DESCRIPTION Having been signed by impresario and former Bowie manager Tony Defries in the mid-late 1970s, Johnny Cougar set about recording the wealth of original compositions and cover versions that would comprise both his debut album, ‘Chestnut Street Incident’ and the later ‘Kid Inside’ (released after the commercial breakthrough ‘American Fool’ LP). Under Defries’ tutelage, Cougar’s trademark blue collar, heartland rock identity began to take shape, making this compilation a vital study in the formative years of a future star and icon.

Including songs originally recorded by Bowie, Roy Orbison, Ray Charles, Elvis and The Doors, alongside fantastic original compositions, and featuring previously unreleased material long thought lost, ‘American Dream’ pulls together both albums recorded during the period alongside the non-album ‘US Male’ EP and ten previously unheard demos, early mixes, alternate versions and the near-mythical electro funk of ‘I Just Wanna Be Black’.

Complete with insightful new sleevenotes and previously unseen imagery from the MainMan archive, ‘American Dream’ is a must for the Cougar’s established fanbase, and a long-overdue insight into the beginnings of a career which continues to endure.

• 2CD SET COMPILING THE FIRST PHASE OF JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP’S REMARKABLE CAREER.
• TWO CLASSIC ALBUMS, RARE BONUS TRACKS AND TEN PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED RECORDINGS!
• ALSO INCLUDES THE NEVER-BEFORE-ON-CD ‘US Male’ EP.
• PRODUCED IN CONJUNCTION WITH MAINMAN.
• FEATURING NEW INTERVIEWS WITH TONY DEFRIES AND PREVIOUSLY UNSEEN IMAGERY. CD 1 - Chestnut Street Incident / U.S. Male EP / Skin It Back Pt. 1 / Album Out-Takes
American Dream
Oh Pretty Woman
Jailhouse Rock
Dream Killing Town
Supergirl
Chestnut Street
Good Girls
Do You Believe In Magic?
Twentieth Century Fox
Chestnut Street Revisited
Sad Lady
2000 A.D.
Lou-ser
Hot Man
Kicks (Gulcher Version)
Skin It Back (Acoustic Version)
The Man Who Sold The World
Little Heroes
Hit The Road Jack
Kicks
Jailhouse Rock (Demo Mix/Alternate Guitar Solo)*
Chestnut Street (Alternate Version #1)*
Chestnut Street (Alternate Version #2)*
Sad Lady (Alternate Mix/Alternate Vocal)*
The Man Who Sold The World (Early Version)*
Little Heroes (Early Version)*
CD 2 - The Kid Inside / Skin It Back Pt. 2 / Album Out-Takes
Kid Inside
Take What You Want
Cheap Shot
Sidewalks And Streetlight
R. Gang
American Son
Gearhead
Young Genocides
Too Young To Live
Survive
Last Of The Big Time Spenders
I Need Somebody Baby
The Whore
When I Was Young
Skin It Back (Instrumental)
I Just Wanna Be Black*
Gearhead (Alternate Electric Version)*
I Need Somebody (Demo Mix/Scratch Vocal)*
I Just Wanna Be Black (Demo Mix/Alternate Vocal)*

SOUTHBOUND