John Mellencamp

On the opening track of his 20th album, Mellencamp muses, "Sometimes you get sick/ And you don't get better." It's that kind of attitude that permeates Life Death Love and Freedom, an album that could be considered his The Ghost of Tom Joad. The tracks range from mournful acoustic tunes to muted folk-rock. Thematically, Mellencamp keeps it on the dark end of the street, dealing with topics like mortality and racism. This 2009 reissue also includes Mellencamp's accompanying live album, Life Death Live and Freedom.