Reviews (page 3 of 9)
Ive come to John Prine late in life and have enjoyed his late stage gruff man and a guitar style. This is his earlier stuff that is more country and with a bigger, more polished sound. What really shines through is his songwriting ability withe stories brilliantly drawn in the songs. I didnt enjoy his younger voice though and its a bit too country for me.
Not my kind of country, just more wingeing and whining than I could handle.
Perfectly ok.
Ugh. Definitely one of those "I can appreciate this but in no way, shape, or form is this for me." More like a 3.5.
A nice combo between Bob Dyland and John Denver. Actually a lot like John Denver. The instrumentals are very sparse and the voice is not quite good, very nasal. The songwriting is what is keeping this up. 3/5
In contrast with the top review for this album (at least at time of writing): I do like country music, probably more than most users of this site. I think there's a whole lot of great country out there, and also a decent bit of good country on this list. To me, John Prine does not fit into that at all. He sounds to me like if Bob Dylan was from Nashville. Some of the songs and lyrics on this album are very good, but the atrocious singing seriously holds the music back. I can see why someone would like this album, and why it should be on the list, but I'm glad that I'll likely never have to listen to it again in my life.
Альбом супер, песня Donald and Lydia просто разрыв сердца, тексты очень социальные, настроение уютное
I really enjoyed this one also I appreciate well crafted lyrics and the humor. Great character building - short stories to music.
One of the greatest songwriters, his storytelling is fantastic.
Wow, what a songwriter. If I was a more frequent listener of this kind of music I’d put this on a lot. The lyrics are so good. The emotional affect is perfect. I will say that 45 minutes is a touch long for an album like this, for me. I’d like to explore other albums of his. But this one is for sure a must-listen that will go on my list. #313.
Hard to believe this was his debut album. So good. Highlights: "Pretty Good" and "Angel From Montgomery"
It was fine, didn't really set my world on fire. After reading the Wikipedia info I'm surprised it was so popular and considered so highly, but i guess they were different times
John Prine is unmatched as a lyricist. He can tell a story, turn a phrase, and take the listener on a journey all at once. Musically, it's pretty simple stuff that serves his words without any flash or attempt at virtuosity.
This is good country, but I didn't like it. It's a bit too C&W for me.
American song writing treasure. Highlights: Hello In There, Sam Stone and Angel From Montgomery. 4.2
This was an unexpected surprise! This album runs the whole gamut of human emotion, from happiness to loneliness to anger. There's a playfulness to the lyrics, and a few of the songs hit really hard. The themes of the album still resonate, especially tracks like "Your Flag Decal..." and "Hello in There." Criticism of pointless wars and empty patriotism are unfortunately just as relevant as ever. Favorite track: "Hello in There," which may be the first track to bring a tear to my eye in this project.
I appreciate some of the anti-war and other folk/country sentiment but this one is not for me.
One of our greatest songwriters? I wouldn't disagree with that statement. 5
Best Track - "Spanish Pipedream"
This is #day580 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… how about another country album? Like with most of the country records on this list, I find it hard to care. That nasal delivery, though. This is a low 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day581.
This is an excellent album that gets better as the album goes on. I love "Donald and Lydia."
Not my kind of country
One of my all-time favorite albums by one of my all-time favorite artists. Gone too soon.
Average country album with your run of the mill nasal folk singer. Lyrics may be interesting, but it's an album, not a poem's book: if the music is not on par with the lyrics, it deserves a 2.
5- Stars (13/15)
When I used to live in the SF Bay Area, I used to go almost every year to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass before it got too crowded. It was, as I half-implied, a congregation of lots of important country/bluegrass artists, some new, some old. Prine was someone who would go pretty much every year, but I was a bit dumb and more interested in the non-country music offerings at the festival. I also wasn't quite into country like I am these days, so pretty much all of these artists from Prine's generation went ignored until pretty much today. Whoops, I hadn't realized that I missed out on such a unique artist! This is barely country as I know it. Prine has a clever, wry sense of humor that he injects with a straight face into his songs. These are also pretty tragic songs, about loss, depression, isolation, and degradation of society. While the music seems pleasant enough and makes for safe listening, the lyrics are anything but. Some of these are very heartbreaking: "And Daddy, won't you take me back to Muhlenberg County? Down by the Green River where Paradise lay Well, I'm sorry my son, but you're too late in asking Mister Peabody's coal train has hauled it away" "There's a hole in Daddy's arm where all the money goes Jesus Christ died for nothin', I suppose Little pitchers have big ears, don't stop to count the years Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios" "But your flag decal won't get you into Heaven anymore They're already overcrowded from your dirty little war Now Jesus don't like killin', no matter what the reason's for And your flag decal won't get you into Heaven anymore" These are SMART and INSIGHTFUL lyrics about American society that Prine was already witnessing, in 1971 no less. How much has changed since? I can see the Dylan comparisons (especially the vocals on "Pretty Good"), but the difference is that Prine is a lot more direct and realistic with his observations, whereas Dylan ventures more into the abstract and the surreal. The music is a little less interesting than Dylan's compositions, though. It gets a bit repetitive and samey over time (which is saying a lot), hence why I'm hesitating to give this a top score. But I really enjoyed Prine's approach here (for a debut, no less), and will try to listen to more of his stuff later on. And, no, "Illegal Smile" is not about smoking weed. It's more clever than that—about how we feel that we're not allowed to make ourselves feel happy with all of the pressures in life. Ha!
A decent country album with some solid lyric writing. Ultimately a bit too run of the mill sonically, for my taste. But I appreciate the craft Prine brought to songwriting.
John Prine by John Prine written by John Prine performed by John Prine bye bye John Prine buy John Prine. 2/10
boring but not terrible i suppose. it has the feel of an old goodwill store that only sells books from the 70s-early 00s. may listen again one day. 3 stars.
Some of my favorite musicians call this man their inspiration. Many of the great folk singers often refer to John’s work when asked about their own. He’s no doubt on the short list of the finest country folk singers of the modern era. Gone too soon, yet like fine art or a classic car, our appreciation for his music will grow. Unless he’s canceled… you never know.
I enjoyed elements of this, but it was just too old school country for my liking. Pleasant enough, but not really something i would ever revisit
My dad listened to some John Prine when I was a child (although I don’t remember this being one of them), so I was somewhat aware of what this would be like. It was inoffensive, pretty standard country. Not really for me, but I didn’t hate it.
Sometimes when an album by an artist I've not heard of turns up, I try and guess the genre based on the album cover alone, then press play. There was never any doubt about this one. That country twang is something that I tend to really struggle with (Dolly excepted of course). But this guy is funny: "Well, I sat there at the table and I acted real naïve, For I knew that topless lady had something up her sleeve" He's also angry: 'Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore" is lyrically great even if it's not my kinda music. Given that only a few days ago the US President started bombing Iran and I woke up to the news that six US soldiers are dead (the article glossed over the increasing death toll of local civilians obviously) and headlines like "Donald Trump boasts about $400m ballroom after paying tribute to US soldiers killed in Iran", this seems pretty relevant. Which given we're 55 years on from this album's release, is just depressing. I was surprised that I sort of enjoyed bits of this album. Don't get me wrong, it's not turned me into a country fan but I liked this more than I expected and I appreciate the storytelling if nothing else. Very much a 2.5 for me, but I'm rounding up because he made me laugh and then made me angry. 3/5
I wanted to hate this because the first song was so silly it sounded like a countrified Jimmy Buffett. However, once the Paradise song hit I was hooked. Awesome lyrics and a pretty cool little album.
