One year after
John Cougar's "I Need a Lover" gave him his first hit single,
Cougar released
Nothin' Matters and What If It Did, an album that began to unravel his fondness for small-town simplicity and the pride inherited from being brought up in America's heartland. Each song from the album characterizes
Cougar's non-threatening, rebellious farm-boy attitude, from the
Springsteen-like overtones of "Wild Angel" to the pleading gentleness of "Don't Misunderstand Me." "This Time," carried through with its jubilant, bouncy pace and countrified vocal style, hit number 27 in 1980, with the sultry yet rustic innocence of "Ain't Even Done with the Night" climbing ten spots higher as the album's second single. A good feel for
Cougar's passive yet warm approach to rock & roll can be found on
Nothin' Matters, even within the lyrics of minor efforts like "Hot Night in a Cold Town" or "To M.G." Following this album was his monumental
American Fool release, a solid package for
Cougar and one that
Nothin' Matters played the prototype for. [This version of the album includes the bonus track "Latest Game."] ~ Mike DeGagne