John Mellencamp began his career as
Johnny Cougar, on the advice of his manager, Tony DeFries.
Cougar's debut, Chestnut Street Incident, was released in 1976 in a whirlwind of hype, which the album simply didn't deserve. At best, the record is a competent collection of
Stonesy rockers, infused with a blue-collar
Bruce Springsteen/
Bob Seger attitude, but
Cougar's music and lyrics aren't memorable and are often laughable. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine