Words and Music: John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits (2004) 


 

Disc One
  1. Walk Tall
  2. Pink Houses
  3. Lonely Ol' Night
  4. Jackie Brown
  5. Rain on the Scarecrow
  6. Love and Happiness
  7. Check it Out
  8. Peaceful World
  9. Paper in Fire
  10.Your Life is Now
  11.Human Wheels
  12.When Jesus Left Birmingham
  13.Authority Song
  14.What if I Came Knocking
  15.Crumblin' Down
  16.Small Town
  17.R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.
  18.Cherry Bomb
  19.Pop Singer
  
Disc Two
  1. Thank You
  2. Martha Say
  3. Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)
  4. Hand to Hold On To
  5. I Need a Lover
  6. Hurts So Good
  7. Get a Leg Up
  8. Wild Night
  9. Dance Naked
  10.Teardrops Will Fall
  11.Ain't Even Done With the Night
  12.Just Another Day
  13.Jack and Diane
  14.Rumble Seat
  15.I'm Not Running Anymore
  16.Again Tonight
  17.This Time
  18.Now More Than Ever

 

It took nearly a decade after The Best That I Could Do for Mellencamp’s label to give his greatest hits treatment another go—and when they did, they certainly didn’t hold back. Words & Music is a two-disc, 37-track retrospective that covers a whopping 25 years of music, stretching all the way from the early “Cougar” days through his more mature, introspective later work. It’s a massive set, and while not every song hits with the same weight, it more than accomplishes what a collection like this is supposed to do.

Unlike the first compilation, which focused almost exclusively on his commercial peak, this one takes a broader view. That means plenty of familiar classics—Jack and Diane, Pink Houses, Small Town—but also a healthy dose of later material that didn’t exactly light up the charts, even if it holds up just fine on its own. In that sense, Words & Music functions as both an introduction and a deeper dive. Casual fans might be surprised by how much they recognize, while longtime listeners will appreciate how the set tracks his evolution as a songwriter.

There are a few new songs included as well—Walk Tall and Thank You—but neither add much to the legacy. They’re not bad, just not particularly memorable. That said, they’re harmless inclusions, and don’t take away from the overall value. Inevitably, a collection this large is going to have a bit of filler, and there are moments where the sequencing feels more chronological than purposeful. But for anyone looking to get the full picture of Mellencamp’s career in one package, this is about as comprehensive as it gets. It’s not quite as lean or focused as The Best That I Could Do, but it fills in the gaps and reminds us just how much ground this guy has covered.

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