Don't expect a little ditty about Jack and Diane on Life, Death, Love & Freedom . Mellencamp throws away the catchy hooks which made him famous and opted for a dark and depressing bluesy folk album which laments the end of the road. Yet, when listening to Life Death, Love & Freedom , I can't help but think about the lyrics to "Jack and Diane". Mellencamp had seemed to realize how dismal life would become with older age. Hold on to sixteen as long as you can Changes comin ' round real soon Make us women and men Maybe he doesn't note how bad life would become but he obviously sees that changes are coming. Hopefully, Mellencamp enjoyed his younger years, because his current outlook on life is bitter and grim. Old age isn't all that bad though, for one it brings a raspy voice perfect for howling the blues. Secondly, it brings the maturity and wisdom to look at life the way it truly is. Mellencamp luckily takes advantage of both. Aside from all the loathing of personal anguish, Mellencamp also tosses in some social messages, the best example of this is the song "Jena", about the Jena six incident. The song is very powerful as is the entire album. Mellencamp delivers sincerity and despair on Life, Death, Love & Freedom . In all honesty, this may be the strongest album of his career. It is stripped down music without any drive to be radio friendly and it works. The songs are folky yet melodic and Mellencamp's emotions are so powerful and clear. ...
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