Words & Music: John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits | 
| Artist: John Mellencamp
Label: Island
List Price: $19.98
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Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 6456
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1
Dimensions (in): 5.5 x 4.9 x 0.2
UPC: 602498642368
EAN: 0602498642368
ASIN: B00062ID4W
Release Date: October 19, 2004
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| Tracks:
Disc 1
| • | Walk Tall | | • | Pink Houses | | • | Lonely Ol' Night | | • | Jackie Brown | | • | Rain on the Scarecrow | | • | Love and Happiness | | • | Check It Out | | • | Peaceful World | | • | Paper in Fire | | • | Your Life Is Now | | • | Human Wheels | | • | When Jesus Left Birmingham | | • | Authority Song | | • | What If I Came Looking | | • | Crumblin' Down | | • | Small Town - John Mellencamp, Mellencamp, John Co | | • | R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. | | • | Cherry Bomb | | • | Pop Singer |
Disc 2
| • | Thank You | | • | Martha Say | | • | Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First) | | • | Hand to Hold on To | | • | I Need a Lover | | • | Hurts So Good | | • | Get a Leg Up | | • | Wild Night - John Mellencamp, Morrison, Van | | • | Dance Naked | | • | Teardrops Will Fall - John Mellencamp, Allard, David | | • | Ain't Even Done With the Night | | • | Just Another Day | | • | Jack & Diane | | • | Rumble Seat | | • | I'm Not Running Anymore | | • | Again Tonight | | • | This Time | | • | Now More Than Ever |
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 Most Of Mellencamp's Best Songs In One Place March 24, 2005
The Footpath Cowboy (Kingston, NY United States)
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
WORDS & MUSIC has most of John Mellencamp's best material in one place. From the brand-new opener, "Walk Tall", to the end you get pure affirmation that Mellencamp is often just as good a basic rocker as Springsteen, Seger, and Fogerty, with such songs as "I Need A Lover", "Hurts So Good", "Crumblin' Down", "Pink Houses", "Authority Song", "Paper In Fire", and "Check It Out" proving that even if he didn't always equal the aforementioned artists, he often did. This anthology proves that the insults hurled Mellencamp's way by the press are a good reason for music appreciation teachers to assign their students homework to do over the summer, ruined vacations be damned.
Ultimate Mellencamp collection - this version doesn't have the dvd March 2, 2008
James E. Bagley (Sanatoga, PA USA)
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
A major fixture in American music for over 25 years, Words & Music is John Mellencamp's first (near) career-encompassing collection. Its two discs contain 37 digitally remastered selections - including all 22 of his top 40 hits - covering 14 albums. Mellencamp's only musical phase neglected here is his initial recordings for MCA Records from the mid-70s when he was using the Johnny Cougar moniker (and frankly, they deserve to be ignored).
Even after Mellencamps's first couple of albums on Mercury in 1979 and 1980, it was hard to envision that a long, substantial career lie ahead. With his initial hits "I Need A Lover," "This Time," and "Ain't Even Done With The Night," Mellencamp came across as a rebel with a few good riffs and simplistic lyrics that rarely went beyond stud-boy prowling. "Hurt So Good" - the ultra infectious leadoff single from 1982's American Fool album was more of the same, but Mellencamp's next hit would forever alter his image: "Jack and Diane," a slice of life saga of a boy and girl growing up in the Midwest (like Mellencamp did). The lyrics for "Jack and Diane" and its follow-up "Hand To Hold Onto," remained uncomplicated, but they hold a nostalgic eloquence to which a broader, post adolescent audience could relate.
1983's Uh-Huh (with its enclosed singles "Crumblin' Down," "Pink Houses," and the raucous "Authority Song") showed even more of an emphasis on heartland reflections, while 1985's thematically varied Scarecrow album - with vignettes of rock and roll heroes ("R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A."), the simple life ("Small Town"), young love ("Lonely Ol' Night," "Rumbleseat"), and the plight of the modern farmer ("Rain On The Scarecrow)" - found Mellencamp really coming into his own as a storyteller. At this time, he also became actively involved in Farm Aid as one of its founding members. After Scarecrow, Mellencamp closed out his first decade at Mercury with his most sonically enjoyable effort to date, 1987's The Lonesome Jubilee (represented here by "Paper In Fire," "Cherry Bomb," and "Check It Out)." This release began Mellencamp's prominent use of violin, giving his recordings more of a down home feel.
Aside from its sarcastic leadoff single "Pop Singer," 1989's Big Daddy was even more folk-oriented, with its character study "Jackie Brown" ranking among Mellencamp's most moving recordings. After exploring this gentler side, 1991's Whenever We Wanted presented some of Mellencamp's hardest rockin' material like "Love And Happiness" and "Get A Leg Up." Then Mellencamp really surprised us with the somewhat somber, always eclectic Human Wheels from 1993, highlighted by its hypnotic title track, the atmospheric "When Jesus Left Birmingham," and the scorcher "What If I Came Knocking." The follow-up - 1994's Dance Naked - was short (about 30 minutes in length) and simple, stripped down rock and roll. Its enclosed title track and effective cover of Van Morrison's "Wild Night" (that introduced Me'Shell Ndegeocello to the masses) are the album's lone standouts. Much better was 1996's adventurous Mr. Happy Go Lucky that featured "Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)" and "Just Another Day."
Disappointed by the sales of his recent Mercury albums, Mellencamp moved to Columbia Records in 1998. Album sales at Columbia would become increasingly sluggish, however, and success at pop radio would now elude him completely (despite no drop off in quality). Mellencamp's 1998 self-titled release offered some of his most introspective material, including the enclosed singles "Your Life Is Now" and the exotic shuffler "I'm Not Running Anymore." 2001's Cuttin' Heads served up the timely - released just prior to 9/11 - single "Peaceful World" which featured the debut of duet partner India.Arie. Mellencamp then took another stylistic detour with 2003's Trouble No More, an inspired collection of rootsy and bluesy cover tunes represented here by "Teardrops Will Fall."
Words And Music also includes two new Mellencamp compositions that feature production and background vocal collaborations by Babyface: the social commentaries "Walk Tall" and "Thank You." Both hold their own amongst Mellencamp's best work. Mellencamp also provided the sequencing for this collection. Instead of just placing the tracks in chronological release date order, he decided to group recordings with similar themes and succeeded in creating two well-paced cds. While a few low charting singles ("Small Paradise," "Rooty Toot Toot") were left off this set, every significant Mellencamp recording has been included here (with only the final track "Now More Than Ever" rating as less than essential). It's a must-own retrospective of a gifted musical icon.
R.O.C.K IN THE U.S.A. MELLENCAMP STYLE! August 5, 2008
Christopher Gazzo (Long Island, NY)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
There is not one rock artist over the last 30 years that can match Mellencamp pound for pound when it comes to devising short, punchy true rock and roll singles. Many casual fans will find it hard to believe that the guy who did "Jack And Diane," "Hurts So Good," and "Pink Houses" actually had enough great ideas to fill up two cds of 37 songs. Here is the surprise..He absolutely does!!! There are very few better "Greatest Hits" collections on the market and this captures all of his greatest moments up until 2004. In addition to 35 proven classics, Mellencamp also included two (at the time) new songs that are exclusive to this release. Both of those songs, "Walk Tall" and "Thank You" hold up very well against the older material and although they are pleasant enough, they are not the highlights. Mellencamp's most productive decade was obviously the 80's when his songs and videos were unavoidable on both MTV and radio respectively. From his late 70's hit "I Need A Lover" through his classic 80's material like "Small Town," through his underrated 90's material like "Human Wheels," "Key West Intermezzo" and "Get A Leg Up" every album is well represented by it's best tracks. In addition to the two new songs his post 2000 material is here as well with tracks like the melodic "Peaceful World" and the classic cover of "Teardrops Will Fall."
This collection is one that when you play it will give you that "Hey, I remember THAT one" moment as each recognizable track reveals itself. What makes this collection great is that the songs that you may not recognize stand up as well as the ones you do. Mellencamp was a more well-rounded artist than given credit for. Often writing commentary for small town America in his music and seeing that many of these issues are still relevant today has kept this music fresh and vital. Mellencamp did the first Farm Aid back in 1985 and wrote the song "Scarecrow" which became the exclamation point on the farmer's plight and these problems, 20 something years later, are as relevant as ever.
Mellencamp proves that he deserves his induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with this slice of Americana from his 'regular guy' viewpoint. The one disc "The Best That I could Do" does not do him justice like this set does. John Mellencamp had too many great songs for one disc and this release nails it!
Just the music, but great stuff April 7, 2008
M. Leach (St. Louis, MO USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Ok, so this release doesn't have the DVD, but wow, what a great two disc set! This collection has all the hits, plus many other great songs. The sound quality of this collection is very good, with sensational disc mastering by Bob Ludwig. If you are on a budget, this is the only John Mellencamp CD you'll ever need to buy.
 Music but no words July 28, 2008
T. Pawlicki (Wilmington, NC USA)
This CD was a replacement for 'The Best I Could Do' CD and a few of Mellencamps other CDs. This is a very good collection save for one thing. I was surprised and disappointed that there were no lyrics included with the CD. I guess I took the CD title too literally.
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