John Prine (album)

John Prine
Studio album by John Prine
Released	1971
Recorded	American Sound Studio, Memphis, except "Paradise," recorded at A&R Studios, New York City
Genre	Folk music
Length	44:07
Label	Atlantic
Producer	Arif Mardin
John Prine chronology
John Prine (1971) Diamonds in the Rough (1972)

John Prine was the first album by American country/folk singer-songwriter John Prine, issued by Atlantic Records in 1971. In 2003, the album was ranked number 458 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Robert Christgau	(A)
Rolling Stone	(favorable)

Writing for Allmusic, critic William Ruhlman wrote of the album "A revelation upon its release, this album is now a collection of standards... Prine's music, a mixture of folk, rock, and country, is deceptively simple, like his pointed lyrics, and his easy vocal style adds a humorous edge that makes otherwise funny jokes downright hilarious." Music critic Robert Christgau wrote "You suspect at first that these standard riffs and reliable rhythms are designed to support the lyrics rather than accompany them. But the homespun sarcasm of singing that comes on as tuneless as the tunes themselves soon reveals itself as an authentic, rather catchy extension of Nashville and Appalachia--and then so do the tunes, and the riffs, and the rhythms."

Track listing

All songs written by John Prine.

Side one

1. "Illegal Smile" – 3:10
2. "Spanish Pipedream" – 2:37
3. "Hello In There" – 4:29
4. "Sam Stone" – 4:14
5. "Paradise" – 3:10
6. "Pretty Good" – 3:36

Side two

1. "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore" – 2:51
2. "Far From Me" – 3:38
3. "Angel From Montgomery" – 3:43
4. "Quiet Man" – 2:50
5. "Donald and Lydia" – 4:27
6. "Six O'Clock News" – 2:49
7. "Flashback Blues" – 2:33

Personnel

On all songs except "Paradise" and "Flashback Blues":

• John Prine – vocals and acoustic guitar
• Reggie Young – lead guitar
• Leo LeBlanc – pedal steel guitar
• John Christopher – rhythm guitar
• Buddy Emmons – organ
• Bobby Wood – pianos
• Mike Leach – bass
• Gene Chrisman – drums
• Bishop Heywood – percussion

On "Paradise":

• John Prine – lead vocal and acoustic guitar
• Steve Goodman – harmony vocal and acoustic guitar
• Dave Prine – fiddle
• Neil Rosengarden – bass

On "Flashback Blues":

• John Prine – vocal and acoustic guitar
• Steve Goodman – acoustic guitar
• Noel Gilbert – fiddle
• Mike Leach – bass
• Bishop Heywood – drums
• Gene Chrisman – tambourine

Chart positions

Year	Chart	Position
1972	Billboard Pop Albums	154

References

• John Prine liner notes.

External links

• A Literary Evening with John Prine and Ted Kooser. March 9, 2005. The Poetry and Literature Center at the Library of Congress.
• Interview with John Prine - KyndMusic, September 2005
• Classic Albums: JOHN PRINE > John Prine January 2010. American Songwriter Magazine