored a more Americana-based acoustic approach, and Mellencamp has more or less maintained it since the late 1980s. Although his record sales tailed off as he aged--as often happens to musicians in their 40s and 50s--Mellencamp still strives to make meaningful music, and his songwriting prowess has remained strong.
The genesis of something is always more interesting to me than the completion, so I appreciate Rees' meticulous reporting on how songs and albums came together. Almost all of Mellencamp's albums were painful births. In the book, Mellencamp is a temperamental and abrasive taskmaster. Interviews with musicians who played on the records and colleagues and friends are not flattering. That he has produced as many albums as he has is impressive, considering his ability to alienate people. Mellencamp has moments of generosity and compassion, but he's a failure at relationships.
Since I'm a fan of his music, I wanted to like Mellencamp as a person, but the book tells me that's not possible. Still, the book makes me appreciate him as an artist and his struggles to make his music a reality. Thanks to Rees for writing a resonant biography about this genuinely American musician.
November 30, 2021
Starting from my preteen years, I was an enormous Mellencamp fan and he's my first serious celebrity crush. I can't tell you what appealed to me so much—definitely, MTV had something to do with it, as did Mellencamp's looks which, when I was a kid, seemed to me to be the ideal of a man—manly, masculine, and also blue-eyed, black-haired and baby-faced. I can think of no other "heartland" type rocker (Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seeger, Bob Dylan) who appeals to me, yet somehow Mellencamp's hard-driving, catchy, yet "Americana" guitar rock did. Go figure.
So when I saw this bio, I snapped it up. At full price, no less. It definitely gave me insight into my favorite rocker that I had not had before - but that isn't always a great thing. I'd known from reading articles about him over the years that he is, shall we say, not a nice person. But I didn't know how much of a not-nice person he was until I read this. I'd had the idea he was crotchety, sullen, and morose, but I didn't realize how much that tipped into genuine emotional abuse of the people in his life - most notably his band. Granted, he did make them all rich, so there's that.... but... (He was physically abused by his father when he was a kid, so I'm sure that has something to do with his anger issues.)
His foibles don't rise to the level of John Bonham (a truly horrid person) but, yeah, none of it really endeared him to me. Still.... he is an amazing talent and I will always listen to his music.
So when I saw this bio, I snapped it up. At full price, no less. It definitely gave me insight into my favorite rocker that I had not had before - but that isn't always a great thing. I'd known from reading articles about him over the years that he is, shall we say, not a nice person. But I didn't know how much of a not-nice person he was until I read this. I'd had the idea he was crotchety, sullen, and morose, but I didn't realize how much that tipped into genuine emotional abuse of the people in his life - most notably his band. Granted, he did make them all rich, so there's that.... but... (He was physically abused by his father when he was a kid, so I'm sure that has something to do with his anger issues.)
His foibles don't rise to the level of John Bonham (a truly horrid person) but, yeah, none of it really endeared him to me. Still.... he is an amazing talent and I will always listen to his music.
February 12, 2025
Was excited to get this gifted copy from @simonbooks! As a midwesterner myself, I love John Mellencamp’s music, and saw him live at Farm Aid twice. I went in excited to learn about his roots and the journey his music has been on.
I didn’t find this book very readable actually once John finds fame. While Johnny Cougar is such interesting source material, this book reads like a history book of his album making. After we learn about his youth in Bloomington, and he has his first big hits, every album follows the same pattern: John and the band go in to make an album, he yells at everyone! He’s hard to work with! They eventually put the album out. Repeat.
We’re offered insight into his songs and their backstories. I know the big hits and some secondary hits, but learned a bit about others. There were also insights into trying to stay on the charts as an aging musician.
I appreciated the politically active bits we hear about; that while his heartland music and Indiana roots led people early on to believe he ran red, he clarified he was radically blue and over time has shown through his songs, from race to family farming, that he stands against injustice. That’s what true American country music is about (take notes jason aldean).
Overall, well researched and written, but I found this repetitive, 2.5/3 stars.
