On The Rural Route 7609 Now Released
Click HERE for full sized cover
While On The Rural Route 7609 offers a wealth of well-known material, a significant number of the tracks included are less familiar but equally compelling, especially in terms of providing an in-depth picture of Mellencamp's spectrum of creativity. The concept behind the four “albums” of the collection is to give long-term Mellencamp fans and newer listeners alike, a more complete and insightful view of the artist's role as a writer and artist whose catalog of songs and recordings resound with substance and nuance.
The songs selected reflect the artist’s pop idol origins through his ascent to the ranks of America’s most respected and socially active writers and performers. On The Rural Route 7609 offers 17 tracks previously unreleased on any John Mellencamp CD including guest readings of Mellencamp’s lyrics by Academy Award® winning actress Joanne Woodward and best selling author/educator Dr. Cornel West. The discs are packaged within a 72-page book that includes an exhaustive essay and comprehensive track-by-track annotation by award-winning writer Anthony DeCurtis. His marathon interviews with Mellencamp were conducted in Bloomington, IN where DeCurtis, coincidentally, earned his PhD in American literature at Indiana University. Mellencamp tells the story behind each of the songs included in the set and there's a scholarly introductory essay by DeCurtis as well. The package, a truly lavish assemblage, includes rare and evocative photos printed on heavy stock that make On The Rural Route 7609 a distinctive set of albums, in the sense that albums -- as originally conceived in earlier times -- are cohesive collections of music.
On The Rural Route 7609 Amazon.com YouTube Preview
While such Mellencamp hits including “Rain On The Scarecrow,” “Jack and Diane,” “Jackie Brown,” “Pink Houses,” “Your Life Is Now,” “Our Country” are presented, less familiar songs as well as demos for “Cherry Bomb,” “Authority Song” and other recordings serve to chronicle the maturation of Mellencamp as both an artist and songwriter over the years. As quoted by DeCurtis in the 4500 word introductory essay included in the package, he explains, “We tried to make it like a process of discovery, that perhaps somebody could listen to this set and discover these songs.” Material from early works through his most recently released album, Life Death Love and Freedom which Time Magazine called his "best in a decade" and Rolling Stone ranked #5 in its listing of 50 best albums of the year, gives the listener an opportunity to consider more than 30 years of Mellencamp's output in a musically coherent manner.
The title of the package is reflective of Mellencamp’s continuing role as a troubadour who conveys the hopes, heartbreak and realities of the heartland – that part of the country that politicians are wont to call “the real America,” a divisive jab that is at odds with Mellencamp’s true themes. Per DeCurtis, “..the set takes its title from a scarifying murder ballad on Freedom’s Road, ‘Rural Route.’"
Mellencamp explained to DeCurtis “I started making records in ’76, and the most recent track on the collection was done in ‘09. So Rural Route 7609; it’s like an address. I thought it sounded cool.”
Adds DeCurtis, “It does. But, more important, for anyone interested in finding the real John Mellencamp, this is where he’s been, and where he lives.” On The Rural Route 7609 is a musical journey that sheds new light on an American musician who, as both a songwriter and social activist, has never rested on his laurels or past accomplishments.
On The Rural Route 7609 Tracklisting:
| Disc 1 1. Longest Days 2. Grandma’s Theme 3. Rural Route 4. Jackie Brown 5. Rain On The Scarecrow 6. * Jim Crow with Cornell West 7. Jim Crow 8. Big Daddy Of Them All 9. Deep Blue Heart 10. Forgiveness 11. Don’t Need This Body 12. * Jenny At 16 13. * Jack And Diane (writing demo) 14. Jack And Diane |
Disc 2 1. * The Real Life with Joanne Woodward 2. Ghost Towns Along The Highway 3. The Full Catastrophe 4. * Authority Song (writing demo) 5. Troubled Land 6. To Washington 7. * Our Country (alternate version) 8. Country Gentlemen 9. Freedom’s Road 10. * Mr. Bellows (remix) 11. Rodeo Clown 12. Love And Happiness 13. Pink Houses |
| Disc 3 1. If I Die Sudden (live) 2. Someday 3. Between A Laugh And A Tear 4. * Void In My Heart (acoustic version recorded at Chess Studios) 5. Death Letter 6. * Sugar Marie (acoustic) 7. Theo And Weird Henry 8. When Jesus Left Birmingham 9. * L.U.V. (remix) 10. Thank You 11. Women Seem 12. * The World Don’t Bother Me None 13. * Cherry Bomb (writing demo) 14. * Someday The Rains Will Fall 15. A Ride Back Home |
Disc 4 1. My Aeroplane 2. * Colored Lights 3. Just Like You 4. Young Without Lovers 5. * To M.G. (Wherever She May Be) (acoustic) 6. Sweet Evening Breeze 7. What If I Came Knocking 8. County Fair 9. * Peaceful World (writing demo) 10. Your Life Is Now 11. For The Children 12. * Rural Route (acoustic) |
Preview the On The Rural Route 7609 Book
While viewing, use the tool on the top left to forward it to your friends to check out or post it on your Facebook/Twitter pages to help spread the word about John and his music! Learn more about how to spread the word about the box set.
Listen to On The Rural Route 7609 Online:
Order On The Rural Route 7609 Online:
Amazon.com On-line Store
Mellencamp.com Store
Amazon.com MP3+Digital Booklet Download
iTunes Download (includes digital version of the book)
Special Mellencamp.com Store Promotion: The Official Mellencamp Store is offering a 25% discount on all Mellencamp concert merchandise purchased with the set! Use our special code in the shopping cart (Promo Code: RuralBoxSet) at checkout to get the concert merch discount. Note that third party items listed in the store but sold on other sites (i.e. books & CD's) do not qualify for the discount.
Click HERE for full sized image.
