The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988

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The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988
Greatest hits by John Mellencamp
Released	November 18, 1997
Recorded	1977-1987, 1997
Genre	Rock
Length	58:42
Label	Mercury Records
Producer	John Mellencamp John Punter Steve Cropper Don Gehman Mike Wanchic
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link
John Mellencamp chronology
Mr. Happy Go Lucky (1996) The Best That I Could Do 1978-1988 (1997) John Mellencamp (1998)

Released after John Mellencamp signed with Columbia Records, The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988 is Mellencamp's first hits album. It compiles Mellencamp's most popular material recorded during his first decade with Riva and Mercury Records, beginnig with 1978's A Biography, up through 1987's The Lonesome Jubilee, with a new recording of Terry Reid's "Without Expression."

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by John Mellencamp, except where noted.

1. "I Need a Lover" — 5:37
   • (from A Biography, 1978)
2. "Ain't Even Done with the Night" — 4:38
   • (from Nothin' Matters And What If It Did, 1980)
3. "Hurts So Good" (Mellencamp/Green) — 3:39
   • (from American Fool, 1982)
4. "Jack and Diane" — 4:15
   • (from American Fool, 1982)
5. "Crumblin' Down" (Mellencamp/Green) — 3:35
   • (from Uh-Huh, 1983)
6. "Pink Houses" — 4:44
   • (from Uh-Huh, 1983)
7. "Authority Song" — 3:49
   • (from Uh-Huh, 1983)
8. "Lonely Ol' Night" — 3:45
   • (from Scarecrow, 1985)
9. "Small Town" — 3:40
   • (from Scarecrow, 1985)
10. "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A." — 2:55
    • (from Scarecrow, 1985)
11. "Paper In Fire" — 3:51
    • (from The Lonesome Jubilee, 1987)
12. "Cherry Bomb" — 4:49
    • (from The Lonesome Jubilee, 1987)
13. "Check It Out" — 4:20
    • (from The Lonesome Jubilee, 1987)
14. "Without Expression" (Terry Reid) — 5:05
    • (from The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988, 1997)

[edit] Personnel on "Without Expression"

• John Mellencamp — vocals, guitar
• Dane Clark — drums
• Toby Myers — bass, background vocals
• Miriam Sturm — violin
• Mike Wanchic — background vocals
• Andy York — guitars, background vocals
• Moe Z M.D. — keyboards, background vocals

v • d • e John Mellencamp Studio Albums Chestnut Street Incident · The Kid Inside · A Biography · John Cougar · Nothin' Matters And What If It Did · American Fool · Uh-Huh · Scarecrow · The Lonesome Jubilee · Big Daddy · Whenever We Wanted · Human Wheels · Dance Naked · Mr. Happy Go Lucky · John Mellencamp · Rough Harvest · Cuttin' Heads · Trouble No More · Freedom's Road · Life, Death, Love and Freedom Compilations The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988 · Words & Music: John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits