John Mellencamp: The Essential Album-by-Album Guide

THE KID INSIDE (1977)
Key Tracks: "Take What You Want," "Gearhead"
Quick Take: The Kid Inside sees Mellencamp — still saddled with the "Cougar" sobriquet — still trying to establish his sound. If anything, it's a step back from his debut, as A Kid Inside lacks the faux-Stonesian punch of the previous work. It contains one satisfying oddity: his cover of David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold The World."