John Mellencamp has said that 1987’s “The Lonesome Jubilee” was made differently than how he usually makes records. In the past, Mellencamp generally would write and record the songs for an album while in the studio and that would be the album. But for “The Lonesome Jubilee” Mellencamp and his band talked about the kind of record that they wanted to make ahead of time and Mellencamp wrote songs that would fit that thematic and sonic vision. Indeed, “The Lonesome Jubilee” was originally envisioned as a double album but in the end Mellencamp himself decided to cut it down to a single album when he felt too many of the songs he had written strayed from the vision he had for the record.
This focus makes “The Lonesome Jubilee” arguably the best record of Mellencamp’s career.
“The Lonesome Jubilee” opens with the great “Paper In Fire”, an intense and ferocious rocker that builds the tension and then releases it in a cathartic blast of a chorus. Lyrically, the song draws on Mellencamp’s own extended family’s drama and how the inability to control desires can destroy a person and their life. “Paper In Fire” was the lead single for “The Lonesome Jubilee” and a very big hit. “Down And Out In Paradise” is a fiery rocker about how the blue collar worker was losing access to the American Dream under the economic policies of the Reagan administration. It is another angry and disillusioned song about the erosion of the way of life in the American heartland.
The third track is the third single “Check It Out”, a midtempo song with a great melody and vocal hook refrain that gets lodged in your head. Another hit song, “Check It Out” is about the ups and downs of everyday people just trying to live a life of meaning and happiness. It is a hopeful song with a touch of melancholy that serves it perfectly as it really does capture the small joys and trials of living life.
“The Lonesome Jubilee” opens strong and that consistency continues as the record goes on. “The Real Life” is based on many people Mellencamp knew growing up in small town Indiana, including his own uncle. Mellencamp remembered having a conversation with his uncle when his uncle was in his 40’s. His uncle told him “I have done what I thought was right, what was expected of me: Married young even though we weren’t really in love, stayed with her, had kids, worked hard to provide for them, and never did anything for myself. Now I am going to”. This inspired Mellencamp to write “The Real Life”. The sentiment is one many people can relate to as they age and change and question their choices in life and the song is lyrically strong. Musically, I find “The Real Life” to be one of the album’s least interesting songs, but it is still very listenable.
This is followed by the album’s second single, and one of Mellencamp’s most popular songs, “Cherry Bomb”. “Cherry Bomb” is one of those songs that perfectly captures the feeling of young love, young lust, carefree days, and hot summer nights; of being young and unburdened by life. The song is told as a reflection back on those days from the perspective of an older, wiser, and less naive person who now knows that those days are far too short and that as much as you enjoy them at the time, you can’t really appreciate them until they are gone. “Cherry Bomb” is a classic and one of the more warm and positive songs on “The Lonesome Jubilee”.
Things get a bit more serious and sombre on the brooding rocker “We Are The People”, which serves as something of a centerpiece of the record; a reminder that the everyday, hard working people that this song is about are the real heart and soul of our communities and of the country. The song also has a touch of the more Americana influences that were beginning to come into Mellencamp’s work and eventually would become his main interest. “Empty Hands” leans into the Americana influences even more without yet abandoning the fact that Mellencamp is a rocker. The percussion crashes and is high in the mix (Mellencamp almost always had great drumming and percussion) and drives forward the tense and yearning song. “Empty Hands” is good enough to be a highlight on most of Mellencamp’s but on “The Lonesome Jubilee” it is just another excellent song that isn’t quite on the album’s very best.
“Hard Times For An Honest Man” could be the theme of the whole record, and in spite of its lyrical pessimism, it is one of the record’s more upbeat, jubilant feeling tracks musically. They may be hard times for the honest man, but the song gives the impression that they can still succeed. “Hard Times For An Honest Man” has a summery feel that is even more present on the warm, breezy “Hot Dogs And Hamburgers”, which has that warm, nostalgic feeling that is made for 4th of July barbecues and dancing at the county fair. “Hot Dogs And Hamburgers” may feel like a lighthearted jaunt (a fact reinforced by the title) but it actually is a fairly deep look at the exploitation of the Native Americans, historical trauma, and personal morality. Thus, it works really well on either a casual listen or a deeper one.
The original album closer is “Rooty Toot Toot”, a song that Mellencamp wrote as a kind of nursery rhyme for his daughter Teddi Jo when she asked him why he had never written a special song for her. It is a fun and lighthearted closer than works well for this particular album.
Later issues add a short bonus track called “Blues From The Front Porch” as the album closer. “Blues From The Front Porch” is a loose blues jam primarily sung by Crystal Taliefero, who worked as a prominent backing and counterpoint vocalist all across “The Lonesome Jubilee” and several other albums. It is also a good way to end the record for versions that have it.
“The Lonesome Jubilee” has strong songwriting, varied sounds and styles, thoughtful lyrics, emotional resonance, and a strong and unified theme. It is Mellencamp’s best work.
The Fat Angel Sings 