john mellencamp / albums

3,631,922 plays
1,084 SHARES
2,509 FAVS
108 fans

- American Fool
- - 189,318 plays
  - 378 favs
  - 5 shares
John Mellencamp
Released 1982

Hurts So Good
03:42
94,611 plays

China Girl
03:34
8,467 plays

Thundering Hearts
03:40
7,677 plays

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songs

- 1
- Hurts So Good
- 03:42
- 94,611 plays

- 2
- Jack & Diane
- 04:16
- 39,044 plays

- 3
- Hand to Hold on To
- 03:25
- 13,120 plays

- 4
- Danger List
- 04:28
- 7,135 plays

- 5
- Can You Take It
- 03:35
- 6,209 plays

- 6
- Thundering Hearts
- 03:40
- 7,677 plays

- 7
- China Girl
- 03:34
- 8,467 plays

- 8
- Close Enough
- 03:38
- 6,477 plays

- 9
- Weakest Moments
- 04:07
- 6,578 plays

album review

John Cougar's first albums were so bereaved of strong material that the lean swagger of American Fool came as a shock. The difference is evident from the opening song, "Hurts So Good," a hard, Stonesy rocker with an irresistibly sleazy hook. Cougar never wrote anything as catchy as this before, nor had his romantic vision of small-town America resonated like it did on "Jack & Diane," a minor and remarkably affecting sketch of dead-end romance. These two songs are the only true keepers on American Fool, but the rest of the record works better than his previous material because his band is tighter than ever before, making his weaker moments convincing. Besides, songs like "Hand to Hold On To" and "China Girl," for all their faults, do indicate that his sense of craft is improving considerably. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide