{"product_id":"5013929786509","title":"John Mellencamp - American Dream - The Mainman Recordings 1976-1977 - Import 2 CD","description":"\u003cp\u003eCredits:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJohn Mellencamp\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDescription:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBeforehewasaGrammy-winningstarof80sheartlandradioandearlyMTV,JohnMellencampwasastrugglingbuttalentedsingerwhorecordedtwonascentalbumsforMainManRecords,thecompanylaunchedbyinfamousmusicimpresarioandDavidBowiemanagerTonyDeFries.The2026anthologyAmericanDream:TheMainmanRecordings1976-1977,compilesbothofthesealbums,ropinginbonustracksandrarelyheardsongs.Thefirst,1976sChestnutStreetIncident,wasreleasedunderthenameJohnnyCougar,asurpriseswitcheroothatMellencampdidntknowaboutuntilhesawtheLPandwhichledtodecadesofnamechanges,fromJohnCougartoJohnCougarMellencamptoJohnMellencamp.Featuringamixoforiginalsalongsideseveralcovertunes,thealbumfindsasingerstillworkingthroughhisinfluencesandtoilingundertheweightofDeFriesartisticcontrol.Theopening\"AmericanDream\"andthetitletrackarethemostfamiliar,imbuedwiththesameworking-classrootsrockswaggerthatwouldprovesoindelibleon1982sAmericanFool.WealsogetafuncoverofDavidBowies\"TheManWhoSoldtheWorld.\"Othershowever,especiallythesongsnotwrittenbyMellencampliketheicky,predatory\"Supergirl\"andthestaleretreadofElvisPresleys\"JailhouseRock,\"areatbesttimecapsuleodditiesandatworstthreatentoretroactivelyunderminehishard-earnedlegacy.Unsurprisingly,thealbumfailedtochartanddespiterecordingafollow-up,Mellencampwasdroppedfromthelabel.However,inthewakeofthebreakthroughsuccessofAmericanFool,DeFriesmovedtocapitalizeonthemomentandreleasedthatsecondalbumasTheKidInside--afullfiveyearsafteritwasrecorded.WhilestillnotasgoodasMellencampsbestwork,TheKidInsidebenefitsfromeachsongbeingwrittenbythesinger,andcutslikethetitletrack,\"CheapShot,\"and\"YoungGenocides\"certainlyevokethebarroomtroubadourpassionoflaterhitslike\"Jack\u0026amp;Diane\"and\"PinkHouses.\"Still,therearemomentsofunintentionalcringe,includingtheacousticballad\"TheWhore\"whosethinlyveiledmetaphorfortheemptinessoflifeontheroadfeelsparticularlyunearned.Thatsaid,youdogettohearMellencamptalktotheengineerinthestudioonthetrack,revealingabitofhiscreativeprocess.Theresalsotheersatzfunknumber\"IJustWannaBeBlack\"which,whileperhapswell-intentionedinthemoment,seemspoorlycalibrated.Thatsaid,thereiscertainlyalottoappreciateintheserecordingsandthebesttracksunderscorejusthowincontrolofhisartisticvoiceMellencampwasinhistwenties;especiallywithDeFriesworkingagainsthisbetterinterests.WhileMellencampfansandcompletistsmayappreciatehavingtheseearlyrecordingsallwrappeduptogether,AmericanDream:TheMainmanRecordings1976-1977primarilyoffersaquirky,unfilteredwindowintoarockiconsoriginstory.~MattCollar\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTracklisting:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1.American Dream\u003cbr\u003e2.Oh, Pretty Woman\u003cbr\u003e3.Jailhouse Rock\u003cbr\u003e4.Dream Killing Town\u003cbr\u003e5.Supergirl\u003cbr\u003e6.Chesnut Street\u003cbr\u003e7.Good Girls\u003cbr\u003e8.Do You Believe in Magic?\u003cbr\u003e9.Twentieth Century Fox\u003cbr\u003e10.Chesnut Street Revisited\u003cbr\u003e11.Sad Lady\u003cbr\u003e12.2000 A.D.\u003cbr\u003e13.Lou-ser\u003cbr\u003e14.Hot Man\u003cbr\u003e15.Kicks [Gulcher Version]\u003cbr\u003e16.Skin It Back [Acoustic Version]\u003cbr\u003e17.Man Who Sold the World\u003cbr\u003e18.Little Heroes\u003cbr\u003e19.Hit the Road Jack\u003cbr\u003e20.Kicks\u003cbr\u003e1.Kid Inside\u003cbr\u003e2.Take What You Want\u003cbr\u003e3.Cheap Shot\u003cbr\u003e4.Sidewalks and Streetlights\u003cbr\u003e5.R. Gang\u003cbr\u003e6.American Son\u003cbr\u003e7.Gearhead\u003cbr\u003e8.Young Genocides\u003cbr\u003e9.Too Young to Live\u003cbr\u003e10.Survive\u003cbr\u003e11.Last of the Big time Spenders\u003cbr\u003e12.Need Somebody Baby\u003cbr\u003e13.Whore\u003cbr\u003e14.When I Was Young\u003cbr\u003e15.Skin It Back\u003cbr\u003e16.I Just Wanna Be Black\u003cbr\u003e17.Gearhead [Alternate Electric Version]\u003cbr\u003e18.I Need Somebody Baby [Demo]\u003cbr\u003e19.I Just Wanna Be Black [Demo]\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Lemon","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52637739385121,"sku":"5013929786509","price":3190.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0568\/8482\/2076\/files\/5013929786509.jpg?v=1777964376","url":"https:\/\/cdsvinyljapan.com\/products\/5013929786509","provider":"CDs Vinyl Japan Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}