Country is not my thing and took a bit for me to get in the right headspace for it. Little stories in songs is noce but not my cup of tea in the stories he is telling
Honestly not the worst thing I've ever heard, not great though, country music isn't my thing
I prefer John Prine over any other folk artist of that era
"John Prine" is the debut album by American country/folk singer-songwriter John Prine. Folk and country are the Wiki-listed genres. Prine was offered a recording contract by Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records after he saw Prine perform several of his own songs at a Kris Kristofferson show. John Prine was lead vocalist and played acoustic guitar. Other musicians included Reggie Young (lead guitar), Leo LeBlanc (pedal steel guitar), John Chrisopher (rhythm guitar), Bobby Emmons (organ), Bobby Wood (pianos), Mike Leech (bass), Gene Crisman (drums) and Hayward Bishop (percussion). Commercially, the album reached #154 on the US Billboard Charts and had wide-spread critical acclaim with one critic calling it "a collection of standards." "Illegal Smile" opens with an acoustic guitar and soulful organ. Prine with his baritone and southern drawl in a song he said was not about smoking dope but about smiling at stuff nobody smiled about. Country-tinged with the beat, pedal steel guitar and piano. I'll keep the misinterpreted meaning. "Hello in There" begins with a melancholic and melodic guitar and bass. Heartfelt vocals in a tribute to senior citizens. An appropriate funeral sounding organ starts off "Sam Stone." A ringing electric guitar. Acoustic guitar driven. Prine tells the gut wrenching story of a drug-addled Vietnam vet Sam Stone who takes his last hit. "There's a hole in Daddy's arm where all the money goes, Jesus Christ died for nothing, I suppose." David Prine adds a fiddle to "Paradise," at this point, a bluegrass standard. A singalong song Prine wrote for his father on the devastating effects of coal strip mining and in its impact on the Green River in Kentucky. Prine takes the point of view of a middle-aged woman who wants an angel to come and take her out of her marriage and house in "Angel of Montgomery." Piano-led. A soulful organ. Pedal steel guitar accents. An absolute classic song covered by many. If there is an album with more compelling stories and lyrics, I haven't heard it. Heartfelt, emotional and relatable. In his nasally voice, Prine constructed stories from his personal life, based on events at the time, from fabrication and from different points of view. The music mostly has a country or folk beat but there's moments of rock, blues and bluegrass. This album is sheer pleasure and a must listen for everyone.
Country sucks.
Overall Rating - 4.31/5 (8.62/10). (13 Tracks) Absolutely an outstanding album. I knew I recognized the title Angel from Montgomery (I had heard Bonnie Raitt cover it), Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore is even more relevant 55 years later.
loooooove. absolutely perfect. cant pick a favorite but hello in there has a special place.
Witty and clever lyrics. Some Dylan resemble. Musically not really attaching.
Grew up listening to John Prine. It seemed like one of his records was always on the turntable. And he's one if the greatest singer-songwriters of all time. Lyrics that can haunt you, like Hello In There.
Twangy as heck country. Good though. Pretty good story telling. Good diversity throughout the album, songs didn’t end up all sounding the same which is a low bar but great to hear lol. Sounded nice
The lyric writing is pretty fun, songwriting in general is nice. Can’t get past the western twang for my tastes but decent record
Maybe I don't understand the intricacies of country and western music, but I swear every song just sounded identical.
A late Country singer who died from COVID-19.
John Prine's kinda like the Bob Dylan of folk country music. Though I would say that Prine's more listenable (but not necessarily better).
If you asked somebody to imagine the most country country they could think of it still wouldn't be as country as this. Country is best when it experiments, and this just doesn't.
Whoop whoop, it was time for another country album, by an artist I had never heard of. That can go either way. By the third track of the first listen I was already thinking: “I’m giving this album a 10!” It doesn’t quite get that almost-perfect score in the end, but what a fantastic album this is. A complete surprise. And after reading up a little on John Prine and how the album came about, it is actually rather surprising that he managed to pass me by for 52 years. Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and Roger Waters, three fairly different characters, have all named Prine as one of their favourite songwriters. And the list of artists who covered his songs reads like a who’s who of American music. Just from this album alone, you have covers by Johnny Cash, John Fogerty, the Everly Brothers, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, Bette Midler and John Denver. Wait a minute: Denver didn't just cover one song from the album. He covered three of the thirteen. Why? Because the songs are almost ridiculously catchy. Simple, immediately memorable and, yes, very well written. And although I normally try to keep the forbidden subject at arm’s length, the lyrics really are exceptionally good. Sam Stone, one of Prine’s best-known songs, is a devastating portrait of a drug-addicted Vietnam veteran who presumably dies of an overdose. At the other end of the spectrum, Prine is very funny. Illegal Smile, the opening track, already charms with its almost comically clumsy Sinterklaas-poem-style rhyme scheme, which somehow works brilliantly. Then comes the wonderful line: “I chased a rainbow down a one-way street dead end and all my friends turned out to be insurance salesmen” And just when you think the joke is finished, the song ends with the perfectly rhyming, completely unexpected declaration: “My sister’s a nun.” Even better is the joke in the second song: “For I knew that topless lady had something up her sleeve.” Think about it for a second. This kind of wordplay absolutely kills me. Why am I suddenly talking about lyrics? Because the music is arranged and recorded in such a way that it is almost impossible not to listen to them. Prine’s voice sits beautifully in the mix, and despite his strong Midwestern accent — with perhaps a hint of his parents’ Kentucky origins — he is exceptionally clear. I actually listened to the album twice on proper headphones just to make sure I really liked it this much. And that voice goes straight into your brain. To be clear, though, and for the sake of consistency: my appreciation of this album is not based on the lyrics. It’s the music that makes this such a great record. The album starts phenomenally. Illegal Smile is one of the most inventive country songs I’ve heard. Not because nobody had ever played with metre before, but because Prine does it so elegantly. It starts in straightforward 4/4, briefly slips into something almost free-form before the chorus, then suddenly settles into a wonderfully rolling waltz. And back again. Variations on that idea appear elsewhere too, although never quite as dramatically. Spanish Pipe Dream is slightly less remarkable, but then comes the opening of Hello in There. Those simple, arpeggiated guitar chords are so beautiful. The entire song is a thing of beauty. And then there are the arrangements. This isn't really traditional country music at all. Sure, there’s some steel guitar and the obligatory fiddle makes an appearance, but there are also gorgeous, deep, warm electric pianos, atmospheric organs and, in Pretty Good, a wonderfully fuzzy lead guitar throwing in fantastic little accents. This is music. On Pretty Good, and later on Angel from Montgomery and Quiet Man, Prine occasionally sounds remarkably like Bob Dylan. There’s a lovely story that Dylan, before this debut album was even released, apparently climbed onto the stage during one of Prine’s performances and joined him on a song he already admired. Prine clearly admired Dylan too. But honestly, I find Prine fresher and more pleasant to listen to. His music is also just a little more elegantly put together. Prine became one of the first prominent COVID-19 victims: diagnosed in March 2020 and dead in April. He never sold enormous numbers of records, but he won five Grammys, including several posthumously. His death triggered the usual surge in interest, sending five songs into the Top 25 of the Hot Rock Songs chart — whatever that is. This album, almost fifty years old by then, reached No. 55 on the Billboard 200, roughly a hundred places higher than it had in 1971. His reputation among musicians was clearly much greater than his reach with the general public. And that is a shame. Listen to this. One final note: I’m writing this on the evening the news broke that perhaps the greatest country artist of them all, the fascinating person and wonderful human being Dolly Parton, has died.
John Prine is an artist that I never listened to. I had always been aware of how much he was beloved by music fans, but what I assumed about his music wasn't what I ever liked all that much. I was intrigued when this album came up today from the generator, as I figured I'd either "get it" or be correct in my assumptions. As soon as the album began I realized it would be the former. My immediate thought while Illegal Smile was playing was that I couldn't believe this was the first song on his debut album. He already sounded so self-assured in his wordplay. As each song progressed I was impressed with not just said wordplay, but also how emotional each song could be. And it wasn't just a folk sounding album, but many styles of music as well. There were so many great songs, and I'm not sure there's any I didn't really enjoy. I can't even list the standouts as I think this is a record full of them.
I never got the big deal with this guy but I like this one a lot. Illegal Smile and Angel From Montgomery especially.
What a deceptively good album. I can definitely see why the session drummer was a bit flummoxed working with John Prine's take on country/folk singing (apparently thinking that playing with him was "'gonna be like milking a dag-blasted dog"), but I can see listening to this album several times to get the most from his lyrics (or perhaps some of his later work); in some ways he reminds me a lot of Townes van Zandt (I still can't believe nothing of his made it into this collection). The best tracks on this album are probably the saddest tunes--"Hello in there", "Sam Stone", "Paradise", "Far from me"--but all of them are surprisingly insightful and/or quirky, and I also really enjoyed the opening track "Illegal smile" (apparently mistaken for a dope song from early on) and the Dylanesque/Buffett-style "Good enough" as well as "Quiet man". It's also fun to read how well-covered some of his songs became (especially "Paradise" and the Thelma-and-Lousie-adjacent "Angel from Montgomery"). Thanks for a great and unexpected selection, 1001-Albums team (and Kris Kristofferson for hooking up Prine with Atlantic Records)!
I hadn't heard this album in ages! What an amazing debut: Hello in There and Angel from Montgomery are my favorite on an album where nearly every song is a winner.
3/5
Enjoyable country
New to me and it will take a few more listens
Some really good lyrics and an inoffensive sound
Important pieces of context: I don't much like pure country, I've never heard of John Prine, and I'm listening to this without Internet access so can't research this album. Now that's out of the way I can say I have no idea whether this is supposed to be a serious album or a parody of country music tropes. I mean the album starts with the line When I Woke up this Morning. Advocates blowing up your TV as a way of finding peace in your life and speaks of Digesting Readers Digest in the Back of the Dirty Book Store. Schoolboy rhyming couplets combined with dull and clichéd country music that could've been produced by any one of a hundred different Southern artists. Lost the will to listen once John had offered the insight that Jesus doesn't like killing (who knew). My new American friends tell me this is a nailed on 5*. But In a sign of the cultural separation we're currently experiencing with folks across the Atlantic I'm giving it a disappointing 2*
The start of something special for the folk-americana scene.
We thought this was good. The Angel from Montgomery was a particularly good song.
Normally not my thing but enjoyed story telling. Clever in spots extremely mundane in others ala Morrissey (hot dog bun / my sisters a nun?). 3/5
*1971. Old school country. *Interesting lyrically - super sophomoric rhymes (to and you, light and night, etc.) but deep themes like anti-war (no room in heaven because of the war) and drugs (dad putting the family’s money in a hole in his arm)… *Musically it sounds like pretty standard country to me, but a little on the twangy side, which I like. *Kinda intriguing but I wouldn’t revisit since country isn’t my jam. *I read that he died of COVID in 2020. ☹️ RATING - 6.5/10
7.7
This album took a few songs for me to get onto the same wavelength that it operates on. The first couple of songs just sound pretty goofy and John Prine's voice takes a bit of time to get used to, to the point where I finally realized that my aversion to it is probably how most people consider Bob Dylan's voice to sound. But as the album went on I warmed up to Prine's voice and lyrics, but I didn't end up fully loving it.
Wasn't quite in the mood for his style, but he was good at it. Particularly liked flag won't get you into heaven
I wanted to like this. But his voice just isn’t good and I found it too long. His lyrics aren’t bad at least. But just a little too twangy country for me.
Pretty good countryesque songs.
love the cover "art"
John Prine had a great reputation among his contemporaries. I don't quite get it. This album is worth listening to, but I'm not going to rave about it.
A combination of outstanding deep cutting lyrics combined with that folk-country sound that I love. So many notable songs that cover so many relevant topics that are still relevant today. The more I listened the more I enjoyed it. each listen I enjoyed it a bit more. It started off as a 4 but ended up as a 5. Sam Stone was obviously the standout song, but Hello in There and Angel from Montgomery were a close second. 5 stars
Too country.
Some beautiful country tunes with damning and even relatable stories, very nice.
Excellent songwriting.
Welcome to Bob Dylan lite. And not on a derogatory way either. Its just a first album that wears its influences on its sleeves. He goes for a sort of similar Dylan sound vocally. And the structure itself is Dylanesque. But he also pulls from country western also. And im less knowledgeable on them so I dont know the specifics but I hear it. Ive always meant to listen to this guy cause I liked the cover of a duet he did, in spite of ourselves. The viagra boys version is pretty sick and fun. Also that amyl and the sniffers girl rules. But there are a couple story songs here and they all have their charm too. Its a great little record and maybe ill get more someday
It’s tough to listen to his voice but I do like the guitar picking.
Definitely not my cup of moonshine. A little too much twang with straw in mouth.
A country album from 1971 I tried, but I just can't, it hurts too much . . .
Not for me
An absolute classic. Any album with "Sam Stone", "Hello in There", and "Angel From Montgomery" is at least 4 stars, and the rest of the tracklist fills out the album nicely. John Prine is one of the best songwriters, and he doesn't write particularly poetically and complex - he can sculpt a whole character's story in just a few key, wry observations. The instrumentation is run-of-the-mill country, with acoustic and slide guitars abound, but anything more complex would take away from the songs.
A 1971 album that emerged with the saturated singer songwriter boom and has subsequently been extremely positively reappraised. To my ears it’s a more produced version of early Bob Dylan, Arif Mardin no less. It’s all about the lyrics and they do strike a chord. I only heard about this guy when he died during Covid. I’ve enjoyed this.
Country and western. Not really for me.
Classssiiiccccc John Prine stays winning. Never heard the flag decal song and it’s as relevant as ever
twangier than I expected. didn't like it at the beginning but it grew on me.
Rating: 7.5/10 He has a great sense of humor, great lyricism throughout.
Thoroughly enjoyed!
She don’t like her eggs all runny but I like this album
John Prine is one of the greatest American singer songwriters of all time. The storytelling on this album is absolutely masterful. “ Hello in There” is one of the saddest and best songs ever written. “Angel from Montgomery” is another beauty. And how about the opener? “Illegal Smile” is funny and philosophical all at the same time. I just love this album. This is deserving of the list if ever an album was!
++: Spanish Pipedream, Sam Stone, Paradise, Pretty Good, Your Flag Decal Won't Get You into Heaven Anymore, Angel from Montgomery, Quiet Man, Donald and Lydia, Flashback Blues +: Illegal Smile, Hello In There, Far from Me, Six O'Clock News 8,5/10
Really solid folk album.
This album gives me massive whiplash, there are moments of brilliance with great musicianship and brilliant songwriting that had me giggling. On the other hand really boring music that at times had me skipping the song entirely
Nietszeggende kut country Absoluut niet boeiend, waarom is dit 1001
Great storytelling.
Too old sounding
Yeah, liked it. Good lyrics, good songs, nice.
That's country how you imagine it
Love this album. Especially Paradise and Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heavan Anymore.
I know that John Pine is considered to be one of America's great folk song writers. This album is a good example of why this is.
Such words - why isn’t Prine more talked about? Too relaxed, the voice of a cheerful companion rather than a prophet, maybe , he lacks Dylan’s apocalyptic and mystical tendencies, but could anyone sing a picture of person and situation with more stick and wit? Not that the music behind the lyrics is lacking: clear and often modestly gorgeous; the close of “Donald and Lydia” is wordless ecstasy.
Good tunes, biting and funny lyrics. Glad I heard it [EDIT - this is so sharp and often hilarious. Purchased and upgraded]
Drugged up, blokey, whiney country, very much of its time. Not my thing at all. But I'd never heard of him so thanks for the opportunity to hear something new.
This still gets too country for me at times, but I found the songwriting more interesting than expected and the music is quite good. Nice mix of instruments - the steel guitar and organ are highlights when they pop up. Favorites: Hello in There, Far from Me, Angel from Montgomery.
still don't love country, don't hate it either.
Nie wierzę, ale… podobało mi się. Momentami brzmiało jak Dylan a u mnie to komplement. Czasem teksty mnie żenowały, a country za bardzo countrowało, ale ogólnie dam 6.5/10 równane w górę. Sorry not sorry
hard listen
endless
Solid songwriting.
This is a strange one. Lyrically amazing and definitely important. The vocal delivery though is unremarkable and the arrangements too. Not one to listen to endlessly unfortunately
margaritaville vibes (in the best way). angel From Montgomery is incredible. THRE!
Can't stand his voice
A great record to sit alone at a table in a dark room, drink whiskey, and have a good cry.
I can’t remember the last time I was so completely swept off my feet by someone’s songwriting. John Prine has a wry sense of humor, and he had me grinning from the opening track. But as the album goes on, he sharpens his jokes and wit, using them as weapons against war, religion, patriotism, the coal mining industry, and more. He’s got no shortage of one-liners (“I knew that topless lady had something up her sleeve”), but I’m also really impressed by the structure of these songs. The lyrics reveal themselves gradually, the meaning of the song getting deeper with each verse. Great singer-songwriter album. I’d love to play it again and hear more from him. 4.5
I actually haven't listened to John Prine very much but I know that he is really highly regarded in the Dylan-esque folk songwriter world. I will say it's a real delight to hear; his lyrics are awesome and both poetic and on-the-nose at the same time, his voice cuts soooo nicely through the mix, and the arrangements are super fun. Sometimes records like this and/or from this period of time can be a let down for me, and I'll need some "yea but it was great for it's time" or "yea but the lyrics were great for what was going on in the world", but I genuinely felt super engaged with this one and didn't feel the need to seek out a "why" this album is on this list. Right from song 1 I could tell I would like it too, cool arrangement of a song with it's tempo changes. In between a 3 and a 4 for me. Slightly closer to a 3.
"Well, a question ain't really a question If you know the answer too" That actually had me thinking, I can't lie.
Some good ones but mostly the same old song
Porra, que vibe massa, muito Bob Dylan mais country. Curto muito esse estilo Folk. Que álbum bom, não conhecia esse cara, e já me fez adicionar 2 músicas na playlist. Que achado. 4* pra ele.
Me surpreendi com esse álbum, vibe de estar no meio de Rancho Queimado, na primavera, aquele solzinho, brisa fresca. Músicas bem gostosinhas, tranquilas. Foi bem tranquilo de ouvir e acabei adicionando metade do álbum. Tem até a "pista molhada" dele. A música de história feels, só que uma versão mais game of thrones sinistra. A "Six O'Clock News" Não achei nenhuma música ruim, nada extraordináário, nem todas se destacam, mas são todas boas ou bem boas.
It's okay.
Nice easy listen 3/5
not bad but could’ve been better just standard country
Actually really liked this. Very cool guitar solos.
I'm not even finishing that is crazy twangy and not at all my thing
Country/folk. It's ok but not super into it.
Musically it’s pleasant, with some engaging stuff, but the real joy is in the lyrics. So funny and human. A delight.
Trash sorry
John Prine should be beautified as St. John.
Great, never heard him before but will check his other stuff out.
2/10
pretty country, kinda just okay
Why can’t modern country be this instead of like Morgan Wallen
Such a comforting listen, I’m not usually a country fan but I loved this. The lyricism and song writing is fantastic.
So. Much. Twang. I could almost get into this. It’s almost beautiful but the twang, man. The twang. It drives me batty.
A bowl of oatmeal tried to stare me down and won
Proof that this list is a joke Unable to listen past track 4 without having to turn it off so that I could concentrate on Work
The OG of clay pigeons, I didn’t know. A lyrical wizard. Big love.
I appreciate the songwriting/lyricism but not really my style of music.
Solid. Nice sounds and good to hear something other than rock after a while.
Amazing Prine!!!!
Well I now know how John Prine feels about war
I do not hold country music in such impossibly high regard as the author of this list
Boring country album
John Prine is an album that is clearly built on wit, character sketches, and observational songwriting, but musically it feels far thinner than its reputation suggests. The songs lean heavily on lyrics to do all the work, while the arrangements stay basic to the point of inertia. Everything moves along at a similar pace, with acoustic strumming and gentle backing that rarely adds tension, colour, or momentum. Lyrically, there is cleverness and humour here, and I can appreciate the intent behind the storytelling, but the delivery often feels too casual to fully land. Songs drift by like anecdotes told pleasantly enough, but without much musical shape to make them stick. The melodies are functional rather than memorable, and the emotional range stays narrow, which makes the album feel longer than it actually is. By the end, John Prine feels more like a collection of good ideas than a compelling album experience. I understand why the songwriting is admired, but as a listen it leaves me underwhelmed, relying on charm and wordplay where stronger musical framing might have made a real difference.
not my style
Best song: Spanish Pipedream Nice find: Your flag decal won't get you into heaven
I just really dislike country
2.6
1/11/26. Your flag decal won't get you into heaven anymore, they're already overcrowded from your dirty little war! 8/10
Nah
Lyrically it felt very good - Dylanesque almost. I didn't know anything about Prine, but was interested in what I read. However (and it's a big however), musically it's extremely staid and boring country. I can't really be doing with it, however good the lyrics are. Soz!
Very good album!
Não prestei atenção suficiente nas letras pra curtir o disco, visto que esse é seu principal foco. Folk não me desce, mas os aspectos Country são até que agradáveis. Mas achei a escuta bem monótona e entediante, tanto que não consigo pensar em muito que escrever. 2/5
A truly gifted songwriter.
beautiful in all the ways. lyrically, acoustically, vocally. tj tells me he started as a singing mailman, what a treat!
i don’t know why country music makes me feel so warm, i have no connection to rural america, or the idea of living off the land and i’m not christian, but this just hits
Standouts: Pretty Good It's actually pretty good for country music. I'm not a fan of this sort of lyricism where they just kinda yap, but the instrumentation is good and varied from song to song. I don't know if the 2nd half was worse than the first half or if I just got bored but my experience with this album declined... High 2
If I never hear this album again it will be too soon
THE GOAT
Listen to this when you're hungry. Im not kidding. The songs are so yummy even tho music like that was never my style. The songs give me great feelings and I really didn't expect that
Lwk not my vibe but wasn’t bad…
Nothing exciting here, I got all I needed from the cover
It is a strong record and was enjoyable to listen to. The melodies are catchy and the lyrics are good, particularly the ones that tell a story.
I was impressed by this. Not generally a fan of any of the genres here, but this was what singer-songwriter should be: Meaningful lyrics and instrumentation that is interesting but not the focal point. It works here, and was engaging enough throughout. I was not expecting to like this, but it surprised me, and ends up getting 4 stars.
A solid, solid debut album. Soulful lyrics and a catchy country twang is what gives makes this album stand the test of time.
Amazing amazing album, thoughtful and cheeky lyrics and fantastic music!
Album of two halves. First half great protest songs, second half country slop.
i really like the songwriting its rly attention grabbing and charming.
I’ve always been a fan of his quirkiness in songwriting. Angel from Montgomery is a gem of a tune.
Hearing Dylan liked this guy doesn't surprise me at all. There's some thoughtful sounding lyrics here. I listened to it twice trying to find a reason to bump it up to a four but it felt forced. Three it is today.
"Your Flag Decal Won't Get You into Heaven Anymore", Get em John! A nice debut album, with some poignant lyrics throughout. I liked Pretty Good, but otherwise not many of the tracks grabbed me.
If Dylan says it's good, then sure, it probably is. The thing with country/folk singers/authors is that that particular genre is so fucking boring.
Q: Has there ever been a better debut album? A: No
Just Not My Cup Of Tea. Don't Listen To Country Music. Especially In These Early Forms...
"A country Bob Dylan" I'm not American enough for this yee-haw nonsense.
Likte ikke stemmen. Føltes kunstig og tilgjort. Ingenting i musikken som for meg forsvarer en plass på 1001.
Country leaning singer-songwriter
One of my favorite artists with a group of my fav songs.
OK.
A fun little country album from a time where "find Jesus on your own" was a pretty radical statement.
Such smart songwriting (of course). By itself, “Angel from Montgomery” would get me pretty close to four stars. But there’s a lot more. And Prine’s quirky vocals absolutely suit the material.
идите нахуй со своим фолком мне боба дулана хватило
8/10 Very good. Lyrically, it's Dylan-esque, with a slightly human edge. Musically, it's country - maybe a bit too much at times to make this a Great album
Loved this the first time I listened to it not long ago.
its good writing but its not really my thing
Yeah... evidently John Prine was known for "turning a phrase" but maybe it's just a bit too long and his lyrics haven't aged so well. Because it all felt very corny and honestly cringe.
John Prine is prime folk music. Great when you're in a specific mood for it. One live performance that I wish I fully appreciated more when I saw him.
Honestly maybe the best country album I’ve ever heard
What an absolute fucking G. This shit goes hard. Modern country could never.
Seeing how I typically enjoy country more than most people on this website, it's a bit contradictory that John Prine is an artist that never really clicked for me. While his lyricism is clever and he writes some great songs, I've always gravitated towards the more solemn side of country. With this listen though, a few tracks did click with me for the first time. Pretty much the whole A-side was quite enjoyable, once I got used to Prine's voice it was a very smooth experience. Sam Stone stands out as the best track hands-down, but Hello In There also deserves a mention. The B-side is certainly a step down, with the final four tracks not doing a whole lot for me. Maybe I just got worn out and the magic from the beginning couldn't carry on to the end, but Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore is the last track I would say piqued my interest. Maybe those tracks will just take a bit more time to grow on me, (to be fair, I'd heard the big songs from the A-side a few times up to this point), but I found myself losing interest in the last 20 minutes or so. Overall the album does have its bright points, but I much prefer the more raw, emotional side of country over the accessible production of this record.
These songs made me think of all the elementary school teachers I had in the early 80’s who would fill our choir repertoires with the folk music they’d lived 10 years earlier. Every one of these songs could have fit easily into those duotangs. Even the ones about drugs.
The album is basically little country ditties interlaced with the most devastating lyrics in popular music. The restrained delivery really makes it for me. There’s no overdone emotion in the vocals, which can often feel contrived, like the songwriter is telling you how you should feel. He just lets the lyrics speak for themselves (if that makes any sense).
For the songs others have covered, I usually like their versions better than John Prine's version, but his songs are incredible.
A high, nasal voice (but can really hold a note); deceptively simple folk-style guitar arrangements; beautiful, poetic, sometimes funny lyrics about ordinary people, political satire, and emotional experience - I feel like the person Bob Dylan fans seem to describe when they rave about him has actually been John Prine all along. Unlike Dylan, Prine can really sing (though his voice is still a bit of an acquired taste). I kind of loved this, though the style is not something I'd reach for to listen to regularly
can’t really handle country, but this was on the good side
Lyrics normally just kinda bounce off my head without landing but these were an incredible work of art
if you don't pay attention to the lyrics it just becomes background music at some point
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I love John Prine, his lyrics, and his licks. What a cutie pie
Definitely need to do a deep dive into John Prine. I only know a few of his songs. Crazy to think I've never any of his songs on the radio.
influential but not something that i’m really into 2.5
Really good album. Witty and poignant, Prine's debut is a classic. "Illegal Smile" and "Flag" are favorites if mine and the whole album is worth listening to. 4/5 Will listen again
Well, at first I thought maybe I just had to be in the right mood for this album, but after listening to it twice over two days, I think it’s fair to say I really didn’t care for it. It just felt so cliché and stereotypical that I honestly found it pretty boring. Even the humor and wit that people seem to praise didn’t really connect with me either.
My first time hearing this all the way through and I absolutely loved it. Had heard "Illegal Smile" and "Hello in There," that was about it. This was an amazing debut from one of the best songwriters of his or any generation. I was surprised by the darkness of songs like "Sam Stone" and "Six o' clock News." I'll take Prine over Dylan any day. His songs are like little philosophical treatises in 3-4 minutes. He was called "The songwriters' songwriter" and it's totally earned. I've got to go back and listen to his catalog.
An all-timer for me. I love most of John Prine's albums, but this one is quintessential and captures the essence of who he was - funny, empathetic, and talented. He wasn't overly flowery with language or as artsy (and let's be honest, pretentious) as Dylan, but he's one of the greatest songwriters of all time. He was an everyman Dylan. Jason Isbell, a great songwriter in his own right, said the difference between a good songwriter and great one is whether they can write about subjects beyond themselves without being vague. I think thats true, and Prine exemplified that, going deep and vivid here through a range of subjects, from people growing old alone, to a veteran heroin addict, to a yearning Alabaman housewife with dead dreams. But some of the best songs here are deeply personal. Paradise is a favorite of mine, describing the ecological and economic destruction of coal country through a place that meant a lot to him. Pretty much a perfect debut
[Chorus] But your flag decal won't get you into Heaven anymore They're already overcrowded from your dirty little war Now Jesus don't like killin', no matter what the reason's for And your flag decal won't get you into Heaven anymore
Favorite Track: Spanish Pipedream
Too much John Prine
152/1001 John Prine - s/t Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ A number of artists I listen to site Prine as a massive influence on them and whilst they're not as overtly country as him, I can understand why. There's a certain charm to Prine's delivery in this and sometimes, the lyrics make you sit up and think. Whilst not entirely my wheelhouse, I enjoyed my time, but don't know when I'd revisit.
