Freedom's Road

Performer: John Mellencamp
Engineer: Don Smith; Eddie Kramer; June Murakawa; Scott Davis; Mike Stucker; Paul Mahern...
Producer: John Mellencamp; John Mellencamp...
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel: John Mellencamp (vocals, guitar); John Mellencamp; Joan Baez (vocals); John Gunnell (bass guitar); Scott Davis (percussion); Mike Wanchic, Andy York (vocals, guitar); Miriam Sturm (violin); Troye Kinnett (keyboards); Dane Clark (drums, percussion). Audio Mixer: Don Smith . Recording information: Belmont Mall (06/2006-08/2006); The Garage (06/2006-08/2006). Photographers: Elaine Mellencamp; Kurt Markus. John Mellencamp's heartland rock has attracted as many critics as fans, but regardless of the listener's stance, 2007's FREEDOM'S ROAD makes one thing abundantly clear: Mellencamp is very, very good at what he does. The artist has used the five years since his last album of all-new material to full effect, crafting the songs, sound, and themes of FREEDOM ROAD to perfection. Mellencamp's usual mixture of rock, folk, blues, and country is here in full force, but it feels refined to a sharp edge on both rousing, anthemic tracks ("The Americans") and haunting atmospheric ones (like "Jim Crow," which features Joan Baez on guest vocals). The song "Our Country," popularized in a truck commercial, is here, yet stands tall in the context of the album, taking on an unexpected vitality. The sound is bold and rootsy (thanks in part to the country quartet Little Big Town), and the songs paint on a large canvas their American tales of desperation, integrity, tragedy, and hope. But Mellencamp's vision, while broad, is rarely sentimental or contrived, resulting in one of his finest overall releases since UH-HUH and SCARECROW.

Rolling Stone (p.74) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "FREEDOM'S ROAD finds Mellencamp sounding more at ease than he has in years....A minimalist, relaxed album that harkens back to his SCARECROW days."

John Mellencamp debuted in the early 1970s without a clear identity, but by the early '80s he morphed (thanks, in part, to one of the all-time great backing bands) into a fine, socially conscious, blue-collar roots rocker. Since he hit his commercial and creative stride in the mid '80s, his music has become increasingly personal and (occasionally) experimental, but without losing any of its power.

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