John Prine

Well, country really isn't my genre. Not by a long shot. So I wasn't thrilled to get this album. But I hit play with as open a mind as I could and, wouldn't you know it, it didn't suck. It's still SUPER not my genre, don't get me wrong. But Prine's lyrics are clever and funny and so sharp they cut. It's amazing to me that this album came out in '71 and still feels so daggum relevant. Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore is painful in its relevance. COVID-19 took Prine from us this past year and that also feels too close for comfort. What a debut album.

John Prime’s lyrics are so beyond what I might have assumed from the young man pictured on the album cover. “Illegal Smile” reminds me of a simple way to escape troubles in life. The clever lyrics can in one moment make you laugh and cry. ‘Bowl of oatmeal tried to stare me down and won’. By the first chorus of “Spanish Pipedream” I'd added the album to my library. “Hello In There “ is so beautiful… left me in tears. Then “Sam Stone” followed that up with a devastating song about the impact of veteran's addiction. Every song overflows truth with an emotional heft that can change you as a listener. John Prine tackles war, government, jingoism, aging, drugs, depression, relationships, the environment and a host of other topics with perceptive and unflinching observations of humans and humanity. The organ warms itself against the stark lyrics. The guitars wander from folk to country with occasional touches of rock to elevate the stories. Every song on this album is a gem. Experiencing them together as an album is a powerful and emotional experience. This is an album that will connect you more deeply to your humanity if you are willing to listen. An amazing work of art that I will listen to again and again. RIP John Prine

Fucking country music. I just can’t. It’s fucking shit. The same snivelling, whining nasally banal tone. The same shitty, zingy, steely guitars. The same overcooked lyrics. Yee fuckin’ haw. More like yee fuckin’ fuck off you fuck.

Man I love this album. I'm a bit biased as I was raised on John Prine, but even so, what a story teller. The humor he brings along with the poignancy of his lyrics about the human experience. This album is his least polished, but also feels like the most honest.

While the music is unremarkable, it is simply the backdrop to a masterpiece collection of folk poetry. Folk music is at its purest in protest, and on this record, Prine protests war, nationalistic jingoism, and the misapplication of Christian values. Reading the lyrics, one can't help but notice the more things change, the more they stay the same. Consider politicians with their little flag lapel pins as you listen to "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore. Prine, of course, throws a few apolitical and melancholy songs about lost love and heartache for good measure. He does it all with clever flourishes and a sense of humor, too. It is beautiful. I laughed, I cried, I clicked the little heart icon.

What a lyricist and storyteller. I was glued to hearing each line. The music is classic country, with a Dylanesque timbre, but his words are what sold me.

To bastardise a phrase from the highly underrated radio comedy Cabin Pressure, John Prine might not be the first Country album I’ve loved, but it is the first Country album I’ve ever fallen in love with. A beautifully simple, direct, and profound meditation on loneliness and the ordinariness of broken people, with an undercurrent of righteous anger that breaks through on occasion, all told through a songwriting that couples a fantastic sense of phrasing with an oddball, yet observational sense of humour. If you want to know how good this album is, all I can say is that the song about wanking is both incredibly funny, incredibly sad, and incredibly touching. You don’t get to write a sentence like that about many pieces of music

Amazing album from front to back. He's basically a country Bob Dylan. This is what country music sounds like when it's good.

It took me too long to discover John Prine, but I'm glad I became a fan before he died. I'm a big fan of Jason Isbell, who was a good friend of Prine's during his last years, and dug into John after hearing Isbell talk about how much of a songwriting influence Prine was. Prine's debut is brilliant: incredible songwriting presented with his unique and charming delivery. Every song contains an interesting story, and they're all pulled off with what initially appear simple lyrics that surprise you when they grab your brain and make you think deeply about them. "There's a hole in daddy's arm where the money goes. Jesus Christ died for nothin', I suppose." "Blow up your TV" "Your flag decal won't get you Into Heaven any more." "We lost Davy in the Korean War And I still don't know what for Don't matter anymore" There are dozens more nuggets like these. You could write a dissertation on the meanings of these lyrics and on why they are so evocative. It really is a masterclass in songwriting. Prine's genius is most evident on Angel From Montgomery, a beautiful and catchy tune that I probably heard ten times or more before I realized that he wrote it from a woman's perspective (not sure how I missed this... "I am an old woman" isn't exactly cryptic). Just the fact that he's singing this woman's story in the 1st person is thought provoking, but by the end of the song you're no longer thinking about that and more contemplating on your own life and decisions. Top songs, although they're all good: Illegal Smile, Spanish Pipedream, Sam Stone, Pretty Good, Your Flag Decal Won't Get You into Heaven Anymore, Angel From Montgomery, Donald and Lydia