Every time I listen to these songs it feels new to me
The great thing about John Prine's lyrics are that you can take them at face value and they're great as-is, but if you dig a little deeper and deeper, they start revealing something greater. The accompanying music provides a great beat and rhythm, nothing revelatory musically though. But the biting cynicism in his lyrics were always the focus of his songs. Most of his lyrics have proven to be timeless, both fortunately and unfortunately, but also, not every song is completely and totally on point. Regardless, he was a phenomenal lyricist and knew how to get to the point he wanted.
Good album
I only see one star sitting on these two bales of hay. Prine threads his cleverly acerbic lyrics through some of the least clever music in the country-folk genre. Oh, it's well-crafted and competent, but I tend to weigh the music more than the message (and he's already chosen to walk uphill both ways by composing in this space), so we'll see if Sam Stone, Paradise, The Angel of Montgomery, and Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore help this record rise above its current trajectory. Now, let's hit the pause button on the early dismissal. Give him one minute and you'll hear that these songs from 1971 document the struggles of the times. And if you give him two minutes, you'll hear that most of these challenges unfortunately remain.
Yeeeeeehaaaah!!!
I want to hang with this guy 3.5/5
Your flag decal won't get you into heaven anymore.
Loved the storytelling
Earnest, heart-wrenching lyrics, set to a folksy backdrop that doesn’t quite hit me in the feels like I think it should. I’ll give it another try at a different time and place.
I have nothing bad to say about this album … but just didn’t click for me.
It’s catchy for the most part. A little bit repetitive though.
The voice and lyrical quality of Bob Dylan but slightly boring music. 3.6 stars
Reminds me of Bob Dylan was signing Johnny Cash songs. I kinda liked this one a bit.
John Prine sounds like Bob Dylan. But I already have a Bob Dylan, and I like the one I have. What to do? How about 3/5 for good songwriting and the interesting Jesus references.
A solid storyteller in my least favorite genre. Still, unlike many country artists, he is engaging, tells great stories, and just draws you in to his work.
It's just casual country songs, theyre ok. He really likes talking about Jesus or how like no one he's met is like Jesus, which like, go off man lmao. 7/10
Basic country shit. Catchy, but won’t revisit.
This is for some strange reason fairly okay - for a country album.
Just a more redneck Bob Dylan.
i like country
El country lamentablemente pollo hervido con arro
not my thing, too jesusy
Collection of standards, drama and humor Illegal smile Hello in there Sam stone Angel from montgomery
Još jedan u nizu strašno dosadnih albuma, nisam mogla cijeli poslušati. Znala sam spomenuti za ovakve albume da bi bili dobra pozadinska glazba, ali za ovo nisam sigurna ni toliko. 1/5, 2/10
Day683 - i already loved spanish pipe dream and angel from montgomery but to hear how good illegal smile,sam stone and the flag decal song are just makes this a wonderful album.
Loved the lyrics! So clever, funny, poignant, thought provoking,. Kept waiting for the next song just because he was so much fun as well as emotional to listen too. 4/5 (Didn't Love the voice)
Album leans heavily on country music formulas - predictable structures, familiar progressions, that classic country-western story telling. There are a few tracks that are more Bob Dylanesque, mor folksy numbers, that i quite enjoyed. I liked the slide guitar and lyrically the tunes were pretty interesting and at times emotive. But i just dont love country! 6.5/10
John Prine? More like John pry-my-ears-off-my-head after listening to this album
I can see why people like this and how it made the list. I like Hello in There the most, but I don't see it being something I come back to. I respect it more than I like it. 6/10
Fabulous deep and conscience song writer
From the twang to the hay bales, everything about this screamed, "RUN!" However, setting my disgust for the genre aside, I think the lyrics and storytelling are actually quite good at times. This isn't really music to be enjoyed - it's more witty observations and wordplay put to (regrettably) country music. I'm shocked, but I'm giving this a 3. Despite its cover and chosen medium, I appreciate the content of the book.
This was a perfect album Cover. It painted the picture of just what kind of evil was about to happen in my ears the moment I pressed play. Thanks for the transparency, John.
I don’t remember much from it but I also don’t hate it.
Have a little fun, hot dog bun, my sisters a nun. That topless lady had something up her sleeve. Blow up your TV- throw away your paper... I'm not 10 minutes into this album and I've been hit with so many gems I feel like a jewelry maker. You can tell some artists just have a closer connection with the muse than ordinary people.
‘While digesting Reader’s Digest in the background of the dirty bookstore…’ ‘I’m just trying to have me some fun, well done, hot dog bun, my sister’s a nun.’ There’s also a line about a topless dancer with a trick up her sleeve somewhere in this. With lines like these, even haters of country have to crack a corny smile. Prine is a wholesome charmer from a time and milieu very particular to those of us who grew up in the Midwest. This guy could’ve been my uncle or my baseball coach. I’m not sure if this exact sort of personality type exists anymore, since ‘the kind and simple homesteader’ in middle America has been replaced by the ‘unstudied yet seethingly aggressive political conspiracy theorist,’ thanks to social media. But, listening to Prine takes me back to those better days, and reminds me that ‘simple’ is a deception. One can find ample poetry, feeling, and protest in these songs. I do speculate that Dylan had so many kind words to say due to the blatant influence Prine shows from Dylan’s work. He was flattered. I’m sure it made Dylan feel as though this was evidence in the flesh that he was shaping the course and sound of folk music. Would we still listen to Prine without Dylan’s endorsement? It’s difficult to say, but despite the obvious baton-taking, this is probably the third time I’ve listened through this John Prine album, and I’m always pleased all the way through and after.
Baby Dylan. Angel from Montgomery is a great song, but that’s about it. The album is monotonous and boring, like most old-school folk.
I'm not a big country fan, which if I'm being honest about my criticism is probably the main thing keeping this from 5 stars. Because if I do choose to listen to country, this is the type of stuff I want to hear. Prine's lyrics are especially interesting and at times quite quirky and funny. This really wasn't what I expected, and even though I don't see myself returning to it often (or even at all), I'm glad I listened to it.
The hay bale image did not fill me with confidence. Funnily enough I did a pub quiz last night where one round was all about country music - needless to say I knew none of the answers apart from Shania Twain & Johnny Cash. So I’m not saying this twangy record isn’t fine writing and melodic, just that it’s not a sound I enjoy. I always thought Bonnie Raitt wrote Angel from Montgomery so that was interesting.
Country music is not my bag. Generally, to be tolerable to me, it has to be a subgenre like country-blues or pop-country, and I prefer when the country elements are the flavor and not the base. That said, I would say this is old-school story country which I can deal with. Add into the equation that this guy is actually pretty funny, and I can hang. He's like a country Arlo Guthrie, but I can't figure out his message. Influence (because he's cited by Bob Dylan) 3. Hits 1. Quality 3. Intangibles 2. Sure 2.
