BY MIKE METTLER – MARCH 26, 2018

“Try to keep it as plain spoken as possible.” Those are some of the first words you’ll hear in John Mellencamp’s Plain Spoken: From The Chicago Theatre, which is set for release by Eagle Rock Entertainment on May 11, 2018 on Blu-ray+CD, DVD+CD (shown at right), and digital formats.

A self-narrated musical journey, Plain Spoken encapsulates the sound and soul of John Mellencamp. Stepping outside the boundaries of a concert film or documentary, Plain Spoken blends highly personal voiceovers from Mellencamp with live footage of him performing with his full band at the historic Chicago Theatre, about 250 miles from his native Indiana. Here, Mellencamp tells the story of his Midwestern upbringing as well as the trials, turns, and triumphs of his career, and his overall outlook on life while the accompanying music supports his stories.

In addition to presenting the full film with Mellencamp’s commentary, Plain Spoken offers a “non-commentary” option (available in the Main Menu) in which viewers can watch the concert on its own. Both the Blu-ray and DVD physical format options also come with a companion CD. The Plain Spoken set, which includes special guest Carlene Carter, showcases Mellencamp performing many of his most cherished songs. “Small Town,” “Minutes to Memories,” “Pop Singer,” “Cherry Bomb,” “Longest Days,” “Authority Song,” and “Pink Houses” are just some of the gems cherrypicked from his extensive catalog.

Mellencamp looks ahead, as always. Photo by Mark Hauser.

The SoundBard had the great honor to sit down with John Mellencamp in person in New York City on May 2, 2017 to discuss the arc of his career and his brilliant 2017 studio release, Sad Clowns & Hillbillies. “We were just doing what we do,” Mellencamp told me of the natural progression of his music. “I did an interview with somebody recently who said, ‘Now that you’re leaning country,’ and I said, ‘Whoa. I’m not ‘leaning country.’ I was f—ing doing this before these guys were born. Country has finally caught up to me.” I hate to sound like Little Richard in an interview, but I was doing it before those guys.” You can read our interview in full right here.

With a career spanning more than four decades, John Mellencamp has seen his artistic C.V. shift from pop star to one of the most highly respected songwriters of his generation. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame and recipient of “The Souls of the People” John Steinbeck Award, Mellencamp will next be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 14, 2018. Mellencamp has charter 22 Top 40 hits over his storied career, and Plain Spoken: From The Chicago Theatre serves as a fine cinematic experience that offers a welcoming, intimate glimpse into his words and wisdom.

JOHN MELLENCAMP: PLAIN SPOKEN – FROM THE CHICAGO THEATRE
TRACK LISTING

1. Lawless Times
2. Troubled Man
3. Minutes To Memories
4. Small Town
5. Stones In My Passway
6. Pop Singer
7. Check It Out
8. Longest Days
9. The Full Catastrophe
10. My Soul’s Got Wings
11. Overture
12. Rain On The Scarecrow
13. Paper In Fire
14. Authority Song
15. Pink Houses
16. Cherry Bomb