Reviews (page 5 of 9)
Timbro della voce molto simile a Dylan, leggo che infatti piaceva molto a lui. Sarebbe da riascoltare in maniera più concetrata per le storie
If you like country and Dylan then this is for you. I like neither. This is boring
Me siento como un típico gringo en una granja, no thanks
Great storyteller. Reminds me of Dolly. So country. Some of the rhymes were funny and clever. Not usually my fave genre, but I enjoyed listening to something different.
Not my taste
Sam Stone is one of the most devastatingly sad songs of all time.
Good but has a couple boring songs.
Ægte country, ok lyrik, kedelig musik
Now this... is what country music should be like. Why isn't more country music like this?! What is it about John Prine's self-titled debut that I love so much? Well, let's talk about it. This album kind of feels like a country take on something like a Bob Dylan album, which is honestly not a bad thing. Part of this comes from the singing, which is kind of Dylan-esque in a way, but is also just kind of what country singing is like a lot of the time. Still, I think it fits the theming of the album. The instrumentation is quite enjoyable. It's definitely on the more mellow end of the genre, which I've always preferred. There aren't really any particular songs that stand out for musical reasons, but I also can't say that these songs all sound the same. The instrumentation of the songs isn't the focus here though. See, there's another reason why I and many others have compared this to a Dylan album. That, of course, is the fact that John Prine's songwriting is just excellent. There's so much to unpack here with these songs and lyrics. The storytelling of songs like "Angel from Montgomery" and "Spanish Pipedream" really shows off some considerable talent for the craft. I said that the songs don't particularly stand out for musical reasons, but the themes of each song really do the heavy lifting in regards to creating stand-out songs. You have some songs that manage to actually be pretty funny and entertaining like the opener, "Illegal Smile" balanced out by melancholic war tunes like "Sam Stone." I love it. The songs have aged remarkably well too. The fact that a song like "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore" was written in 1971 is stunning to me. This song feels like a perfect embodiment of post-9/11 America, so to hear something like this 30 years prior is crazy. I love it though. It goes to show how ahead of his time John Prine was. Overall, this might just be the best country album I've heard yet. Between the solid musicianship and phenomenal songwriting, this album has stood the test of time as a classic of the country genre. High 4/5.
I really love the lyrics and the stories, but the music is not necessarily my style. Solid 3.5.
Crisse que j’suis tanné du maudit country, yeeedodleedoo doo shalalalalang
i didn’t dislike it as much as i thought i would, but it’s not quite a 3. every time i thought it was something more than countryslop, it would throw in a lyric about “beer”, “jesus,” or “hate muh wife” to prove me wrong. every track is a bit repetitive too tho. fav track: sam stone
bah.
Country wie man es hören möchte. Aber dann ist auch mal gut. Für mich kein Meilenstein.
RIP Mr Prine
Love John Prine. One of the best to ever do it.
Nice!
good
54 years later and "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore" still rings true...
2.0 - Weak
Absolute classic. Can't go wrong here.
That was unexpectedly cute. Hearing the original versions of things that I heard covers of was neat. I'll probably listen to it again
It's not my genre by a long shot. I don't necessarily dislike country, but I'm picky about it, and this style is absolutely in the dislike category. I don't like the twanginess of this particular subset of country. That said, I find I'm pretty entertained by the lyrics and themes in this album. There is a fun rebelliousness to this music that is rather infectious. It's really REALLY not my music style though.
Fav songs: Paradise; Pretty Good; Donald & Lydia Never heard of this artist before and thoroughly enjoyed the album's humor. If you're a fan of folk-country, you cannot go wrong here. As an aside, I already knew how to pronounce Muhlenberg before listening to Paradise due to where I grew up. Did not ever occur to me there is likely an umlaut missing over the 'U'. 😊
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
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.
Songwriting and storytelling was really entertaining on this album, and I thought the production was really good. I can only take John Prine in batches, so I started to get a little tired of his voice and the similar song structures throughout the album. Still had a good time listening to the stories, though. He isn't known for his vocal melodies, but there were some pretty guitar picking and chord progressions. I'm thinking on a soft 4. Favorite songs: Illegal Smile, Hello in There, Pretty Good, and Six O'Clock News, Sam Stone
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”
Maybe I've just been in a weird place emotionally recently but this album made me cry. Probably the best album I'm giving a 4.
While the actual music may sound like unassuming country/follk, the lyrics and subject matter are deep. Death, war, alcoholism, coal mining/environmentalism, death, and rape. Deep stuff. That fact makes this much more appealing to me.
hoooooweeeee
Väldigt 60-tal, folk, tidig singer-song writer. Dylanesque! Men raka sköna 60-tals arrangemang och stabil sång. En fyra, skulle kunna vara en femma om man gav honom chansen och verkligen djuplyssnade, tog in texterna.
It’s country isn’t it
noh peruskauraa…
Not for me, but Illegal Smile was funny and novel.
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!
OK this guy clearly wants to be Bob Dylan, but country. He just comes across as Nervous Norvus doing Paralysed.
If you, like me, are a Brit with no idea who this man is, you might be tempted to make some assumptions on what you're about to listen to based on the cover - with its haybales, acoustic guitar and double denim around this clean looking white guy - but let me tell you, you'd be absolutely right! This is the country-est country I've heard I think ever: it's got twangy slide guitar, Southern US accents, the start-to-Jesus time is less than four minutes, and all the songs relate to working class folks having a tough old time. It's country, and it turns out I really don't like country. It DOES, however, get the second star for its absolutely blistering takedown of patriots in Your Flag Decal... which hits even harder today than it would've done when first written.
He's a good story teller.
1.5 due to whiny ass voice
This is very good. I really like this country folk style of music. The songs were excellent with great lyrics.
Pretty good fun but not my genre really
Actually some good country
Maybe I should listen to more modern country. The more classic type is nice but I never manage to love it completely, which is frustrating.
i'm not a country gal, but we need songs like "your flag decal won't get you into heaven anymore" instead of the country-pop slop that this genre is currently forcing down our throats
Folky
I'd never listened to this before but it was a great find. I'm not typically into this kind of music, but these are some great lyrics and stories.
Musically a very traditional record. Country, folk, stuff like that, you name it. I guess, it must be all in the lyrics. Sarcastic detector off. Prine's voice wasn't particularly appealing, a bit throaty. Was it something special at the time of release in 1971? Possibly. Honestly: If so, I don't get it. One thing's for sure: I'm never going to listen to this record again. But hey – I tried. The good old American way: I'll try anything once.
Very Bob Dylan coded. I wasn't really liking the first few songs, but Paradise was so catchy that I think it made me like the rest of the album more than I would have. Still, this isn't really music I'd choose to listen to unless I'm in the right mindset.
It's country music.
One of the best there ever was.
3.8 2x surprised as a solid country album with folk influence
Country is certainly not my thing. This is sometimes more folky than country, which makes some of it tolerable, but still. Hard to get into this on any level.
Pretty twangy. Very country. He literally sings about peaches and Jesus in the second track. Not my genre, but the songwriting isn’t bad on tracks like Paradise and Your Flag Decal Won’t get you into Heaven Anymore.
An objectively hilarious record. Down home vibes and standard country instrumentation. It’s okay.
Before 1001 Albums I knew of John Prine but really hadn't listened to him. Even though he tends to Country which isn't my gig, I have really enjoyed this album for both the song lyrics and the music on it. Standouts are "Paradise" , "Pretty Good" , "Angel from Montgomery" and "Quiet Man" although I really should include "Flashback Blues" :D.
Ole John Prine, great protest album
drei bis vier Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore Six O'Clock News
A pretty sentimental and passionate "classic" country album. I know nothing about John Prine, but it's easy to tell (and hear) that he was a talented songwriter who drew inspiration from the everyday man/woman. The fact that Prine was 24 while recording all of this makes the previous sentence all the more impressive. The music itself is a bit simplistic and unremarkable, but it's the poetry that really shines here. 8/10
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).
I could only get 4 tracks in before his voice got too annoying. No thanks!
I really liked the first few songs and then I kinda zoned out
Amazing lyrics. Okay music.
2 - didn’t find anything I really liked
I wasn’t initially sold until I got to Your Flag Decal, and it clicked. I enjoy a folksy, country tune. But the biting satire of patriotism not making you a good person was a refreshing change from a genre often oversaturated in religious sentiment.
A guy from Chicago who made it with country/folk music. I recall seeing him on SNL long ago (maybe even season 1), but I don’t recall what he sang on the show. This album exceeded my expectations, and it makes me wonder whether the guy who compiled this 1001 albums list included country western artists. Maybe he doesn’t consider this one country western?
Here's a guy I've only heard the name of! I did not expect straight country. For the first two songs, I thought: his voice + the plucky guitar sound is something I associate with kids music, albeit beloved kids music, and I just can't get into it for more serious topics. The lyrics are good though. After a couple more songs, I got slightly used to it(?) and could appreciate it more. But then 'Paradise' was back into the 'Children's Favorites' style. I dunno. A bit of a (lowkey) rollercoaster all the way through, in this way. Never unpleasant, though. Big "it's not you, it's me" energy on this one.
His voice is not my fave. I like it better when it's more folky and less honky tonk.
I appreciated the songwriting but didn't care much for the musicianship.
John Prine is one of those artists I've heard all the reverence for but haven't listened to his stuff much. Or at least I thought that was the case and then I listened to this album and recognized so much of it. He was the real deal.
Buen folk / country, con uno que otro tema llegador. Me la pasé bien, nada más.
You’ll laugh and you’ll cry listening to these observations from God’s own down to Earth Mail man
too much country for me
Great country music.
bro sounds so bob dylan alike
John Prine has several songs that are very dear to me and that I think are important to the American song book. For me, they aren't on this particular album.
Well, this is very twangy and nasaly - I was all ready to set fire to this album, but then I listened to it a little closer. "There's a hole in daddy's arm, where all the money goes." Sometimes it's good to go outside of your bubble.
Sorry, John, but I’ve never been able to get behind your style of country. Though I do very much appreciate “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore.” Would have been just as needed a message in the 2000s as in 1971. Prine also deserves much credit for “Angel From Montgomery.” The Bonnie Raitt version gets a lot of love in our family.
A honky-tonk Harry Chapin, or maybe Jim Croce, perhaps a more contemporary Woody Guthrie? - though not quite as fully-fledged as any of them. Prine has a way with a story, but I think he’s a better songwriter than performer. I appreciate the social commentary/protest elements, but don’t really dig the twang. Angel… is by far the most famous one here, but it’s been done better by other artists.
John Prine is like a less annoying Bob Dylan. Veers too country for my taste but some good songwriting buried in there and it can shine when covered by other artists (case in point: the covers of Angel from Montgomery by Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Dave Matthews and others). The song "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You into Heaven Anymore" seems particularly relevant again.
I didn’t know that John Prine wrote Angel From Montgomery, a song I recognize and like from a Dave Matthews Band cover. Even so the music is just OK. The lyrics are hokey. And his vocals are nothing to get excited about.
This so wasn't my thing. I struggle with country. It took me four attempts to get through this. Begrudgingly. Sorry
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.
What kind of vegetable do you need to put in your mouth to sound like this? But seriously there is some beautiful songwriting and production on this album. With thoughtful, wry and timeless lyrics about social issues Prine's limited experience is overcome by some subtle production and arrangements. Nonetheless this is more poetry than music and it only really shines if you push the hard-working studio musicians into the background to focus on the meaning of the words.
Long time folk singer. Either you like his music or not. I’m a not.
I'm surprise how much I enjoyed this! I do not typically listen to country music, but I like how laid back and listenable this is.
come on...
I normally dread when I get an album by a singer/songwriter as often times they feel over represented on this list. I knew a couple of his songs going in and was expecting I would enjoy those and be turned off by the other tracks on the album. I was surprised to find myself quite pleased with the whole album. I had to pause when I got to today's rating and think before ultimately choosing 4 stars as it was almost a 5.
прочитала про любовь Боба Дилана к Джону и прям представляла как он слушает альбом с лицом Джареда Лето увидевшего пальто. но я не такая, просто норм олди хик
this is like bob dylan if he found a haybale
Gute Texte auch
But a question ain’t really a question If you know the answer, too. Best. Song Writer. Ever.
"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.
As a fan of Jason Isbell and the Drive by Truckers, I know Jason has said that Prine was a big influence on his song writing. First few times listening to anything Prine and now I get it and you can hear it. Just listen to Southern Rock Opera. Much like this album, just about every song is a short story. I can't say I enjoyed this album like I enjoyed DBT, but it certainly had it's moments. Something about Hello In There really hit my heart. Also enjoyed Sam Stone, Quiet Man and Pretty Good. I can't say the other songs were bad, just a little too country twangy for my taste. I always appreciated my Spotify kicking in a DBT song on random after the album too. First time in a while I read a little bit about the artist before my listen, because of Jason. It played into my scoring as I did not realize what an influence he had on so many artist. Anytime I can read Jason Isbell in the same writing as one my Mom's favorites, Kris Kristofferson, this day just became a hell of lot better. As for the album itself, I'm scoring a 3. For making me think of my mother, well I can't put a score on something like that. 3
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.
Bonito album de country. Un buen descubrimiento
Meh
Typical country music
Listened to this after a long day of travel so my heart wasn’t in it, but was nice inoffensive country folk to have playing in the background. Not typically my preferred genre but this album was nicer than I expected
01) Illegal Smile - 6,5 02) Spanish Pipedream - 6,0 03) Hello In There - 7,0 04) Sam Stone - 6,5 05) Paradise - 6,0 06) Pretty Good - 5,5 07) Your Flag Decal Won't Get You into Heaven Anymore - 5,5 08) Far from Me - 6,0 09) Angel from Montgomery - 6,0 10) Quiet Man - 5,5 11) Donald and Lydia - 6,0 12) Six O'Clock News - 5,5 13) Flashback Blues - 5,5 TOTAL: 5,96 (60/100) Current ranking: 349/435
Dla mnie to takie książkowe country. Album, który mógłby stanowić uosobienie wszystkiego, o co chodzi w country. I mówię to w bardzo pozytywnym sensie. Mam wrażenie, że jest to absolutnie perfekcyjny przedstawiciel swojego gatunku, wyznacznik standardów. Tylko, że to nie jest mój gatunek. Także bez większych emocji.
I thought it was brother of Optimus Prime and this will be some kind of techno music but it;s country. Decent country but I feel it's lacking something that would elevate it to the next level. 3 for you Mister John maybe try your luck in being a car or something.
One of my favorite bumper stickers that I’ve seen said “John Prine is pretty good”. Such a fantastic understatement. This guy told stories like no other. One of my big regrets is missing him in concert last time he came through my town since he died shortly after.
if you rated this a 1 because “country music” you are never seeing the kingdom of heaven. love this album <3
I'm not sure how I feel about this album. I didn't hate it but it's a bit too old man rock for my tastes.
Story- songs about regular people.
I was excited when I saw this was today's album. A chance to finally sit down with an old beloved gem (apparently endorsed by no less than Bob Dylan) that I hadn't heard before. Basically, the sort of stuff that makes me look forward to this 1001 albums project. I hated this so much. 'Illegal Smile' is a bunch of the most banal, obvious imagery, contorted into awkward rhyme and meter. Some songs are petulant and myopic, like someone complaining about how the TV news is nothing but sad stories. Other songs like 'Sam Stone' are an over-the-top tidal wave of misery and tragedy. There’s a dissonant mix throughout of praise for the simple rural folk, and contempt for their values. Also 'Pretty Good' has a bit about someone being sexually assaulted by a dog but I'm going to assume that's a reference or metaphor that I failed to understand. This album made me wonder if I hate folk music. I understand this is partly a product of The War, and post-1968 US politics, but that doesn't decode it, doesn't make it click for me. The funny parts aren't funny, and the sad parts are as depressing as you can get without being inadvertently funny. (I didn't like my first Joni Mitchell album either. Is there something about the early 1970s that I don't get?) I feel bad seeing him there on his little hay bale. I don't blame him; it’s not his fault. I hope he found some peace.
Hmm, I felt some whiplash listening to this. Some songs are goofy novelties, others are like "god is dead and all my friends died in the war." I liked a few songs, but as an album, I find this confusing. 2 stars?
John Whine more like. but seriously i don't mind shit like this
Nice album, good country music
Great Lyrics, solid songs, a little one dimensional though. Nice represetation of early, disillusioned Americana.
Well, I'm not really keen on country so this poor guy never really stood much chance. But I got into the lyrics and have a lot of respect for some of what he's saying. The fact 'Your Flag Decal Won't Get You into Heaven Anymore' could have literally been written last year about the world today really got me. He's also got a great voice and I enjoyed the harder edge that crept into the latter songs on the album and kept me going after the slight lull just after the middle. It's still not going to rank among my favourites but I didn't dislike it.
I dislike this a lot
John Prine is on the Mount Rushmore of songwriters.
Proper country, great storytelling, yee haw
6/10 Good songs, great and relatable lyrics. Especially on Illegal smile. Sometimes the lyrics get a bit too cheesy as do the vocals overall. Slide guitars sound great on the album. I like the album, but probably won't listen to the songs again. 6/10
Album art: 5 especially for the story of it
One of the best!
I've had so many people tell me how great this bloke is, but i was pretty bored tbh... maybe i'll go read the lyrics again
Pretty good for what it is, just not my genre Will I listen to again: 5%
Fantastic album. Great songwriting. It's probably a 9.5/10 for me, rounding up
I’m not a member of the country hate train. But I also didn’t like this all that much. The lyrics can sometimes be hard hitting. But there wasn’t much variety with the instrumentation. 2/5
Was fine, didn't love it as much as i'd hoped to.