A fun collection of songs and stories, some deeper than you would expect. A light 3/5
I’m still ashamed to admit that I didn’t know who John Prine was until the bug made him shuffle off his mortal coil, but it was love at first listen and I’d give this a thousand stars if they’d let me.
huge range of emotions on here, very classic
Country. Sigh. John Prine pulls out all of the country tropes that you could expect: Dated lyrics, country progressions.... The list does get longer, I promise... But this album album.activrly annoying me at times..... 2 stars.
While on holiday, your rental car breaks down. You’ve gone on a bit of a road trip, so you can’t just take it back to the rental depot. You find a small garage who offer to fix the car. They tell you it will take about an hour, if you want to wait. There isn’t much else around the garage, so you head to the waiting room. The coffee machine spits out an overly milky, piping hot coffee which you do not enjoy. It’s been two and a half hours now, and you’re not even sure they have started work on your car.
A nice classic country album. Could go either way.
Not a fan of his voice or style, but the lyrics were pretty good. Shame about the reference to a woman being raped by a dog in “Pretty Good”; kinda spoiled it for me.
If you’d have told me this was Bob Dylan I would’ve believed you. Simpsons: No
not for me, it want awful, but I wouldn't have said it was good either.
Fuck it, five star.
4.5
This Prine was fine. I liked the time changes on the opening track. The clear standout to me was “Paradise”. Overall a really nice listen. Rounding up. 3.5/5
Always been a Prine fan. This one really survives based on the very clever, witty and pertinent lyrics. He’s really an excellent story teller with each song spanning a gamut of emotions. Good stuff that is still very relevant today.
Hard not to find beauty in the simplicity of this. Can get down with this almost anytime
I liked it. Some of the lyrics were a little too country-cute for my tastes but overall a good listen. 3.5
Love me some John Prine. I did his cheeky lyrics. Tempted to go full stars on this one, but not sure it reaches that level. Good stuff. 4/5
You have to like good ol’ fashioned country music to enjoy this. Not for me
If you ever fancied a crossover between the songwriting excellence of Bob Dylan and the distinct country subjects and sound of Willie Nelson and John Denver, then John Prine is your man. I say this because if you don’t listen too closely, this album is a fantastic offering of country sounds. And that’s enough for most. But listen in, and there is true jewels of songwriting to be found. Pretty Good could’ve been ripped straight from the Blood on the Tracks songbook. Spanish Pipedream from New Morning. And it’s another album that’s crying out to be replayed, replayed, and replayed again. I’ll definitely be searching for the LP for this one. I feel it’s necessary.
One of the best country albums I've had the pleasure of hearing. It's a shame that John Prine is unknown in the UK. The first few songs on "Self-Titled" are perfect. There's nothing else I can say about this album. I hope I get an album that's just as good or better, 4 stars for "Self-Titled".
Bowl of oatmeal tried to stare me down and won.
John Prine
Dylan goes to Nashville. Again.
Jest to bardzo dobry album. Nie jestem jakimś super fanem country, ale to się da słuchać i mogłoby lecieć w jakimś radio w GTA. 5
I just couldn’t get into it. Sappy.
Never listened to John Prine before, loved that he’s based and wholesome Raffi for adults, per me.
Super enjoyable album. I loved the simple, effective and at times humorous lyricism in these tracks. The instruments and vocals were great as well. Not too much to say; the album wowed me on the first go.
when john prine said "hotdog bun, my sister's a nun" i really felt that. a few years ago, i got really big into sierra ferrell, which meant i wasn't far from discovering prine. in truth, i had no idea who he was until i began my foray into a genre i thought i hated; pretty quickly, i understood what all the fuss was about. when it comes to folk, i of course knew bob dylan and joan baez, and maybe a few more if someone had mentioned a name aloud. i can't believe i had been missing out on john prine! it's folk, blues, country-- everything all together. so nice. what i love about john prine's approach is that it's extremely accessible poetry. nothing about the instrumentation is technically impressive or difficult, and it doesn't need to be. it sounds as reasonable as anything else from its era. it's just easy. but his lyrics are punchy and raw, telling important and politically charged stories that were indeed braver than many of his contemporaries. tonally, it's obvious he wasn't concerned with any blowback, and i love that about him. his complete affability in his songs makes me laugh. can you imagine all the red-faced conservatives angry about antiwar lyrics from their singer-songwriters during america's conquest against the atheistic communism? come on now. learn your roots, fellas. while there's certainly a quality of similitude between most of these songs, it didn't make the album less of a joy to listen to. also, i hate to let my rating be influenced *too* much by legacy, but seriously, prine is the reason artists like sierra ferrell (and others) get to be as well-beloved as they are in 2025. plus, people are still covering "Paradise" and probably will be forever. love that.
I’ve never really listened to John Prine before, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It’s probably not going to be one I come back to regularly, but I wouldn’t be mad if it randomly came on.
This album is so incredibly important to me. I was brought up in the John Prine tradition, meaning that our family car rides consisted of this album and "Sweet Revenge" whether we were headed to the beach or to dinner. The scope of emotions contained within are nearly unbelievable, even now. "Sam Stone" has gone down as one of the saddest songs of all time for obvious reasons, while "Paradise" captured that very Kentuckian feeling of the beauty of our state and its corruption through exploitative extraction. "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore" became the first (and my personal favorite) of the protest songs that JP would later be known for, and one that, unfortunately, has become more relevant every year since it was written. While tackling all of these themes could easily trend towards nihilism, the picture he paints of the world is an inspirational one. In reference to these societal issues, he once said: "I saw all that. I knew, and I couldn’t figure out why no one would say anything." I've always tried to take inspiration from this attitude, that you have to put a name and a face to the darkness in order to produce a little bit of light. I think JP embodied that sentiment until the end of his life, and now he's back here with us in KY, flowing down the Green River. One of the greatest to ever do it, and one of my favorite albums ever. I hope everyone enjoyed this one if you haven't heard it before, but even if you didn't, it'll still be here when you need it. 10/5
Dave Matthews and his acoustic cover of "Angel From Montgomery" is actually responsible for introducing me to John Prine (he has a wonderful cover of "Down By the River," too). I was absolutely astonished by the songwriting, and then listening to the album in full showed me Prine's pen is unmatched. It also taught me not all country music is bad. Prine's topics are timeless -- "Sam Stone" is one of the most important songs of the 70s, in my opinion. "Paradise" is, to my knowledge, one of the only songs that commits Western Kentucky's huge coal mining industry to history (fun fact: it was and still is bigger than coal in EKY). I think Prine's voice can wear on the listener, but that's not the focal point of the album, and it's a collection that grows on me every time I replay it.
Like an audiobook set to music. An entertaining listen, not sure I’d come back to it, but defintely worth the time.