John Prine Despite the obvious influence of Dylan on some of his vocal inflections and vocal melodies His voice is slightly unusual, but after a couple of songs I forgot all that and just found myself enjoying this immensely. I didn’t expect it to be as country, thinking it would be more folky/folk rock, but for me that was great, setting it slightly apart from other early 70s singer songwriters in the same field with its more overt country sound. I really like the slightly unusual song structures like on Illegal Smile. Clearly there is an obvious debt to Dylan in the opening stanza, it moves back and forth from folk to country and back again with some quirk little stop start moments. The little run from Hello in There to Paradise is great, again overtly country but with some little variations in style and instrumentation, like the electric sitar on Sam Stone, again giving it a slightly unusual feeling. With country you can often predict how the next line will sound, and while Paradise is relatively conventional in that regard, it still has that feel that it's going one way, but then it takes a detour or little left turn, maybe arriving back where you thought it would, but not necessarily in the obvious way. Pretty Good obviously evokes Dylan, but there’s someone else it reminds me of that I can’t put my finger on. Anyway the electric guitar is another great little musical moment, particularly in tandem with the electric piano Your Flag Decal is great, and also still apt today when you see those MAGAts driving around in shitty pickups with hundreds of Trump Flags and stickers. Angel from Montgomery I absolutely loved, I don’t think I’ve heard it before but it had that feeling of instant familiarity that you occasionally get with great songs. Quiet Man and Donald and Lydia is another great one two, the slight Hendrix style guitars in Quiet Man are great and I like the slightly existential ruminations of Donald and Lydia. I love the bass on Six O’Clock News, and with the organ it gives a slightly unusual contrast to the country elements. Flashback blues is excellent, again it feels like a conventional country song, but the slightly hurried vocal metre gives it a slightly off kilter feeling. Lyrically this works in a similar vein to the music - some of it is extremely affecting and moving, grounded in autobiography and his experience, but also humorous and occasionally surreal, going off on some fantastical tangents and diversions. On first listen this was an easy 4, but it got better with each subsequent listen, with those little moments and diversions coming to the fore. I think it's going to be one of those albums that will keep getting better and better, so it's a 5 for me Clive 🪽🪽🪽🪽🪽 Playlist submission: Angel from Montgomery

Generally, I do not like country at all. Im not saying I like this, but I did make it all the way through the album for one reason alone - some of these lyrics are hysterical! I didn't love the music, or the voice, or anything really. But the lyrics contain little gems of comedy that made me laugh enough that I could endure the rest.

The damn hay bales on the cover make people think this is a country album, but if it had been a collection of short stories, it would have won the Pulitzer.

Love John Prine. One of the best to ever do it.

Basically a top 10 album at this point… easily my fav country album ever. So many songs on this thing utterly blew my mind when I first heard this… I prob discovered John Prine in the last 6-7 years and I just think he is brilliant… authentic and sardonic and rebellious! This album is so reliable for me, and listening to John Prine all day was pretty healing! “Your Flag Decal…” is one of the coolest songs of all time, and “Angel from Montgomery” is one of the prettiest.

Folk country. I liked this album a lot. Pretty simple but the songs carry a lot of emotion, with some humorous lyrics sprinkled in. On a personal note it also felt like an album my dad would enjoy.

I really liked this. I mean it was folk country, but God damn if you don't hear some punk underpinnings in this you aren't listening. This is the kind of music that makes me proud of being an American, without me having to have pride in my government, and be able to criticize the nation without losing my love for it.

John Pine is a legend and this album is a treasure.

Your Flag Decal

This guy's got jokes, but if you listen closely he also has a point or two. I guess Vietnam was pretty bad.

It's pretty country but more on the folk side of country. Having said that, there are some strong anti-war songs on here. It's not your modern red-state fishin'/drinkin'/Merica! country music. Though there is some religion-stuff in here. The songs do all kind of sound the same after a while and he's not the best singer. But in folk music like this the words/message are a bit more important than the music. And he's got some clever, enjoyable, and thought-provoking lyrics. TLDR: Interesting listen. Probably won't revisit much but I can appreciate it.