4/5 for the great lyrics, 2/5 for the music (sorry I still don’t really get country)
Hillbilly music once again, pass
I love this guy's country twang, and his lyrics are goofy and enjoyable for the most part. That being said, the music is fairly simplistic (even for its time) in terms of melody, harmony, song structure, and choice of instrumentation. Prine clearly can't hold a melody with his voice when the compositions call for it. He sounds like your farmer uncle who sits in the corner bouncing a kid on his knee. And singing. Safe to say I'm quite surprised to see any post-60s country on this list if it doesn't revolutionise the genre in some way. The song Pretty Good is a bit of an anomaly here: the chorus lyrics are horrifically bland (to the point where they feel like a 70s sonic shitpost), but Prine kind of makes it work. There are a couple of songs where the lyrics are so distractingly bad that no American charm can save them from the fiery depths: namely, Your Flag Decal Won't Get You into Heaven Anymore and Donald & Lydia. The best songs, on the other hand, are ones that add backing vocals or other ear-catching instruments. Paradise has what sounds like a fiddle(?) and some lovely campfire-country harmonisation in the chorus. Spanish Pipedream contains a surprisingly great electric guitar riff. Angel from Montgomery, while not being the only track to contain an organ, pulls it better than the others. 3/5 Key tracks: Spanish Pipedream, Angel from Montgomery, Paradise
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!
Love the lyrics. "Your Flag Decal..." is for instance a stunning political statement I wish current country music could spell out with as much conviction, spite and wit. Not so sure about the music, though. "Hello In There" and "Sam Stone" have wonderful arpeggios, but they sound a little too similar, especially for back-to-back tracks like this. And the rest sounds... well, it sounds pretty mundane to me. I'm a "music first, lyrics later" type of guy. Therefore, I'm gonna wait for this particular country record to grow on me. I know John Prine is a stellar songwriter, as later track "In Spite Of Ourselves" proved (whether the original or the cover version by Viagra Boys). It's just that as a music writer, I don't really think there's anything striking to him, generally speaking... 3/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums 8/10 for more general purposes (5 + 3) Number of albums left to review: around a hundred, as I've gone over the 1000 line and this generator is including albums from all editions of the book Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 446 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 268 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 324
Good album. I like his story telling skills spiced with humor. I find listening to him very calming.
I like it. Not really creaveable music, but I gotta give 4 stars to my hometown boi.
If I wanted a cosy, southern country album this would be a 5* effort. I almost never do, though...
The music is relatively simple, but the lyricism is great. It mixes humor with seriousness well, and has a lot of clever wordplay. I thought Your Flag Decal Won't Get You into Heaven Anymore was especially a good listen, since the message hasn't really changed in the last fifty years.
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
That’s how I wished Bob Dylan would sound like
John Prine is underrated as a song writer/influential artist and this is probably his best album (though I can’t claim to have listened to the whole catalog)
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.
Love John Prine. Great album, though i do prefer his later work. This oscillates between fun songs about life to criticisms of our society and government. Repeats: Spanish pipedrram, your flag decal, far from me, angel from Montgomery
#439. This is just country Dylan. 3/5: acceptable Song added to playlist: Angel From Montgomery I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
Very Good album. A collection of his ballads with a message. Very simple lyrics and always a great hook. I enjoyed this ver much.
This isn’t for me, but it IS for lots of people, so good for them.
John was a national treasure
Hometown hero here. Some of the best lyrics in country rock.
Great country
4.7
John Prine’s self-titled debut has everything you’d expect from a ‘70s country/folk album — plenty of pedal steel, honest songwriting, and storytelling that hits just right. What really surprised me were the little touches, like the sitar effects sprinkled throughout. You can definitely still hear that late-’60s influence woven into the more traditional sounds, and it gives the album a cool, unexpected vibe. I’m not usually big on country, but this one’s a solid listen from start to finish. “Paradise” in particular stood out — it felt like a blueprint for a lot of the stuff I love from Old Crow Medicine Show. You can hear the DNA of their music in tracks like that. Favorite song: Sam Stone
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
sad songs
I guess I don't pay a lot of attention to things I don't know. I saw John Prine, and was thinking some mediocre contemporary elevator-rock artist. And then the first song started and I was like, "Wait a minute... I guess I don't know who John Prine is after all." This album is the kind of music that takes me back to the country I grew up with. Thoroughly enjoyable!
there’s nothing better than when an album reminds you of an old girlfriend
What a great album! Even if you don't recognize any of the songs by their titles, they're likely to set off memories as soon as you start hearing them. Prine was a terrific songwriter, and the number of artists who covered his work in the 70s and 80s would make up a long list indeed. These performances are sometimes rougher than the covers you might have heard, but they all highlight just how terrific the songs themselves are.
uninteresting country
Great listen. Nice cool mix of folk and country. Will definitely listen to again. 3.5/5
Checks a lot of boxes, but not all. Prine’s songwriting is top notch, Hello in There, Sam Stone, Paradise, Angel from Montgomery, all excellent. His singing is like a more monotone Dylan (if that’s possible) and often times he sounds like a country copy of him. I’m torn between a 3 and 4 (can we get a 10 point scale for this thing!).
