John Mellencamp - Cuttin' Heads

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Music reviews of Cuttin' Heads

Music Review: The metamorphosis continues...
Rating: 4 Stars

"Cutting Heads" is truly a culmination of the various styles and approaches Mr. Mellancamp has employed over the years: rock, folk, bluegrass, gospel, blues and hip-hop. While the singer has always seemlessly homogenized these styles to the point of creating one of his own, "Cutting Heads" is the ultimate Mellancamp melting pot.

The title track kicks off the album and right away we are hit with an array of styles, techniques and gimmicks recognizable from previous efforts. The song opens with jackhammer drum shots and a terse fuzzy guitar riff reminiscent of "Whenever We Wanted" material. Soon, however, a rousing gospel-like chorus kicks in making one think of something from "Human Wheels." The song -- a cynical look at subtle racism and use of the "N" word in the hip-hop culture -- then melts effortlessly into a rap sequence led by Chuck D, something that could have easily appeared on 1998's "John Mellancamp". It's a great way to kick off the album because it's not only heartfelt and upbeat, but it is edgy and experimental as well.

"Peaceful World," the second track follows, and is more of a traditional-type Mellancamp composition, melding acoustic and electric guitars along with fiddle and accordian and a gentle vocal narrative.

"Deep Blue Heart," a bit sonambulant to me at first listen, has emerged as a truly beautiful song. It's plain and simple a pure country song and Mr. Mellancamp's duet with country diva Trisha Yearwood here legitimizes that notion. Their voices sound wonderful together -- a seemless blend that gives the listener the impression that they've been singing together for years.

(One side note here: Mr. Mellancamp has never shared the microphone as much as he does on "Cutting Heads." Besides letting both Chuck D. and Trisha Yearwood take the spotlight, there's more group singing with the band than ever before and a perponderence of solos for various members, like longtime backing singer Pat Peterson. This gives the album more of a "band" feel, rather than that of an solo artist.)

The following track, "Crazy Island," harbors a calypso/reggae mileau for a song that, in light of the Sept. 11 events, seems almost prophetic. The crazy island here is America and Mr. Mellancamp's sings of America's isolationist tendencies over the past 12 years with a frustrated shrug. It's an interesting song.

Mr. Mellancamp's trademark sense of humor, though not as prevelent as in his early smartass days, is still here and shines best in "Women Seem," -- a song every American male can relate to as the songwriter tries vainly to understand the fairer sex:

"Women seem to like houses
I've bought them two or three..."

he sings with some hard-learned resignation and an uneseen wry smile.

A personal favorite from "Cutting Heads" is the final track, "In Our Lives." It, again, explores the theme of the difficulty in moving from reckless youth to a more responsible, introspective adult -- reminding one of "Your Life Is Now" from the last CD. The music is tradtional "Lonesome Jubliee"-style, with chiming acoustic guitars, catchy fiddle and accordian lines and and a pump-your-fist-in-the-air chorus:

"In our lives, there's no wrong or right way to live it,
In our lives, there's a time to just forget it..."

It's classic Mellancamp through and through.

Not every song is a gem here. For example, "Shy" is unremarkable musically and a bit pedestrian lyrically with lines like, "I'm sexually shy, shy, shy, shy." (No, you're not, John!)

But ultimately, "Cutting Heads" gets only four stars instead of five because in spite of the fine songwriting, musicianship, gutsy experiementation and a gritty, insightful view of the world, the CD lacks those one or two "special" songs that make an album become a career benchmark. Nothing here jumps out at the listener as being considered a classic. There is no "Pink Houses," "Scarecrow," "Cherry Bomb," or even an "I Saw Her First" or "I Ain't Running Anymore."

The songs, however, for the most part, are thoughtful, cleverly arranged and at times, touching.

While not quite as strong as his last effort, "Cutting Heads" is still a worthy edition to the John Mellancamp canon and longtime fans should be thrilled. Radio programmers, however, will turn a deaf ear and that's a shame. But as Mr. Mellancamp himself said recently, "I'm not really interested in what a 17-year old has to say."

As he once sang, "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything."

Consequently, "Cutting Heads" smacks of integrity and honesty. In this day and age of disposible pop music, that's saying something!

Description of Cuttin' Heads

Classic Rock CDs

• Music > Styles
• Pop
• Rock