LA Times: Plain Spoken: From the Chicago Theatre Available Thursday on Netflix

John Mellencamp brings a particularly strong outing from his recent, acclaimed “Plain Spoken” tour to Netflix, singing songs that span his entire career, from the pop hits of the ’80s to his more recent experiments with old-fashioned Americana. But there’s a twist here that sets it apart from other concert films: Throughout the performance, Mellencamp is heard in voice-over, telling stories about his childhood and his early adventures in the music business. It takes a song or two to adjust to hearing what amounts to a DVD commentary track for a rock ’n’ roll show, but soon the star’s singing voice and speaking voice become an engaging duet, revealing the deeper meanings and motivations behind a great singer-songwriter’s work.