Old Enough to Forget

With 1985's Scarecrow John Mellencamp's transition into what would later be known as Americana was complete. When this was sparkly and new it was a little harder to peg. It was definitely rock, with echoes of times gone by and it was at odds with what was currently in fashion. That didn't stop this from being embraced by those who liked rock. For me it was an odd experience. I'd never really been a huge fan, but I had to give the guy props, because when he was good he was untouchable. His previous album had "Pink Houses" which alone was enough to earn my respect. However, with Scarecrow I got my back up, almost immediately after the first time I heard the song "Small Town." In fact I got a bee so far up my ass it coloured everything, and I mean EVERYTHING he was to release after, and even altered my perception of the stuff already out there. I started to think of him as a second tier Bruce Springsteen, and that he was a preening little peacock who su...