Godfuckingdamnit this is how it's done. Up there with the likes of The Byrds, Townes Van Zandt and Gram Parsons as far as being forebears of what we would now call alt country, John Prine is the embodiment of what hackish music journos would call a "songwriter's songwriter." He might not have been the biggest mainstream star, but pretty much anyone in the country/folk/Americana sphere with any sort of cultural cache will sing his praises endlessly. Bob Dylan once compared him to Proust—a stark contrast to that one time Bob Dylan got angry at me in 2019 (But at least he thought about me. ) Anyway, what John Prine is best at (and maybe is, in fact, THE best at), is crafting entire worlds within the span of a 3-4 minute song. There's so many songs out there that purport to "tell stories" but are effectively meaningless until you've been told what they're about and they become retroactively clever. But John Prine's songs don’t require explanation or close reading. They are effectively full on studies of characters who feel real, fleshed out, rounded, without needing to engage in too much interpretation. By the time Sam Stone dies of that overdose, you know him. There’s an image in your mind. You know things about this man that the song never tells you. But you know him. Excluding choruses, "Angel from Montgomery" is 3 verses, 12 lines. And yet, again, you can envision the subject and understand basically everything about her just from that sparse description. I've always interpreted "Hello In There" as a companion song, the perspective of the husband/old man/child that’s grown old/cowboy from "Angel from Montgomery"... just two sad people whose lives didn't go how they always thought they would. I’m not smart enough to read Proust but I can definitely apply some of that Hemingway iceberg shit to these songs. And the older I get, the more I can relate to some of these ideas. "Blow up your iPhone" doesn't sound as good as "blow up your TV" but the sentiment is the same. Just unplugging and living a real life. I dig that more and more every day. Growing up in an area that has basically been demolished by coal mining, "Paradise" is really personal to me.. I also used to play against Muhlenberg County's Quiz Bowl team and they were nice people. When I’m president, “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore” will be the national anthem. I love John Prine. I love this album.
I’ve only half-listened to John Prine in the background, reducing it to just some twangy folksy stuff that was only ok. Like bourbon, I thought Prine was something I was expected to enjoy because I’m from Kentucky. And like bourbon, if you give Prine a chance and acquire the taste, it’s an absolute delight. On this album, he spins tales of war, drugs, exploiting earth, and death that have the burn of a barrel proof bourbon. The sliding guitars, vibrato of Prine’s voice, and sweet chords make you feel the warmth of a toasted oak whiskey. Overall it’s a rich experience that pairs perfectly with Woodford Reserve Double-Oaked 45.2% alcohol by volume. GOVERNMENT WARNING: (1) According to the Surgeon General, women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects. (2) Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery, and may cause health problems.
John Prine's debut album is a treasure that deserves all the reverence it gets. Prine started out the gate releasing a masterclass in storytelling and wit that has influenced so many of the American artists I love today. With tracks like "Angel from Montgomery" and my favorite, "Sam Stone," Prine captures the essence of everyday life, weaving humor and heartbreak into his lyrics. His ability to paint vivid pictures with words is simply unmatched. This album laid the groundwork for countless singer-songwriters who followed, proving that authenticity and vulnerability resonate deeply. Not just an album, but a journey through the human experience. John Prine's legacy lives on in every artist he inspired, making this debut a true classic that still speaks to us today.
Bleak. Angel From Montgomery is a masterpiece, but listening to so much of this (“theres a hole daddys arm where all the money goes…”) is unrelenting and brutal.
I have largely skipped Prine over the years, first time listening to a full album. Man that was an oversight. I fully recognize why he gets the respect he does. This will be added to the vinyl stacks.
Oh boy, another artist I discovered way too late for my own damn good. This one contains my favorite song of Prine's - 'Illegal Smile'. That's right, I love this more than 'Angel from Montgomery' because while "it takes a lot to laugh, it takes a train to cry". And sure, there are plenty of brutal (yet classic) songs here as Biggs points out, but we all need more laughter, these days, ya dig?
Well, at first I thought maybe I just had to be in the right mood for this album, but after listening to it twice over two days, I think it’s fair to say I really didn’t care for it. It just felt so cliché and stereotypical that I honestly found it pretty boring. Even the humor and wit that people seem to praise didn’t really connect with me either.
He’s not sure if he’s Bob Dylan or Tow-Mater and falls short of both in the end
My heart sank a little at seeing this album cover. I really thought I was almost done with all of the country music in this challenge but the album art told me what I was in for. John Prine seems to have been heavily influenced by Bob Dylan given the nasaly vocals and storytelling and Dylan in turn was a fan. I will say that this was alright for a country album. The lyrics were well written and it's thankfully not overly conservative. I genuinely enjoyed "Hello in There" which was a nice surprise and the stories were very vivid. Not bad for a singer who said he had just learned his craft when he was ushered into the recording studio. I did briefly think it might win me over and be one of the small handful of country albums that I'd listen to again. Unfortunately it's still just not my genre.
Prine classic!
4/10
dig more than half, the more introspective less county tonk tunes.. the rest, no thank you
Kjekt å oppdage! Veldig mykje som minnar veldig om Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited
It's fairly run of the mill folk/country, some of the tracks here are genuinely good, but this mostly washed over me and left me indifferent.
Hello In There Sam Stone
Sharp-witted lyricist, but the music (twangy alt-country?) not really my go-to music. I can take an album at a sitting, but at some point I am bored a.s. And there's only so much "witty" lyricism I can take before I go, give me Sabbath! (hell, I'd take KISS or Metallica, 2 bands for which I have little desire to hear before I croakensie.) A solid 3 stars.
I see Bob Dylan really liked this and I can see it. It is a bit of a hick Bob Dylan, not that that's a bad thing. I don't think it has quite that same legacy aura, but I definitely enjoyed it.
I heard a single line from this dude and his voice made me cringe that quickly. I noped out so fast I went back to listening to reggaeton. Can’t find nails on a chalkboard worth my time to listen to
Primer álbum que escucho de este genero, me es rarisimo ir a la facultad con esto de fondo. Necesito que el challenge remonte me sumo a la protesta de Eva para ver si el algoritmo lo pilla (no me parecio de 1 estrella el album pero hay que probar).
Bob Dylan and It's Completely Country but Also Still Bob Dylan. No sé mucho de country como para bardearles por que no sea un esencial, así que le daré el beneficio de la duda. Además, es un sonido suficientemente equilibrado y lento como para que me guste. Una que guardé: Hello in There
No soy ningún entendido del country, pero este sonido a día de hoy resulta muy primigenio, y sabiendo todas las formas interesantes en las que se ha moldeado el género con los años, no causa especial sensación. Dicho esto, ME GUSTA EL COUNTRY, bastante de hecho, supongo que tiene mucho que ver con que me gusten los westerns clásicos y que sea ciertamente fan de autores de Americana contemporáneos como Father John Misty. Es ese tipo de música que me resulta agradable y amena, y que si viene acompañada de experimentación, me gana. (Red Dead 2 y la serie de Yellowstone también tienen parte de la culpa de mi afición en los recientes años btw) Witty songwriting del colega John Prine. Me quedo con eso y con las melodías amigables de guitarra, pese a que todo siga la misma fórmula. Favs: Spanish Pipedream, Sam Stone, Pretty Good, Angel from Montgomery
I dig John Prine a lot. There’s better music from him though
Helt klassisk country. Det er ikke rigtigt mig, men jo ikke trælst som sådan at lytte til.
quiet country music from a fella who's quite the storyteller of sorts. older generations look at this guy with fondness, treating him like he's up there with the likes of bob dylan. and after listening to plenty of dylan's work, i might prefer prine over him. for a debut album, this one has a LOT going for it, even for me, a person who more often than not dislikes country music. reflection on one's self, longing and satirical pieces about the world, human relation and patriotism. a very very good listen, even when i initially was uninterested. while not much in instrumentation, sometimes all you really need are lyrics to set a mood. and john does that excellently.