Life, Death, Love and Freedom | 
| Manufacturer: Hear Music
This item is no longer available
Rating:  66 reviews
Sales Rank: 17853
Genre: pop-music
Media: Music Download
Running Time: 0 Minutes
ASIN: B001C0BPY2
Publication Date: July 15, 2008
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| Customer Reviews: Read 61 more reviews...
 Love of Life, Love of Freedom July 15, 2008
Rudy Palma (NJ)
51 out of 60 found this review helpful
Despite its scintillating title John Mellencamp's new LP "Life, Death, Love and Freedom" is one of the quietest records of his career, but its lyrical depth, coupled with rich, intimate simplicity, makes it a formidable one. This is essentially folk music with some exceptions, yet these songs very much pulsate with electricity and character.
Vocals and guitar generally take the forefront, with Mellencamp's sentiments hanging loose in the balance. It's dark, even cryptic, but it's also bold and exciting, especially from a talented songwriter who could simply churn out a dozen radio-friendly southern rockers if he wanted to. Evoking similar themes as heard on last year's warmly received "Freedom Road," Mellencamp sounds as inspired as ever in his comments concerning the state our country is in. He speaks to those frustrated about its current state of affairs and the need for change, yet never lets negativity win.
Many of the songs have already found public exposure such as "Jena," the controversy-arousing response to the by-now infamous controversy that occurred last year in Jena, Louisiana, as well as "If I Die Sudden," a resigned, dignified approach to mortality he has introduced into concert setlists. Frenetic, bouncy lead single "My Sweet Love" injects the otherwise downtrodden album with its near-syrupy sentiments.
"Mean," an understated, nearly spoken-word protest of another's jaded outlook on life, finds Mellencamp wise and observant, but never too cynical to see the silver lining or lose a sense of innocence.
"I'm not following your frame of mind/Complaining about this life all the time/Surely something good here as the world spins by/Could you please stop being so mean?"
"Without a Shot," an astoundingly eloquent criticism of the Iraq War, finds Mellencamp wading through the rubble of our nation and struggling to make sense of it all, marking what is definitely one of his finest moments as a songwriter.
"So we open up our eyes at midnight/See the setting of the sun/Foundation is crumbling/The inner structure's gone/Used up by corruption/And the passage of time/We hope we've got some fight left/'Cause our children, our children are dying."
Further standouts like "Troubled Land" ("I got a pain in my side/But I keep traveling on") and "Don't Need This Body" ("Well all my friends are sick or dying/And I'm here all by myself/All I got left is a head full of memories/And a thought of my upcoming death") shed further light on the current state of quiet desperation working its way into the tiniest nooks and crevices of our nation. Something has got to give, and Mellencamp's passion and fury combine to produce a vivid snapshot of America in the 2000s.
He concludes the album with "For the Children," a gentle reassurance to youth growing up in a confusing time ("I hope you can be a child of life/With big dreams for everyone/And know that dying's as natural as birth/And our troubles here, they don't last long"), and "A Brand New Song," an ode to reinvigorating livelihood and looking to a brighter future.
It may not have brash, in-your-face entertainment value or artistic pretensions (Starbucks label affiliation aside - give the guy a break, he needs a way to get his music out there in this unpredictable, adversarial market), but "Life, Death, Love and Freedom" is pure, wall-to-wall beauty and truth. If all singer/songwriters could be as soul-searching and thoughtful as Mellencamp proves himself to be on this album, this world would be a richer, more rewarding place to live and breathe. Sure, there are no easy-as-Coca Cola concert singalongs like "Jack and Diane" or "Small Town" here to guzzle down, but Mellencamp, like most talented artists, has evolved.
For all of those living in fear, frustration and heartache in today's world, he reaches out through his words and music. All he asks now is that you might pay him a listen.
 Too much folk July 16, 2008
William Merrill (San Antonio, TX United States)
12 out of 28 found this review helpful
I'm sure I'm not the only music fan out here who, upon hearing that an upcoming Springsteen or even Dylan album was going to be all or mostly "acoustic folk," thinks "Oh, too bad." Well, that's kind of how things are with the new Mellencamp disc. It's not entirely folk - there are a small number of rockers, notably "My Sweet Love" and "Jena" - but there are very many down-home folk tunes - too many. None of them are terrible, but they often tend toward boring. Despite some excellent production from modern legend T-Bone Burnett, many of the songs on Life Death Etc. just sit there. As someone who thinks the "unplugged" movement has been carried a bit too far, this album is a very good argument in favor of rock music vs. folk. I do want to say a positive word regarding the extra "CODE" disc included with the CD. It's basically a DVD-Audio, and the sound quality is superb. I look forward to hearing this technology used again in the future with some actual good songs.
 Somebody give this man a hug... July 16, 2008
DanD
12 out of 18 found this review helpful
Does John Mellencamp's life suck? Or is it just so good, he feels obligated to sing the woes of all the rest of us? I'm betting the latter is the case...and thank God he's such an amazing singer-songwriter. Otherwise, this album would leave you crying in your beer.
Mellencamp's last few albums have been rather depressing, haven't they? I don't mean quality--the man is at his peak, or thereabouts. He's still writing excellent songs, and singing with a youthful vigor, long after many of his contemporaries have hung up their hats. But a few years ago (actually, back in the 80's, but let's look more to the late nineties), Mellencamp decided he would sing about the workingman's blues, but in a way that ol' Merle didn't quite see coming. FREEDOM'S ROAD was dark and haunting; LIFE DEATH LOVE AND FREEDOM is even more so. I mean, the opening song contains the polarizing chorus: "Nothing lasts forever/Your best efforts don't always pay/Sometimes you get sick/And you don't get better/That's when life is short/Even in its longest days."
