Mellencamp Happy to Have Rebound

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - John Mellencamp is pleased with having something of a commercial rebound, but says that at age 50 he is "irrelevant'' in terms of the charts and MTV.

His 16th studio recording, "Cuttin' Heads,'' debuted at No. 15 on Billboard magazine's albums chart last month. "John Mellencamp,'' his 1998 release, opened at No. 40 and slipped off the top 200 in a matter of weeks.

Mellencamp does measure success, however, by personal responses to the music. "Did you like the record? Did you relate to any of the songs? I had a frustrating - but good - time making the record,'' he says. "That's how I feel about it.''

After promoting "Cuttin' Heads'' heavily on radio and television in recent weeks, the Indiana native is on hiatus until a 50-date arena tour begins in March.

The album has fared well critically, with many reviewers comparing it to his 1980s releases "Scarecrow,'' "The Lonesome Jubilee'' and "Big Daddy.''

"All of these records seem the same to me,'' he says. "That's why I'm so surprised when people distinguish that one record is better than another. I've been writing the same way for years. I go up to my art studio, I have an acoustic guitar, and I have nothing particular in mind that I want to write about until I start noodling around.

"I try to express a few things that aren't too offensive or, you know, too sappy.''