John Prine isn’t the style I normally go for but I love his stuff.
Overall: 6/10 Lyrically, Prine's music is really impressive. I find his voice to be pretty whiney though and it really stops me from being able to appreciate it the way I'd like to. I'm also just not a huge country fan and this doesn't do anything different enough to amaze me. Still enjoyable and I think it has merit. Fav Song: Pretty Good Least Fav Song: Sam Stone
Not a huge fan of country Dylan, tbh.
Fun album that doesn’t take itself seriously. But this music just doesn’t vibe with me. Might be different live, but I just can’t do it when it’s recorded.
9/10. Very lyrically strong - almost poetic, draws you in and is about interesting subjects. Good composition as well - I especially liked the quiet yet constant acoustic chords in most of his songs that acted as a percussion the whole way though. In songs like this, typical drums can be jarring, too loud, out of place, distracting, yet a lack of percussion removes any feel of rhythm - the use of guitar and bass as rhythm is nice and bluesy, whilst still maintaining the country vibe of the songs.
Interesting album. Not my kind of music. Might like other albums mote
The Good: John Pine likes to sit on hay The Bad: depending on the trousers one wears, hay can start to pinch right through The Ugly: can’t think of anything more ugly than the bad… So yes, a country album… and guess what? I liked it! For me this, this is the kind of country that I like, more folk than country really. Interestingly enough, and only knowledgable by me after reading the wiki page, it seems that Bob D heralds John P as one of the greatest song and you can imagine Bob D singing several of these tunes no problem. Also, with lyrics like this an album is worth a second, third, fourth spin for sure: Last Monday night I saw a fight between Wednesday and Thursday about Saturday Night. Tuesday asked me what’s going on, I said “Sunday’s in the meadow, and Friday's in the corn” Off to play the album again 4 1/2*
Once again I have tried and failed to really enjoy a John Prine record. Strangely, this time I actually enjoyed the sound of the album, the instrumentation is great and it’s really well produced. There’s just something about the vocal that I do not get swept up in. Doesn’t deserve a low score, just objectively not my thing
Relaxing country and statement pieces
Great album, introduced me to ‘country music’ (belatedly) and has been a great favourite since.
1. zmile - 1.5 2. zpanizh - 1.5 3. hello - 1 4. ztone - 1 5. paradize - 1.5 6. good - 1 7. flag - 1.5 8. far - 1.5 9. angel - 1 10. quiet - 1.5 11. donald - 1 12. ziz - 1 13. bluez - 1
That was some real country there and from an artist I had never heard from previously. If you like country (not what is called country today) you’ll appreciate this one, otherwise you’ll probably hate it.
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.
Pretty good for country album. That's high praise from me.
The lack of too many background instruments really emphasize the lyrics on this. Really a great story teller and I quite liked this album.
Enjoyable album, you can feel the emotion on each and every song, pleasant surprise.
John Prine’s self-titled debut feels like a masterclass in storytelling. The album alternates between funny and sad songs, though really, the funny songs are just the sad ones with the melodrama dialed up. As someone who appreciates a bit of theatrical exaggeration, I respect that. The combination of Prine’s distinctive voice and the mostly gentle country guitar makes this a very pleasant listen. His lyrics take center stage here, painting vivid pictures and capturing everyday life with wit and poignancy. My only complaint is that the songs start to blur together after a while. While the lyrics are brilliant, the delivery could have used a bit more variety to keep things engaging throughout. Standout Song: Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Score: 3/5
John Prine is always good
Bit too country.
Diedi 2 mesi fa, e ho zero voglia di risentirlo dunque 2 sia
che due maroni John, sei bravino ma sono tutte uguali
Sound generale ok, ma un po’ ripetitivo
I’ve always loved John Prine. This is a stellar album of him.
Surprisingly good, very easy to listen to
I, too, stare down my oatmeal and lose to it every morning.
One word for one star......awful
jo men det har nåt ändå. hör ganska tydligt att decemberists är inspirerad av prine eller liknande musik. folk och country gifter sig ganska bra.
Well done, hot dog bun.
"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.
