Freedom's Road
Encyclopedia
Freedom's Road is an album by American
singer-songwriter
and musician John Mellencamp
, released in 2007. It debuted on the Billboard 200
at number five in late January 2007, becoming the highest debuting album of Mellencamp's career. The song "Our Country" received significant exposure prior to the release of the album, as it was featured in frequently-aired commercials for Chevrolet
trucks. The country band Little Big Town
provides background vocals on eight songs on the album, including "Our Country." Mellencamp intended for Freedom's Road
to have a 1960s rock sound while still remaining contemporary, and he feels that goal was achieved. "We wanted to make sure that it had the same feeling of some of the great songs from the '60s but also had the message of today and had the backbeat of today. I think we came up with a pretty timeless sounding album," Mellencamp told his online radio station in late 2006.
.
Singles - Billboard (America)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and musician John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock that eschews synthesizers and other artificial sounds...
, released in 2007. It debuted on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
at number five in late January 2007, becoming the highest debuting album of Mellencamp's career. The song "Our Country" received significant exposure prior to the release of the album, as it was featured in frequently-aired commercials for Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
trucks. The country band Little Big Town
Little Big Town
Little Big Town is an American country music vocal group. Founded in 1998, the group has comprised the same four members since its inception: Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Jimi Westbrook, and Phillip Sweet. The quartet's musical style relies heavily on four-part vocal harmonies, with all...
provides background vocals on eight songs on the album, including "Our Country." Mellencamp intended for Freedom's Road
Freedom's Road
Freedom's Road is an album by American singer-songwriter and musician John Mellencamp, released in 2007. It debuted on the Billboard 200 at number five in late January 2007, becoming the highest debuting album of Mellencamp's career...
to have a 1960s rock sound while still remaining contemporary, and he feels that goal was achieved. "We wanted to make sure that it had the same feeling of some of the great songs from the '60s but also had the message of today and had the backbeat of today. I think we came up with a pretty timeless sounding album," Mellencamp told his online radio station in late 2006.
Track listing
All songs written by John MellencampJohn Mellencamp
John Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock that eschews synthesizers and other artificial sounds...
.
- "Someday" – 3:08
- "Ghost Towns Along the Highway" – 4:40
- "The Americans" – 5:11
- "Forgiveness" – 4:30
- "Freedom's Road" – 4:19
- "Jim Crow" – 3:22
- "Our Country" – 3:47
- "Rural Route" – 3:08
- "My Aeroplane" – 4:41
- "Heaven Is a Lonely Place" – 4:32
- "Rodeo Clown" [hidden track after several minutes of silence] – 4:25
Personnel
- John Mellencamp – vocals, guitar
- Dane Clark – drums, percussion
- John Gunnell – bass
- Troye Kinnett – keyboards
- Miriam Sturm – violin
- Mike Wanchic – guitars, vocals
- Andy York – guitars, vocals, flute-a-phone
Charts
Album - Billboard (America)| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| February 10, 2007 | The Billboard 200 | 5 |
Singles - Billboard (America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "Our Country" | Hot Country Songs | 39 |
| 2006 | "Our Country" | Billboard Hot 100 | 88 |
| 2007 | "Our Country" | Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 16 |
| 2007 | "The Americans" | Hot Country Songs | 55 |
External links
- Official website
- Freedom's Road Reviews at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...