Personnel: John Mellencamp (vocals, guitar); Andy York (acoustic & electric guitars, organ, bass, percussion, background vocals); Jimmy Ryser (acoustic guitar); Mike Wanchic (baritone & lap steel guitars, organ, background vocals); Toby Myers (bass); Kenny Aronoff, Mike "Spud" Dupke (drums, percussion); Missy, Pat Peterson (background vocals).

Recorded at The Belmont Mall Studio, Belmont, Indiana in 1994.

DANCE NAKED finds John Mellencamp peeling away at layers to get back to the essence of his art and the very heart of rock and roll. Rarely if ever has a major rock star released such a home-grown, unadorned piece of work (Bruce Springsteen's NEBRASKA comes to mind). The product of a mere two weeks in the studio, DANCE NAKED is John Mellencamp's return to his roots.

The Stones-style groove of "Dance Naked" finds Mellencamp reveling in this playful tale of lust, which acts as something of a metaphor for the entire recording. Mellencamp's duet with funk diva/bassist Me'Shell NdegeOcello on Van Morrison's classic freedom song "Wild Night" is the emotional centerpiece of DANCE NAKED, a cruising anthem if ever there was one. "L.U.V." and "Another Sunny Day 12/25" are kinfolk to Dylanesque protest songs, while "Too Much To Think About" depicts the sensory overload and paralyzing ambivalence of a young man's mind. Mellencamp's closer "The Breakout" is one of his great narratives, as a small town boy prepares to find his way in the world. For all its austerity, DANCE NAKED is probably the purest strain of rock and roll mythology Mellencamp has produced in years.

Rolling Stone (7/14/94, p.102) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...DANCE NAKED, among his most intimate and immediate work, is suitably titled..."

Spin (12/94, p.78) - Ranked #20 in Spin's list of the '20 Best Albums Of '94' - "...imbued...with an air of resignation....a superb record. It's uncalculated...seemless and seemingly effortless rock'n'roll..."

Entertainment Weekly (6/24/94 - 7/1/94, p.101) - 7/1/94, p.101) - "...There's no pretense or grand ambition here--just breathless, gritty riffs..." - Rating: B

Musician (7/94, p.85) - "...Reportedly cut in two weeks, and coming nine months after his last long-player, it harks back to the good old days before self-conscious artistes took years to craft stale albums..."