An outstanding album. Quite possibly the best I have heard so far. There are no filler tracks here. Each song exquisitely crafted and beautifully sung.

There is only one and it's him. Weight and humor in absurd but equal measure. I'm not even a real fanatic but I have so much respect for his ability.

Classic comforting album - Hello in There, Sam Stone, Your Flag Decal, & Angel from Montgomery are the big highlights for me. Long live John Prine

Man. He’s not happy about war.

Absolute classic. Can't go wrong here.

“Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios”. “Sam Stone” is about Sam Stone; but the song keeps returning to those kids running around in other people’s clothes. Sam Stone is dead center of the picture, but the artist has painted it in such a way that the viewer’s eye keeps being drawn to those kids, almost without the viewer knowing why. If they really look, they will walk away thinking thoughts they may have never thought before. They will be a different person walking away from it than they were when they first looked at it. John Prine accomplished more in a few lines than most artists do in their entire careers, all so a bunch of Philistines could bless the internet with insights like “I don’t like country music hur hur.”

well done, hot dog bun, my sister's a nun

Interesting, whimsical stories with catchy as hell melodies, and some real nice playing to go with it all. John Prine did his thing extremely well.

Really dig this album. Illegal Smile is a gem of a song.

this is like bob dylan if he found a haybale

3.5 Pretty good! Not bad. I can’t complain. (Get it?) I didn’t really know much about John Prine going into this other than the fact he’s a pretty esteemed country/folk artist, but my homeboy Conor Oberst once dedicated a song to a then-sickly Prine at a show of his I saw back in 2019 (he went on to pass the next year). If Conor Oberst has good things to say about you, you’re alright in my eyes, so I went into this with a pretty open mind. Well, I can definitely understand Conor’s admiration for the guy - while I wouldn’t go as far as to say the two sound similar, Prine is a master storyteller with his songwriting, and I can see the influence on Conor’s work with Bright Eyes and beyond. Whether it be the heroin-addicted Vietnam vet Sam Stone, a lonely, old Montgomery woman dreaming of escape, or separated lovers Donald and Lydia, I thought there was a lot to dig into within each song here, and as a whole, the observations heard throughout made the guy seem incredibly wise beyond his years. However, on a topical level, my personal favorite has to be Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore - it’s about Vietnam, but man, is it sadly applicable to all the MAGA idiots running around today advocating for a “Christian Nation” while putting predators and criminals in power and preaching a philosophy of “Deport thy neighbor”. What would Jesus do? Not this shit. (On a lighter note, my favorite song across the board was probably Pretty Good - for a folksy album, the song is pretty damn catchy.) Still, for as much as I admire the lyricism found here, it only does so much to save the actual music, which leaves just a bit to be desired. There’s a sort of “plain” sound to most of this that isn’t bad by any means, but it was enough to hold me back from being able to get super into this. Prine has definitely commanded some respect out of me though, so this definitely won’t be my last outing with his catalogue.

3.5 | Muy agradable country-blues con toques que a rato me recordaban a Rodriguez y a otros a Willie Nelson. Como dijo Casper, letras mucho mejores de lo esperadas, pero además muy buena instrumentación: desde Paradise, súper tradicional, con ese fiddle que es excelente, hasta algo como Quiet Man casi casi se sale del Country para darle con todo a la música como de protesta. Y sí me da curiosidad de escuchar más material de él. Como curiosidad extra, creo que es el primero que escuchamos que murió víctima del COVID.

Really nice guitar melodies, but vocal twang a bit much for me. Angel from Montgomery is a beautiful song - Into the Wild

cheeky hippie folk music unmistakably from the early 70's. there are definitely some clever smiles generated, but it's hard to love it given that it is for a distant time and place.

very good record. powerful storytelling and so much emotion Sam Stone - wow, this one hits so hard. I was listening to the album in the background not really noticing anything when THAT lyric caught me right in the head: "There's a hole in daddy's arm, where all the money goes". holy fuck what a song. Paradise tells a heartbreaking story as well. great song.

It’s country isn’t it

One of the albums to scratch a wash board to of all time

Country is not terrible, it is just not for me. Prine's voice is nice, but the lyrics do not come across as humorous but rather corny. Favorites: None

Well, I never used to like country.. Still don't, but I never used to as well. Not for me thanks.

I'm really disappointed. Adrianne Lenker is one of my favorite songwriters of all time. John Prine is one of her largest inspirations, and while I can see the clear link on Big Thief's previous album, Prine's music is just not what I was wanting to hear. The lyrics are wonderful, and he's a great storyteller, but the music is unbearably boring. I'm just not a country gal, but I wish there was better music to go with the stories.

I dislike this a lot

Very good album!

One of my favorite albums of all time. This one is just fantastic.

A very surprising new favorite

Observer of human foibles. A natural story teller. And the closest of the "next Dylans* to actually achieve that mantle. It's the piercing humor and the utter humanity of these stories that sets him apart. As well as his embrace of the slightly offbeat. What this man does with three chords and some funny asides is nothing short of magical. A true American original.

Always great

Prine manages to tackle post Vietnam opioid addiction, environmental protection, faux patriotism, TV’s evils, marijuana legalization, and everyday life - all with a wry salt-of-the-earth grin. Like only he can. Truly a master of his art, which is also singular. All hail John Prine!

I wept

A legend.

John fucking Prine. This record is not a greatest hits collection; it just feels that way. Almost every song on this record is a pure classic: he's funny, he's incisive, he tells stories, he is sad as hell. Seriously, this is better songwriting than 99% of anybody. And I used to feel like Prine was overproduced, but this is gorgeously done. Crushingly good. An American treasure.

Automatic 5 for “Angel From Montgomery” but would have earned it even without.

A classic debut album from one of the all time American greats. A delight to listen to this morning and an easy 5 stars.

Listened Before? N Amazing! Humor mixed with social commentary and protest songs. I loved this. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Your Flag Decal Won't Get You into Heaven Anymore

I think if I came into this album with no extra knowledge about it, knowing nothing but this guy's name, I probably still would have liked it. I mean, it's country music, y'know? Sure, yeah, it's a bit folksier than usual, but there's still a pedal steel guitar hangin' around. Just on a sound and aesthetic level, I would've given it a thumbs up. But I ended up reading a quote on the album's Wikipedia page from Bob Dylan, where he said that John Prine was one of his favorite writers. And I'm thinking, "Oh, yeah? He **is** now, is he? Well, just allow me, someone who can barely pay attention to or understand lyrics, be the judge of that!" Like, if he's so good that Dylan is singing his praise, and y'also got Kris Kristofferson saying that he writes like he has 220 years of experience... Well, **is** he **that good**? Yeah, I'd say so. Off the top, I feel like I'd wanna call this guy the "country Bob Dylan." After all, he's certainly got the voice for it, and I don't think his topics are too far off from what Dylan would sing about. But then, here's the big difference between the two of them, and why I honestly like this guy's album a lot more than any Dylan I've heard: I can understand the lyrics. Which, I know, I've gone on before about how I worry about seeming unintelligent or shallow about not getting Dylan's big, important, scholarly poetry — but dammit, like with Tracy Chapman, sometimes it's just nice to get what the words are saying. And while Prine isn't as direct as Chapman; he's still pretty poetic, I can actually get into what he's saying and feeling the words. And I suppose part of that comes from Prine being way more of a country artist than a folk singer-songwriter. The folk singer-songwriter types, they wanna be **deep, man**, so they're often a little obtuse in what they're actually trying to say. Meanwhile, with country — well, at least this older kind of country music, it's all about stories, so on a level they can't be too unclear. And, well, also, as someone who loves a bit of story in their music... So, yeah, y'know, these are just good stories. Great stories, even, that really touch on something. Like, if he's missing the pure poetics of folk singer-songwriters, then for sure, he's still got the sound like what he's singing about is very important. And heck, some of it is even still relevant to this day — I can't begin to think of how many people I think should hear "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven". Jus',goodness. I never woulda guessed how much I would end up liking this album, but damn, does John Prine have a way with words. Put them over some good pedal steel and fiddle, and, damn, if this ain't a real winner and a half. Just makes it all the sadder to find out that he passed away only five years ago, from complications thanks to gawdamm COVID-19. It's clear just from this alone how much of a talent he was, and, dang it, even at 73 he was taken away far too soon. Hope you had a good time when you got to Heaven, Prine.

