John Cougar Mellencamp
Cuttin' Heads

Published in 2001, "Cuttin' Heads" is a piece with a profound social connotation. An adventurous album in which John Mellencamp is unafraid to bare his populist and democratic soul, constantly in dispute with the high political institutions that govern the life of his beloved and vast country. "Cuttin' Heads" has a frankness and underlying honesty that is hard to find elsewhere. The former Cougar is not afraid to expose himself personally and is indifferent to the consequences of his thoughts, which are the offspring and memories of the Guthrie and, consequently, Dylan traditions. It is for this reason that the lyrics of this courageous album narrate of an America besieged by social problems, false illusions, lack of love, and loss of ideals. These are typical subjects and themes in Mellencamp's production, who, also in this case, chooses uncomfortable positions driven by a great sense of human, social, and artistic awareness.

"I'm not a preacher but just a singer, boy, and I still see a lot of work to be done." That's how John sings in "Peaceful World", one of the standout songs of "Cuttin' Heads". A song of great depth and against hypocrisy, set to a melody to be framed, destined to rightfully enter among his best compositions ever. A track that might already be an explicit declaration of intent if it weren't preceded by the incredible title track, a song in which Mellencamp masterfully blends Stones riffs, black music, and Public Enemy's rap thanks to the presence of Chuck D, co-author of a piece against racism and racial discrimination. Just these two compositions would be enough to make "Cuttin' Heads" a precious entry in Little Bastard's discography, but fortunately, this album with a rough, dirty, vital, and uncompromising sound offers nothing but great music throughout its duration, which in its varied solutions happily intertwines folk, country, blues, reggae, and naturally rock, in a clever and evocative crossover. While the successful duet with country singer Trisha Yearwood in the profound ballad "Deep Blue Heart" leaves one breathless, the wild Jamaican rhythm of the unusual "Shy" surprises and expands John Mellencamp's sonic horizons. Horizons that, in terms of themes, remain, as already mentioned, firmly connected to the situation of American society as evidenced by the enjoyable "Crazy Island", "Women Seem", and "Worn Out Nervous Condition" — the latter two fairly anonymous when compared to the meditative "Just Like You", with a typical Mellencamp-like progression, and the priceless blues-rock of "The Same Way I Do". These compositions rank among Mellencamp's all-time best thanks to the grit and underlying restlessness that characterizes them. Moreover, the feelings and moods present in the individual tracks are highlighted by classic-style production, never redundant, which at times gives "Cuttin' Heads" a rural setting, as happens in the concluding "In Our Lives".

Finally, it is worth noting the exceptional use, in several pieces of the album, of female backing vocals that imbue the various tracks with additional feeling, soul, and groove. Tracks that make "Cuttin' Heads" yet another precious episode in John Mellencamp's discography. An artist who, in every work, does not fear exposing the problems and contradictions of his great nation.