There are those who consider Bruce Springsteen to be the All-American rocker. Well, my money's on John Mellencamp. He has consistently represented American ideals and values, and created rock which reflects the roots of this country far better then Springsteen ever did. His rugged and uncompromising individualism and drive are so typically American, and yet they are him. Words and Music is his latest release, a 2 CD retrospective that captures much of his best work and a couple new songs. With his upcoming show at the Metro Centre, this might be a great time to pick up the release to catch up on this exceptionally talented artist.

As well known as the name Mellencamp is these days, it seems strange to realize that there were those who doubted that anyone with that name could ever succeed in the music business. It was for this reason that in 1976 when he received the vinyl of his first record, he found out that manager Tony DeFries had (without his knowledge or consent) changed Mellencamp's name for his releases to "Johnny Cougar". He didn't believe that John Mellencamp was a name that would be embraced by the music-loving public. Unfortunately, this name would be stuck to the artist for quite some time. It wasn't until his 1982 album American Fool became a success that he was able to add his actual last name to his professional work. Starting with the follow up, 1983's Uh Huh, he was called "John Cougar Mellencamp". While he had the name in place, he didn't have one thing he really wanted - respect. At that time Mellencamp was considered a pop rocker with no real power, intensity or social importance to his work. He knew that he was capable of more and set out to prove it. One thing that has been shown about the man is that when he wants something, he works to get it, and such was the case with that respect. When he released Scarecrow just two years later, it was filled with strong musical and social themes, and a great slice of rural Midwestern life. The critics ate it up. From that point forward all his releases have been taken with the serious attitude that he wants them to be greeted. That's not to say that his music isn't fun, because it is - it's just not throwaway pop.

That's the story of Mellencamp, but perhaps the better gauge of the artist is to listen to his music, and there may be no better starting point than the fine compilation Words and Music. After all, shouldn't his words and music tell the tale? Usually when an artist releases a collection like this it's sort of hit and miss. Some of the material seems crucial; others could have been thrown away. This one is an exception to that rule. Truly, there isn't a track on here that shouldn't be there. That speaks at least as much to the quality of Mellencamp's catalog as it does to the selection process involved. There certainly could have been other songs added that would have fit as well, but you certainly can't put every song that he released onto the set. The two new tracks are "Walk Tall" and "Thank You" and both were recorded with background vocal contributions from Babyface. Rather than create a chronological compilation, Mellencamp instead chose to group these songs based on their themes. You can rock out to songs like "I Need a Lover", "Authority Song", and "Hurts So Good". You can also tune into his more socially conscious works like "Rain on the Scarecrow" and "Peaceful World" (a duet with India Arie). The truth be told all the moods of Mellencamp are captured here, from good time rocker, to caring folker to small town living country tinged heartland hero to soulful balladeer. With 38 songs in all (digitally remastered and covering a span of 14 albums) and a bonus DVD with five videos, all for the price most artists charge for a single CD, you really can't go wrong with this one. It includes 22 tracks that were top 40 hits - no wonder you remember them. All in all, this is one of the best collections of its kind, truly capturing the words and music of a quintessential American artist.