Trouble No More: The Making of a John Mellencamp Album

Trouble No More (2003)

*** (out of 4)

This 53-minute documentary starts off as a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Mellencamp's "Trouble No More" album but towards the end it turns into a political rally. The first portion of the film shows Mellencamp in the studio as he's trying to get the perfect mix for the album. Fans will certainly enjoy this segment as it really gives you a great idea of what it takes to get an album recorded plus it's fun seeing the singer struggle and especially get frustrated when things aren't going well. Those with young kids will probably want to keep them away from this as the singer drops plenty of "F" words throughout. Mellencamp goes over several songs including Trouble No More, Death Letter and The End of the World. We also get to see the recording process on When Teardrops Fall, which fans should really enjoy. The section portion of the documentary centers on the song "To Washington" and all of the political thoughts Mellencamp has on the war and George Bush. I don't mind artists expressing themselves but when it hits the preaching level then it becomes a turn-off and that's exactly what happens here. The song itself can speak for itself but the documentary just starts beating the viewer over the head with its message and it really wasn't needed. Still, fans will want to check this out just for the behind-the-scenes stuff but one wishes the political stuff had been toned down.