In 1987 John Mellencamp released a compilation album of his music to date. Spanning the years 1978 – 1988 Mellencamp was uncomfortable placing the usual ‘Greatest Hits’ or ‘Best Of’ tag on the album. His take at the time was that these songs, handpicked personally, were just a summary of his initial decade of success. In the sleeve notes for the album Mellencamp was optimistic that, although surprised and delighted that these songs had found an audience, he was confident that the best was yet to come. In naming the album “The Best That I Could Do” it seems now, on reflection, that Mellencamp was tempting fate.
With the benefit of hindsight, it would be hard to argue that a stellar career that continues to this day was ever better than that period, years that included arguably the two finest albums of his life in “Scarecrow” and “The Lonesome Jubilee”. “Jubilee” was released in 1987 and saw Mellancamp innovate with the inclusion of fiddles, accordions and other traditional folk instruments. ‘Check It Out’, taken from that album, is as fine an example as any of the way these subtle but totally distinctive changes were integrated into his work at the time. Recorded in Indianapolis just before Christmas 1987 this video sees a shaggy haired Mellencamp at his peak.
Classic Lonesome Jubilee period.