I didn’t find this book very readable actually once John finds fame. While Johnny Cougar is such interesting source material, this book reads like a history book of his album making. After we learn about his youth in Bloomington, and he has his first big hits, every album follows the same pattern: John and the band go in to make an album, he yells at everyone! He’s hard to work with! They eventually put the album out. Repeat.
We’re offered insight into his songs and their backstories. I know the big hits and some secondary hits, but learned a bit about others. There were also insights into trying to stay on the charts as an aging musician.
I appreciated the politically active bits we hear about; that while his heartland music and Indiana roots led people early on to believe he ran red, he clarified he was radically blue and over time has shown through his songs, from race to family farming, that he stands against injustice. That’s what true American country music is about (take notes jason aldean).
Overall, well researched and written, but I found this repetitive, 2.5/3 stars.
July 8, 2022
Is there anyone who simultaneously craves approval and despises approval like John Mellencamp? This is an engaging read and a thorough -- without being TOO thorough -- overview of one the most talented, cantankerous, and stubborn singer/songwriters that America has ever know. (He is a wonderful painter, too.) Paul Rees admits that Mellencamp did not want to be interviewed for this but gave his blessing for Rees to use previous quotes and, apparently, to interview his family and bandmates. The result is not always flattering to Mellencamp, who I doubt gives a rat's ass. I would have liked a bit more on some topics, such as his lifelong commitment to Farm Aid (it is discussed but he had a lot to say on the subject in the 80s), as well as a bit more on what it was about Meg Ryan that made him so happy. If someone could bring out the "playful" side in this guy, I want to know more!
Read it if you are a fan of classic rock and don't be too offended that Mellencamp doesn't like "Jack and Diane" as much as you probably do.
Read it if you are a fan of classic rock and don't be too offended that Mellencamp doesn't like "Jack and Diane" as much as you probably do.
October 31, 2021
When I started this book I really started to wonder why I had ever been a fan. He was a brash, angry, volatile and arrogant human being who seemed to wreak havoc no matter what direction he took. As I listened to the book, I did hear the story of a difficult man who bucked the system and blew up situations and relationships most of his life. I also heard the story of a true artist. Someone who had a lot of integrity when it came to raising his kids and being true to his artistic vision whether it was music or paining. He makes no apologies for being who he is or how is career progressed. I enjoyed the book. I have a different perspective about one of the most prophetic song writers of my time and even respect his approach to his work. Well with the read. The book spans his entire career and runs up until 2021. Many interviews with Mellencamp also included.
March 3, 2024
Rees has put together a comprehensive study of the “Little Bastard” that paints a picture of an opinionated, principled individualist who throughout his career in music did it his way. After a stint allowing David Bowie’s previous manger turn him into Johnny Cougar, of course. Rees describes two meetings he had with Mellencamp in fascinating detail, two highlights of this biography. He also speaks to a number in the Mellen-camp (see what I did there?) including family members, long-time friends and band members. If your opinion of the musician is that he is crusty and cantankerous, that won’t change after reading this. What might change, though, is your willingness to give his post 1990s work a listen - there are some true gems in the songs he has been writing for the last 25 years.
December 27, 2021
This biography is full of details about Mellencamp's life from early on until recently. If you are a serious Mellencamp fan you've probably already read it. It includes his interactions with other musicians and celebrities, his issues with a variety of band members, as well as with a series of spouses; his songwriting, as well as other endeavors he's taken such as film-making and and painting. He survived a heart attack in his early forties, but didn't know ti was a heart attack and didn't see a doctor until weeks later. Mellencamp has given us a lot of interesting and valuable music. If you care about him and his work you will want to read this fine biography.
September 27, 2021
It’s not that this was a bad book, it just wasn’t about him. I wanted to read an all encompassing biography they talked about his personal and professional life. This was a synopsis of his career and every song he ever wrote. It was well written, but not what I was looking for. If you’re a huge fan of simply the musicality, then I recommend it. If you’re looking for something to dig in to really get to know him, this is not it.
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