John Mellencamp showed a propensity for deftly writing about hopes, dreams, and values of average working folk during “Pink Houses” in 1983. Two years later, he expanded upon that theme with “Rain on the Scarecrow” and “Small Town” from the excellent “Scarecrow”. One of the singer/guitarist’s most successful albums, it spun off five top 30 pop singles and fared even better at Album Oriented Rock radio. Drummer Kenny Aronoff really proves his mettle here. Special guests include singer Rickie Lee Jones and slide guitarist Ry Cooder.
What’s inside: The 2-CD+LP+Blu-ray+7” vinyl in the Super Deluxe edition box set comes with a lift off lid. It includes the remixed and remastered original album which sounds stronger than ever, a Blu-ray with Dolby Atmos and hi-resolution stereo mixes, a half-speed mastered LP and 7” single of “Small Town.”
Among the rare and previously unreleased demos, rough mixes, and other songs: “Carolina Shag” and “Smart Guys” would’ve made worthy additions to the original release, “Small Town” (acoustic) is riveting, and fun covers of tunes popularized by the Drifters and James Brown (“Under the Boardwalk,” “Cold Sweat”) find Mellencamp sharing vocal duties with his touring band. Additionally, there is a poster, art cards, a booklet with an essay by Rolling Stone’s Anthony DeCurtis and a new Mellencamp interview.
The Fat Angel Sings 