The Best That I Could Do: 1978-1988

Chronicling John Mellencamp\'s first decade of music makes for a dizzying ride. This encompasses arena-rock stompers like \"I Need a Lover,\" riff-happy heartland snapshots like \"Pink Houses\" and \"Jack and Diane,\" hard-charging garage-rockers like \"R.O.C.K. In the U.S.A.,\" and plenty more. And besides racking up the biggest tunes in the Midwestern rock \'n\' roll hero\'s catalog, this collection throws hardcore fans a bone with the addition of a previously unreleased recording—the earthy, swaying \"Without Expression.\"