Jackson Browne and John Cougar Mellendingle or whatever the hell his name is.....now, they suck.
Politically, Jackson Browne is lobotomized. But I can’t totally write off a good share of his early music, especially songs like “The Pretender”.
John Cougar’s early stuff (btween 1980 and 1984) was pretty good. Then he, like many artists, became overly impressed with himself. He did a song back in ‘81 called “This Time” that remains one of my favorites. I think you can listen to the song on youtube.
Yep, they’re worse than Springsteen for sure.
I am not a fan of either's politics (I can't believe that almost thirty years of safety after Three Mile Island, Browne's still against nuclear energy), but they have had their shining moments.
Mellencamp's breakthrough Cougar-era track "I Need a Lover" is IMHO one of the greatest pop-rock songs ever (the album cut has the terrific intro). Magnificent drumming. And what lonely man hasn't dreamed of "some woman to thrill me, and then go away"? (Remember, this was written at least fifteen years before AOL.) Jackson Browne's "Running On Empty" was my favorite all-time song for years, and to think that was a live recording.
Where is David Lindley nowadays? He is missed.