Paperback / softback
May 31, 2022
9780813195568
English
302
9.00 Inches (US)
6.00 Inches (US)
.9 Pounds (US)
$27.95 USD, £20.50 GBP
v2.1 Reference
Electronic book text
May 31, 2022
9780813195582
9780813195568
English
302
9.00 Inches (US)
6.00 Inches (US)
$27.95 USD, £20.50 GBP
v2.1 Reference
Electronic book text
May 31, 2022
9780813195575
9780813195568
English
302
9.00 Inches (US)
6.00 Inches (US)
$27.95 USD, £20.50 GBP
v2.1 Reference

Mellencamp, updated edition

American Troubadour

John Mellencamp's numerous hits, awards, and recognitions—including his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame—puts him in such celebrated company as Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, and Bob Dylan. In Mellencamp, David Masciotra explores the life and career of this important talent, persuasively arguing for his space among the most distinguished songwriters of our time.

Beginning with Mellencamp's modest start in Seymour, Indiana, Masciotra details the artist's road to fame, examines his struggles with the music industry, and celebrates the success he found by remaining true to his midwestern roots. With themes that range from small-town life, race, and religion to poverty and the struggles of adulthood, Mellencamp's songs remain central to the social and historical context of contemporary America. Acting as an artistic archivist, he has never forgotten the hardships faced by workers and Black Americans, and in line with his tributes to 1960s rock and Americana folk, he tells a story his audience and his country need to hear.

From a cultural critic whose work has also appeared in the Washington Post, Atlantic, and Los Angeles Review of Books, this thoughtful analysis—now with a new foreword describing the author's interview with Mellencamp at his private recording studio in Nashville, Indiana—highlights four decades of the artist's music, showing how it has consistently elevated the dignity of everyday people, and spanned the genres of folk, soul, and rock and roll to amplify the struggle of democracy.

About the Author

David Masciotra is a journalist and art critic who has written for numerous publications, including Salon, the Progressive, and No Depression. He teaches at Indiana University Northwest and is the author of I Am Somebody: Why Jesse Jackson Matters.

Reviews

"All readers will enjoy Masciotra's rich writing style, and learn from the impressive array of supporting material he brings to bear on the song lyrics."—Indiana Magazine of History

"This first serious biography of the legendary musician will charm fans and music enthusiasts who are interested in the development of roots rock and Americana music."—

University Press of Kentucky
updated edition

 

9780813195568 : mellencamp-2nd-edition-masciotra
Paperback / softback
302 Pages
$27.95 USD
9780813195582 : mellencamp-2nd-edition-masciotra
Electronic book text
302 Pages
$27.95 USD
9780813195575 : mellencamp-2nd-edition-masciotra
Electronic book text
302 Pages
$27.95 USD

Other Titles by David Masciotra

Mellencamp

David Masciotra
Apr 2015 - University Press of Kentucky
$35.00 USD - Hardback
$35.00 USD - Electronic book text
$35.00 USD - Electronic book text

Other Titles in BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Music

Queens of Afrobeat

Dotun Ayobade
Mar 2024 - Indiana University Press
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Yves Montand

Joseph Harriss
Jan 2024 - University Press of Kentucky
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$30.00 USD - Electronic book text
$60.00 USD - Electronic book text

Schubert's Instrumental Music and Poetics of Interpretation

René Rusch
Nov 2023 - Indiana University Press
$75.00 USD - Hardback
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Other Titles in Biography: arts & entertainment

Simone Forti

Ann Cooper Albright
Mar 2025 - Wesleyan University Press
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Harry Dean Stanton

Joseph B. Atkins
Aug 2023 - University Press of Kentucky
$40.00 USD - Hardback
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$34.95 USD - Electronic book text

Katherine Jackson French

Elizabeth DiSavino, OtherCentenary College of Louisiana Archives and Special Collections, Berea College Special Collections and Archives, Hindman Settlement School, A.J. Bodnar
Feb 2023 - University Press of Kentucky
$50.00 USD - Hardback
$30.00 USD - Paperback / softback