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The Best That I Could Do is an appropriately self-deprecating title for John Mellencamp's greatest-hits collection, considering that the heartland rocker never seemed too convinced of his own worth. Of course, he had to struggle to get any respect after he was saddled with the stage name Johnny Cougar early in his career, but this 14-track collection proves that he was one of the best, unabashed straight-ahead rockers of the '80s. The 14 tracks here actually turn out to be a little too short to contain all of his great singles -- songs like "Rain on the Scarecrow," "Rumbleseat," "Pop Singer," "Again Tonight," and "What If I Came Knocking" are left off the collection (there's nothing from 1988's Big Daddy at all) -- but it's hard to argue with what's here. Over the course of the collection, such classic rock hits as "I Need a Lover," "Hurts So Good," "Jack and Diane," "Crumblin' Down," "Pink Houses," "Lonely Ol' Night," "Small Town," "Paper in Fire," "Cherry Bomb," and "Check It Out" are chronicled, with a new cover of Terry Reid's "Without Expression" added for good measure. It may fall short of being definitive, but only by a small margin, and it remains an excellent overview and introduction to Mellencamp's remarkably consistent body of work.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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John Punter, Producer - John Mellencamp, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1979 John Mellencamp, under exclusive license to The Island Def Jam Music Group
Steve Cropper, Producer - John Mellencamp, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1980 John Mellencamp, under exclusive license to The Island Def Jam Music Group
George Green, ComposerLyricist - Brad Gilderman, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Larry Crane, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - KENNY ARONOFF, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Don Gehman, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - George Tutko, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - George Perry, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John Mellencamp, Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Mike Wanchic, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Al Stegmeyer, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dennis Hertzendorfer, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mark Stebbeds, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1982 John Mellencamp, under exclusive license to The Island Def Jam Music Group
Brad Gilderman, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Larry Crane, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - KENNY ARONOFF, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Don Gehman, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - George Tutko, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - George Perry, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John Mellencamp, Producer, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Mike Wanchic, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Al Stegmeyer, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dennis Hertzendorfer, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mark Stebbeds, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1982 John Mellencamp, under exclusive license to The Island Def Jam Music Group
George Green, ComposerLyricist - Don Gehman, Producer - Little Bastard, Producer - John Mellencamp, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1983 John Mellencamp
Don Gehman, Producer - Little Bastard, Producer - John Mellencamp, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1983 John Mellencamp, under exclusive license to The Island Def Jam Music Group
Don Gehman, Producer - Little Bastard, Producer - John Mellencamp, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1983 John Mellencamp, under exclusive license to The Island Def Jam Music Group
Larry Crane, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - KENNY ARONOFF, Drums, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Toby Myers, Bass, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Don Gehman, Producer - John Mellencamp, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - John Cascella, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Mike Wanchic, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1985 John Mellencamp, under exclusive license to The Island Def Jam Music Group
Larry Crane, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - KENNY ARONOFF, Drums, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Toby Myers, Bass, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Don Gehman, Producer - John Mellencamp, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - John Cascella, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Mike Wanchic, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1985 John Mellencamp, under exclusive license to the Island Def Jam Music Group
Larry Crane, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - KENNY ARONOFF, Drums, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Toby Myers, Bass, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Don Gehman, Producer - John Mellencamp, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - John Cascella, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Mike Wanchic, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1985 John Mellencamp, under exclusive license to the Island Def Jam Music Group
Don Gehman, Producer - John Mellencamp, Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1987 John Mellencamp, under exclusive license to the Island Def Jam Music Group
Don Gehman, Producer - John Mellencamp, Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1987 John Mellencamp, under exclusive license to The Island Def Jam Music Group
Don Gehman, Producer - John Mellencamp, Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1987 John Mellencamp, under exclusive license to the Island Def Jam Music Group
Terry Reid, ComposerLyricist - John Mellencamp, Producer, MainArtist - Mike Wanchic, Producer
℗ 1997 John Mellencamp
Album review
The Best That I Could Do is an appropriately self-deprecating title for John Mellencamp's greatest-hits collection, considering that the heartland rocker never seemed too convinced of his own worth. Of course, he had to struggle to get any respect after he was saddled with the stage name Johnny Cougar early in his career, but this 14-track collection proves that he was one of the best, unabashed straight-ahead rockers of the '80s. The 14 tracks here actually turn out to be a little too short to contain all of his great singles -- songs like "Rain on the Scarecrow," "Rumbleseat," "Pop Singer," "Again Tonight," and "What If I Came Knocking" are left off the collection (there's nothing from 1988's Big Daddy at all) -- but it's hard to argue with what's here. Over the course of the collection, such classic rock hits as "I Need a Lover," "Hurts So Good," "Jack and Diane," "Crumblin' Down," "Pink Houses," "Lonely Ol' Night," "Small Town," "Paper in Fire," "Cherry Bomb," and "Check It Out" are chronicled, with a new cover of Terry Reid's "Without Expression" added for good measure. It may fall short of being definitive, but only by a small margin, and it remains an excellent overview and introduction to Mellencamp's remarkably consistent body of work.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 14 track(s)
- Total length: 00:58:26
- Main artists: John Mellencamp
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: John Mellencamp 2023 (Island)
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 1997 John Mellencamp This Compilation ℗ 1997 John Mellencamp
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