That’s an easy 5. Color me impressed; I’ve never heard of John Prine until today, but his songwriting chops evoked an immediate level of nostalgia that I didn’t really know I had in me. This is country music, and it’s the slice-of-life old school country I love to preach about whenever it comes up, but this has the added benefit of being beautifully & vividly written. When he’s trying to nail down some comedy, he certainly can, like on “Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore”, but he can just as easily switch it on a dime to evoke a deep sense of sobering reality, as on tracks like “Sam Stone”. This album tackles everything from the power of nostalgia, to the consequences of reminiscing, to the blind loyalty present in jingoism & patriotism, and perhaps most effectively, the fear of the mundane. Of course, the songwriting wouldn’t mean anything if he didn’t have the vocals or instrumentals to back it up, but thankfully, he does – my brain immediately goes to the comparison of “Willie Nelson’s twang with a Bob Dylan rhythm”, and it’s a lovely blend that evokes both of them really nicely. Instrumentally, while this leans mostly into the acoustic side of things, there’s a lot of steel guitar, fiddle work, and even a great electric guitar solo on “Pretty Good”. Nothing ever overshadows each other, with the instrumentals and vocals giving themselves space to breathe, and the lyricism still shining through with the way the vocals are just slightly elevated in the mix. As far as listening to this album goes, even if you somehow manage to ignore the lyrics, it’s just 44 really smooth minutes that never find a dull spot. However, doing that would sell both this album & yourself incredibly short. As an entire package, this just fits right in line with my sensibilities. It’s just an album that feels full of life, with a living, breathing soul to it that feels lost nowadays. Rolling Stone once called John Prine the “Mark Twain of American songwriting”, and I’m honestly inclined to believe them after just 13 tracks. If nothing else, as a debut album, this comes out swinging & never really slows down, and you can’t ask for a better beginning than that. I hope he’s got more on the list, but even if he doesn’t, I feel like I need to listen to more of him. For my tastes, it’s an easy, easy 5.

As an eternal shuffler I hadn't thought about the track list on this album and thought 'oh cool John Prine's debut, solid 4 stars probably'. Illegal Smile, Hello In There, Sam Stone, Pretty Good all songs that could individually push an album up to 5 star range. An album with Angel From Montgomery is a 5 star album. Lots that is both unflinching & nonjudgmental. My only complaint about John Prine's first albums is that I like some of the solo recordings from a BBC broadcast from London in 1973 even more. I once thought there was way too much instrumentation on the albums - why take a force of nature performer and run it through the 1970s big budget folk album process? but they didn't ruin anything. It's 2025 now and we get to have all kinds of versions. 5 frickin stars. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)

Not familiar with Prine at all. So this was a pleasant surprise, this is a really strong album. Lyrically it elevates the album so much you don't even mind you're listening to country. Highly recommended.

Perfect songwriting across the board. Nobody did it like John. 5/5

John Prine tackles war, government, jingoism, aging, drugs, depression, relationships, the environment and a host of other topics with perceptive and unflinching observations of humans and humanity. The organ warms itself against the stark lyrics. The guitars wander from folk to country with occasional touches of rock to elevate the stories. Every song on this album is a gem. Experiencing them together as an album is a powerful and emotional experience. This is an album that will connect you more deeply to your humanity if you are willing to listen. An amazing work of art that I will listen to again and again. RIP John Prine

An album I have listened to only once prior. Like Paul Simon, the diction in the lyrics conveys a ton of information without getting in the way. Beautiful music with an honorable sentiment.

I didn't get into Mr. Prine unfortunately until after his death. Every musician and songwriter I love had nothing but incredible things to say about him - so naturally I had to dive in. If I listened to him 10 years ago I would've said no thanks. I'm glad i've grown and my tastes have changed - because lyrically it's as great as they come. And they're so simple and never try too hard. "Bowl of oatmeal tried to stare me down and won, and it was twelve o'clock before I realized That i was havin, no fun". Just disregarding all syllable rules and instincts a lot of songwriters follow. It just seems so easy(it's not). RIP Mr Prine. Thanks for aspiring everyone I love.

Silly sounding songs With serious artistry And complex critiques

Banger after banger. RIP to one of the best to ever do it

This is a great album. The only thing is it doesn’t include my current favorite song of all time which is "Lake Marie" on "Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings". Nevertheless, this has Hello in There, Sam Stone and Angel from Montgomery and so many others. 4.53

I went into this ready to hate it but I am so surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Is this what they mean when they say country used to be good? Dude’s got strong one liners, great stories, and really hates the Vietnam war. Sam Stone is one of the most devastating songs I’ve ever heard. The instrumentals aren’t amazing but they’re exactly what this needs. A perfect example of an album you need to hear before you die, especially if you wouldn’t have otherwise like I wouldn’t have.

