Hear "Grandview" by John Mellencamp Featuring Izzy Stradlin
Izzy Stradlin, the occasionally reclusive former Guns N' Roses guitarist and co-founder, has turned up on John Mellencamp's rootsy new album, Sad Clowns & Hillbillies, which was released last month.
Stradlin plays on one song, "Grandview," which you can hear via the lyric video below. The track also features contributions by country singer Martina McBride and former Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers drummer Stan Lynch.
NPR calls “Grandview” the album’s "only real rocker," describing it as “sung from the perspective a working-class middle-aged man whose biggest dream is outfitting himself with a trailer and getting out of town.”
Stradlin made his first appearance on a Mellencamp tune almost 20 years ago, when he played on “Miss Missy” from Mellencamp's self-titled 1998 album. Both gents happen to be from Indiana.
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Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.