And it's much the same throughout the rest of the record. Even the bopping love song, "My Sweet Love," explores beyond the happiness: "You're the woman who knows exactly what she's doing/You're the girl who ate the apple off the tree/When you're good your just crazy, when you're bad you're too much." He sings of growing old ("Ain't gonna need this body much longer") and loneliness ("Hey Jesus can you get me a ride back home/I've been out here in this world too long"). He plumbs the depths of the Jena controversy (without laying blame, which would be pointless anyways, because we already know where his sympathies lie), yet manages to end the album on an ambiguous (but not quite hopeful) note: "Life is always in motion/New people to count on/Here we find a purpose/To sing a brand new song."
Joining him is producer T. Bone Burnett (it's been a good year for Mr. Burnett, hasn't it?), along with Mellencamp's longtime backing band, and Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town (where the rest of the band is, I'm not sure; they provided wonderful harmonies together on FREEDOM'S ROAD, and Ms. Fairchild tries to live up to that standard on this record). LIFE DEATH LOVE AND FREEDOM is not a perfect record, no; it's dark, haunting themes make it a bit hard to listen to in one sitting. We need a break, you know? And quite frankly, we're still awaiting another AMERICAN FOOL or SCARECROW. But Mellencamp does contemporary folk/blues better than pretty much anyone else, so until he decides to make a more up-tempo record again (if he ever does; the man gets an idea in his head, he really sinks his teeth into it), we'll just have to live with it. Not that it'll be too hard. Just try not to get overly depressed.
Best Since Big Daddy July 18, 2008
Tduff (Chattanooga TN)
10 out of 14 found this review helpful
I wasn't sure what to expect when I put this in the cd player, and it is safe to say that I surely didn't expect John Mellencamp to ever write a song as stark and beautiful as the first song, "Longest Days." I've never considered the artist formerly known as Johnny Cougar particularly strong at writing slow, haunting, and beautiful songs. On his latest album, I'm happy to say that he has proven me wrong, and how wrong I was.
Life Death Love and Freedom is not an "easy listen," but neither was Springsteen's Nebraska or Darkness on the Edge of Town. While this may not be a masterpiece, it's Mellencamp's best album since Big Daddy.
One aspect that has always bothered me about Mellencamp's songwritig in the past was that he tended to have a habit of recycling cliches, even in some of his great songs. For example, The Lonesome Jubilee is a flawless album, but he was able to get away with writing hooks such as "Hot Dogs & Hamburgers", almost ruining an otherwise brilliant story and perfect arrangement.
From the late 1990's self titled album through Cuttin' Heads, those habits became the norm of Mellencamp's albums. His lyrics seemed to be recycled, and the arrangements were weak. He tried to make grand statements that didn't say anything that hadn't already been said. It usually fell flat, with the occasional exception, such as "Eden is Burning" and "Nervous Condition." Even his catchier songs, such as "Peaceful World", were flawed by weak verses that didn't tell a story, and were only saved by the fact that they were perfectly arranged, musically.
Trouble No More showed that Mellencamp still had some life left. On Freedom's Road, he proved that he could still produce an excellent rock and roll album. Now with Life Death Love and Freedom, Mellencamp has written songs that are as affecting as anything he's ever written.
Lyrically, this is his strongest album since his peak, and for the first time, his writing is on the level of Scarecrow, the Lonesome Jubilee, and Big Daddy. While it doesn't always rock, it is a moving experience... once the listener is able to look past his or her previous expectations of a Mellencamp album.
If Freedom's Road proved that Mellencamp could still rock as vibrantly as he could in his prime, Life Death Love and Freedom proves that he can write lyrics as good, if not better, than anything he has ever written before. That's not to take anything away from his strong writing on the Freedom's Road. "Rural Route", "Ghostowns along the Highway", and "Rodeo Clown" are also among some of his best songs. On this album, he never loses his focus, and there are no throwaways. He doesn't let himself fall into recycling themes, as he did on songs such as "I'm an American", which had a great arrangement, but cringe-worthy, recycled, and cliched lyrics.
On this album, there are no such moments of weakness. Mellencamp doesn't make broad generalizations, but tells affecting stories that have a point.
An accurate description August 2, 2008
Gaylen Halbert (Weimar, California United States)
10 out of 13 found this review helpful
"Electric folk music" is an accurate description of this wonderful album. The following are the virtues of this stellar effort by Mr. Mellencamp and producer T Bone Burnett:
1.Recording quality. The standard CD sounds fine. The generous inclusion of a DVD for audio is a plus. The CODE technology results in a sound that may actually be indistinguishable from original master tapes. I am hopeful more DVDS are released like this.
2.Songwriting. Wow! Downbeat yes, even dark, but SO on target for capturing the malaise of a man's [country's] spirit following the battering of the Bush years. This may not have been the intent of Mellencamp, but that is how the songs affected me.
3.Musicianship. John has already proven his chops as a rocker. Anyone hoping for a repeat of that era will be disappointed here. T Bone Burnette proves he is the best producer for this type of music. The assembled musicians play with an empathy and skill that is much more than competent. P.S. I loved the backing vocals by Karen Fairchild.
In summary, with this release John Mellencamp confirms he belongs in the very top echelon of singer songwriters. In contrast to the plethora of red neck country stars, John is the REAL patriot who has a grip on what ails America and infects a man's soul.
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