I love everything about John Prine. I love the simple arrangements and the pithy lyrics. I wish we also got Bruised Orange on this list. 5/5 and I will always have a place for these songs. Your flag decal won’t get you into heaven anymore is relevant today just switch the lyrics around a little to “red hats”

4.6 the lyrics, the rich folk melody, goodness me

Whats interesting is how much John Prine I recognized, my Dad used to play his songs on guitar all the time for as long as I remembered, so this was a nostalgia trip. Just good, wholesome song writing from a folk legend.

Easy 5 stars. This album speaks to life, the destructive nature of man, loss and more all wrapped up in a fun folksy country twang. It has everything!

One of the best there ever was.

Ole John Prine, great protest album

I'm less than a minute into the first song and I hear a strong slowdown of the tempo as he goes into the chorus. I'm immediately interested. This is a great album, well written, and good sounding. John Prine is lyrically great on this album. The storytelling is good. This is an album that I'll easily revisit. Easy 5 stars from me on this one, I couldn't want more. I'll need to do a dive on John Prine. I'm hoping he doesn't have the same 1st album syndrome as many others, where their initial release is amazing (presumably because they've had years to sharpen those sets of songs), but their subsequent releases are lackluster (presumably due to time demands of their new record deals).

bro sounds so bob dylan alike

Loved it. I've got into John Prine recently having not really known him, but since getting in to him I realised he pops up in a lot of other things and influences.

"Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios" John Prine is just so good. I haven't dove/dived/diven too deeply into his discography.

if you rated this a 1 because “country music” you are never seeing the kingdom of heaven. love this album <3

John Prine is on the Mount Rushmore of songwriters.

Album art: 5 especially for the story of it

One of the best!

Fantastic album. Great songwriting. It's probably a 9.5/10 for me, rounding up

Came across John Prine about two years ago.Had never heard of him before, he is easily one of my faves. The best at what he does!

A genuine masterpiece.

Good country album with enough edge and flair to differentiate itself from the usual country genre fare. 4.5/5 Giving it a five so I remember to give it another listen

4.5 To quote a great line from Zoe Muth "When you said you’d never heard of John Prine Well I knew right away you weren’t worth my time"

What a joy to listen to. One of the nicest country albums to listen to. The vocals are first and foreman and are easy to listen to and pretty fun and witty. Just a joy of varied country and folk music.

Very Good album. A collection of his ballads with a message. Very simple lyrics and always a great hook. I enjoyed this ver much.

4.7

First time I have ever heard a John Prine album. This has a lot of the makings of Steve Goodman and early Buffett, which shouldn't be a surprise, I guess. Quite a few songs on here are about war and how it sucks, which also shouldn't be a surprise given the time period. "There's a whole in daddy's arm where the money goes, Jesus Christ died for nothing I suppose." That's a great line from "Sam Stone." I'm very glad that I got a chance to hear this album and I think I'm going to need to do a deep dive into his work. I've neglected listening for so long, partly because everyone tells me how brilliant he is, which makes the contrarian in me want to not like his music. Unfortunately for my contrarian leanings, I do like it.

A classic for a reason

John Prine isn’t the style I normally go for but I love his stuff.

Great album, introduced me to ‘country music’ (belatedly) and has been a great favourite since.

Prine was always an undervalued songsmith, and his first album is one of the greatest ever written.

Wow, I was a bit blown away how great the lyrics were. An easy listen.

I’ve always loved John Prine. This is a stellar album of him.

"How can a person go to work in the morning, come home in the evening, and have nothing to say?" John Prine will have you thinking about the tough questions in life while charming your ass off with the exceptional country album.

More Hip Hop and more Punk than most albums in this list. Never thought I would enjoy Country Music.

Great

Masterpiece?

This is why I am doing this generator. I would have probably never listened to this otherwise and it is great. The lyrics are such a spectrum between laugh out funny and depressingly sad. Compositionally, I'm digging the classic country twain but also there is a song that has a waltz feel, another one that has 6/8 feel, and of course just a solid down the road 4/4. It's not sterile whatsoever and keeps you guessing throughout. I started this album review with a 4/5 but no, I'm going 5/5. This is the type of album that makes you just sit back and just appreciate that music exists.

Supreme storytelling. Simple but effective instrumentation. John Prine is simply that dude. I bet Wes Anderson loves this album.