Prine's debut transcends the genre's wandering tendencies with clever, cutting commentary that locks the listener's mind firmly in place.
No thank you. Some amusing lyrics, but not enough to actually enjoy listening to country music.
Sounded like Bob Dylan doing country music - 2 things I'm not really into.
I was assigned this album the morning that Donald Trump won his second term. It opens: “When I woke up this morning, things were lookin' bad Seem like total silence was the only friend I had Bowl of oatmeal tried to stare me down, and won.” It’s a whole mood. Incidentally, John Prine died of complications from COVID-19 in April 2020.
Много тут таких альбомов, они все приятные, но людям за пределами Америки они вряд ли понятны
Yeah fine! A bit forgettable honestly.
The Felice Bros would not exist without this guy! Not my usual thing but appreciated it nonetheless, puts a lot of this modern country nonsense to shame!
More Hip Hop and more Punk than most albums in this list. Never thought I would enjoy Country Music.
The most striking thing about this album is the chilliness of it. I’d always thought of John Prine as this warm folksy Appalachian grandpa, with my only real exposure being his funny and warm “In Spite of Ourselves,” but this album reads as dispassionate and cynical. “Sam Stone” paints a haunting picture of addiction while punching you in the gut with its frank statement that “Jesus Christ died for nothing, I suppose,” and “Pretty Good” is a biting dismissal of the idea that anything really means anything. Prine weaves stories of average people suffering under a grim and disinterested universe. Even the more comical songs, like “Donald and Lydia,” tend towards a cosmic flatness, as two outcasts who seem meant for each other never actually make it happen; they’re destined only to “make love ten miles away.” The opener, an ode to marijuana in “Illegal Smile,” seems friendly, but even it’s openly about using drugs to escape the misery of everyday life. This is a DOUR album. So to me, while this album is good and Prine is clearly talented, it’s not hard to understand why he never gained the wide audience that songwriters like Bob Dylan or Neil Young or Paul Simon picked up. Dylan was often cynical, but that cynicism came from strong emotion; Young was often miserable, but he was also sentimental and had a rah-rah electric guitar side to balance it; Simon was often dispassionate, but his removed character studies are usually more charming than sad. Prine is all three of these things, and he makes no attempt to water them down or make his songs more palatable to a popular audience. That goes to the sound, too, as his dry bleat of a voice lends little color to the spare arrangements. Charitably, he’s an uncompromising sort of artist, too honest to be accepted by the general public. Uncharitably, his music is too damn boring and depressing to earn a huge fanbase. Either way, I come away impressed by his talent but not necessarily excited to hear more. Best song: Hello in There
My 72nd album and the first I couldn't finish.
I like this. Great Americana feel with intentional lyrics and a real message. A little bit of Bob Dylan but leaning more into the folk country arena. Very listenable. Listened to the whole thing three times through.
This pure country singer songwriter stuff probably has a place on this list in that loads of people love it, but it didn't connect with me - I guess you need to hyperfixate on the lyrics which I didn't do.
Very classic chill country vibe.
I fully approve of his lyrics, and that is about the most praise I can give this. 2.3 stars solely for telling the truth about the world.
A couple of songs sounded like some Bob Dylan deep cuts otherwise just not good
Far too much rootin' tootin' yee haw for my liking.
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.
I’m an instrumental guy so this wasn’t interesting to me. Surly the lyrics are the focal point and are fantastic, someday I’ll sit down and read them. :)
Great lyricism, beautiful twangy voice. 🎶 There’s a hole in Daddy’s arm, where all the money goes
Supreme storytelling. Simple but effective instrumentation. John Prine is simply that dude. I bet Wes Anderson loves this album.
Not a Country music lover at all and this album did nothing to change that point of view. A genre I will never play and even avoid. My lack of Country music knowledge means that I cannot make a judgement on the actual quality of the music and where it stands compared to similar albums. I therefore go with my gut to say it’s a big miss from me. 1/5 20/10/24
Pretty aggressively fine. Country by way of Dylan, so removed from modern country that I did a double take when I heard his voice because it was almost cartoonish, but it grows on you. Nice vibes.
Really not keen on the genre. There is at least some humour in this one though. It does get samey after not long at all, but it isn't awful in terms of lyrics.
Twangy, folksy, and overtly Christian. Liked it more than I thought I would. The storytelling reminds me a bit of Bob Dylan. Much respect for staying out of politics all the way until his death in 2020.
