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(More customer reviews)Mellencamp took his romantic fascination with the heartland to the max with "The Lonesome Jubilee". Lyrically, he doesn't really break any new ground here: The album is dominated by social commentary and vivid narritives of the life of the regular American. However, the quality of the songs is remarkable and John brings in a variety of instruments that you rarely hear on a "rock n roll" record. From the opening accordion and dobro guitar riffs of *Paper In Fire*, "Jubilee" is mostly upbeat. Songs like *Down And Out*, *The Real Life*, *Hard Times For An Honest Man* roll along passionatly. Mellencamp brings in a strident working class anthem in *We Are The People* and also a few deep, melancholy stories with *Empty Hands* and *Hotdogs and Hamburgers*. You can almost feel the despair of the characters in the songs when John uses words like "Oh lord, what did I do to deserve these empty hands" or "My daddy's always drunk, my mom's a babysitter, and I don't like the Russians cause I hear they hate me". On the other hand, the carefree *Rooty Toot Toot* breathes a little Mellencampesque comedy into the record. Finally, there's two songs on here that are worth the admission price alone. Listen for the beautifull fiddle work on the nostalgic *Cherry Bomb*. With its catchy accordion hook, building melody, and crafty lyrics, *Check It Out* is probably Mellencamp's finest song! All in all, "The Lonesome Jubilee" is a fantastic recording, where John Mellencamp, Middle American ambassador that he is, is at the top of his game. The eclectic instrumentation, the themes, and the emotions in these songs will blow you away!
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