John Prine (album)
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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
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |  [1] |
| Robert Christgau | (A) [2] |
| Rolling Stone | (favorable) [3] |
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."[1] 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."[2]
Track listing
All songs written by John Prine.
Side one
- "Illegal Smile" – 3:10
- "Spanish Pipedream" – 2:37
- "Hello In There" – 4:29
- "Sam Stone" – 4:14
- "Paradise" – 3:10
- "Pretty Good" – 3:36
Side two
- "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore" – 2:51
- "Far From Me" – 3:38
- "Angel From Montgomery" – 3:43
- "Quiet Man" – 2:50
- "Donald and Lydia" – 4:27
- "Six O'Clock News" – 2:49
- "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
- Bobby 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
- Neal 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
- ^ a b Ruhlman, William. "John Prine > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert. "John Prine > Review". Robert Christgau. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
- ^ "John Prine > Review". Rolling Stone.
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- 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