John Mellencamp (album)

John Mellencamp
Studio album by John Mellencamp
Released	October 6, 1998
Recorded	1998
Genre	Rock
Length	45:56
Label	Columbia
Producer	John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp chronology
The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988 (1997) John Mellencamp (1998) Rough Harvest (1999)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Entertainment Weekly	B[2]
Rolling Stone	[3]

John Mellencamp is the 15th album by American singer-songwriter and musician John Mellencamp, released on October 6, 1998. It was the first of three albums Mellencamp would record for Columbia Records. "On this record, we ended up quite a bit away from where we started," Mellencamp told Guitar World Acoustic in 1998. "Initially, I wanted to make a record that barely had drums on it. Donovan made a record (in 1966), Sunshine Superman, and I wanted to start with that same kind of vibe—Eastern, very grand stories, fairy tales. We ended up with a few Eastern instruments. But everybody prepared to make that record. After the last tour, I gave everybody Sunshine Superman, and I said: 'Listen to this record, because you're going to need to know it.'"

While it is unusual for an artist to release a self-titled album this late in their career, Mellencamp was asked by Columbia Records to self-title his debut album for them to mark a fresh start and a creative rebirth.