''The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988'' is the first

greatest hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...

by American singer-songwriter

John Mellencamp John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrument ...

, released by

Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it is ...

in 1997 (see

1997 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997. Specific locations * 1997 in British music * 1997 in Norwegian music Specific genres * 1997 in classical music * 1997 in country music * 1997 in heavy metal music * ...

). It compiles Mellencamp's most popular material recorded during his first decade with

Riva Riva may refer to: People * Riva (surname) * Riva Castleman (1930–2014), American art historian, art curator and author * Riva Ganguly Das (born 1961), Indian diplomat * Riva (footballer), Brazilian former footballer Rivadávio Alves Pereira ...

and

, beginning with 1978's '' A Biography'', up through 1987's ''

The Lonesome Jubilee ''The Lonesome Jubilee'' is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter John Mellencamp, credited as John Cougar Mellencamp. The album was released by Mercury Records on August 24, 1987 (see 1987 in music). Four singles were released fro ...

'', with a new recording of

Terry Reid Terrance James Reid (born 13 November 1949) is an English rock vocalist and guitarist. He has performed with high-profile musicians, as a supporting act, session musician, and sideman. Biography Reid was born in Paxton Park Maternity Home, L ...

's "Without Expression". Mellencamp picked the songs for the album and also came up with the title for the album. The album reached No. 33 on the ''Billboard'' 200. This album and '' Rough Harvest'' came about because, after leaving Mercury Records for

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

, Mellencamp still owed the label two more albums.

Reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...

of AllMusic.com said that the album's title was suitable and while it did not include all of Mellencamp's hits, it is a good summary of Mellencamp's "remarkably consistent" work.

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

described it as the best of John Mellencamp, which to him is not saying much. ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'' gave the album a "B" rating, describing it as "uncomplicated but sophisticated."

Track listing

Original release

Japanese edition

The version released in Japan features two additional songs ("Miami" and a cover of "Under the Boardwalk," tracks 2 and 15, respectively), and places "Lonely Ol' Night" before "Authority Song".

Personnel

Adapted from the album's liner notes. *

(a.k.a. "Little Bastard" on some tracks) – vocals, guitar, songwriter, producer * Larry Crane – guitars, harmonica,

background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are used ...

, flutophone *Tom Knowles – drums on "I Need a Lover" *Robert "Ferd" Frank – bass, background vocals on "I Need a Lover" *Brian Bekvar – keyboards on "I Need a Lover" *

John Punter John Punter (born 27 January 1949) is a former English record producer and recording engineer. He has worked with many bands and musicians, such as Japan, Procol Harum, Roxy Music, Doctors of Madness, Sad Café and Slade. His career in music span ...

– producer,

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

on "I Need a Lover" *

Rick Shlosser Rick Shlosser is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music. He has been a member of Van Morrison's band and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. He's also been a varied sessions drummer. Discography 1970s * Andy Pratt - ''Records Are Like Life'' (1 ...

– drums on "Ain't Even Done with the Night" *Mike Wanchic – guitars, background vocals; producer on "Without Expression" *

Kenny Aronoff Kenny Aronoff (born March 7, 1953) is an American session drummer. Early life Aronoff grew up in Stockbridge, Massachusetts He developed an interest in music at an early age and gravitated to the drums as "drumming was one hundred percent ene ...

– vibes on "Ain't Even Done with the Night", drums, background vocals,

hammer dulcimer The hammered dulcimer (also called the hammer dulcimer) is a percussion-stringed instrument which consists of strings typically stretched over a trapezoidal resonant sound board. The hammered dulcimer is set before the musician, who in more trad ...

*Eric Rosser – keyboards *

Steve Cropper Steven Lee Cropper (born October 21, 1941), sometimes known as "The Colonel", is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, which backed artists such as Ot ...

– producer on "Ain't Even Done with the Night" *

Bruce Robb Bruce Robb is an American musician, record producer, engineer, and music supervisor. He is most recognized for his time as a member of " The Robbs" during the 1960s, then as a founder of Cherokee Studios in the 1970s; followed by decades of pro ...

– engineer on "Ain't Even Done with the Night" * Dee Robb – engineer on "Ain't Even Done with the Night" *

George "Chocolate" Perry George Wesly Perry (born 1953), known professionally as "Chocolate Perry" is an American bassist, songwriter and producer. Perry has worked with the Bee Gees, John Cougar, Jon Secada, Stephen Stills, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Al Kooper, D ...

– bass on "Hurts So Good" *Dave Parman – background vocals on "Hurts So Good" *

Don Gehman Don Gehman is an American record producer, engineer, and executive, best known for his work with John Mellencamp and Hootie & the Blowfish. He was one of "the most successful producers of the 1980s and 1990s." As a sound engineer, he also helped ...

– producer/engineer on "Hurts So Good" thru "Check It Out" *George Tutko – engineer on "Hurts So Good" *

Mick Ronson Michael Ronson (26 May 1946 – 29 April 1993) was an English musician, songwriter, arranger, and producer. He achieved critical and commercial success working with David Bowie as the guitarist of the Spiders from Mars. He was a session music ...

– guitar and background vocals on "Jack and Diane" *Toby Myers – bass, background vocals *Carroll Sue Hill – keyboards, background vocals *Greg Edward – engineer *David Thoener – engineer on "Pink Houses" *Sarah Flint – background vocals on "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A." *John Cascella – keyboards,

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...

Lisa Germano Lisa Ruth Germano (born June 27, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Indiana. Her album '' Geek the Girl'' (1994) was chosen as a top album of the 1990s by ''Spin'' magazine. She began her career as a violinist ...

– violin *Pat Peterson – background vocals *

Crystal Taliefero Crystal Taliefero-Pratt (née Taliefero) is an American multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. Taliefero grew up with a musical family, performing rhythm and blues with her brother in the Chicago metropolitan area. During her college years she was ...

– background vocals *Dane Clark – drums on "Without Expression" *Miriam Sturm – violin on "Without Expression" *Andy York – guitars, background vocals on "Without Expression" *Moe Z – keyboards, background vocals on "Without Expression" *Corsillo/Manzobe-Design Monsters –

art direction Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and unify the visi ...

*Paul Jasmin – photography

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Best That I Could Do 1978-1988, The 1997 greatest hits albums John Mellencamp compilation albums Albums produced by Don Gehman Albums produced by Steve Cropper Mercury Records compilation albums