Never listened to John Prine before as I thought his music wouldn't really be my thing. Surprisingly, I thought this was really good. Brilliant lyrics especially given the age of the album. Fav tracks: Six O'clock News, Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore
Americans complaining about the amount of Brit-pop here can shut the fuck up
John Prine Vibes of my sad drunk uncle (complimentary) “Well done. Hot dog bun. My sisters a nun.“ Sam stone. Very sad. I loved it.
pretty good, not bad, can’t complain
The music is a vibe, some of the lyrics are goofy but I like them
Goofy lyrics, but I liked it overall
One of the most influential country artists ever. Storytelling and lyricist savant. Country wouldn’t be what it is today without him. John Prine was one of the pandemics first “famous” victims. RIP! His music will live on forever!
Favorite Track: Sam Stone
Makes you feel like a cowboy fr
4/5
good songwriting and some funny lyrics but I don’t love his voice. Angel from Montgomery is great but I definitely prefer the Bonnie Raitt version.
Love John Prine and love this record. His songwriting is so witty and funny and poignant. He has so many great records but there are some true gems on this one
Personally offended by this one
Great song writing but I just struggle getting past the music.
Een Dylan-achtige singersongwriter met een nogal clichématig countrygeluid en een mekkerstem. Het loont de moeite om de teksten mee te lezen en even op te zoeken waar het eigenlijk over gaat, want de teksten zijn beter dan de muziek en uitvoering. Het doet me denken aan de te vroeg gestorven Jim Croce, die hetzelfde genre hanteerde, maar dan véél beter en een stuk minder sloom.
Weer zo'n ouderwets klinkende country plaat met zo'n typerende stem. Zo kunnen ze toch niet allemaal klinken? Hebben ze echt allemaal hetzelfde accent? Het zal toch aangeleerd zijn, die lichte trilling in de stem? Voor mij is dit allemaal één pot nat. Al zijn de meeste nummers ook voor het genre redelijk suf.
Mensen met een soort van spraakgebrek, in dit geval een ongelooflijk knauwersaccent, heb ik vaak moeite mee om naar te luisteren. In dit geval past het op zich wel bij de country-achtige muziek. Het heeft ook iets smartlappen in zich. Henk Wijngaard. Zing maar mee op nummer 2: hey Suzie, de bui is over. De teksten lijken overigens verder wel iets meer om het lijf te hebben dan de gemiddelde blues en country. Maar Ome John heeft de pech dat ik hem soms moeilijk kan verstaan tussen het knauwen door. Maar of John Prine nu in zijn (pick-up) truck zit, scheurend over route 66. Of lui liggend met een grasspriet in zijn bek op een steen ergens op de dorre praire, met rataplan aan zijn zijde. Of dus op een hooibaal gaat zitten voor de foto van de albumhoes. Het is allemaal wel redelijk wat je zou verwachten, het plaatje klopt bij de muziek. Al zegt hij zelf dat hij nog nooit op een baal stro had gezeten voordat deze foto gemaakt werd. Hoe dan ook, de hamvraag blijft natuurlijk: levert dit mij luisterplezier op? Het eerste nummer is top, daarna volgt een minder stuk met Henk Wijngaardnummers (gek genoeg wel zijn meest bekende nummers blijkbaar). Het tweede gedeelte is heel Dylanesque en dat bevalt mij uitstekend. Met name die pedalsteel die veelvuldig terugkomt, dat is altijd lekker om te horen. Over het algemeen haal ik hier redelijk luisterplezier uit, een beetje relaxte countryfolkblues op zijn tijd gaat er prima in. De Henk Wijngaardvibes trekken het wel iets naar beneden, maar ik kom gemiddeld nog steeds uit op een hele aardige 3. Al twijfel ik nog voor een bonuspuntje voor de pedalsteel.
Not even a good singer. Lyric so cliché. CW bad enough; this one just made it worse.
This is pretty amazing. Elegiac, working-class, junk country or something. Cutting lyrics, humane politics. Resonated with me today. Excellent. "There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes" I mean, bloody hell.
There’s a hole in daddy’s arm where all the money goes.
"Pretty Good" is a banger. "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore" lyrics are just as relevant today. "Angel From Montgomery" is perfection. Not every song stands the test of time, but enough of it is so good, you can't help but feel it in your heart.
Well, it happened. The true test of wills when it comes to music for me: I have scratched and clawed my way through an entire country album. No genre can lay claim to being my most hated like country can. This album completely ruined my morning drive. Several times I lost focus because my ears and brain were being subjected to torture. My toddler couldn't wait to get out of the car and into daycare; and he will probably hold this ordeal against me for the rest of his life. This album actually made me appreciate the communal radio in work, and I hate the communal radio in work. Listening to this felt like everything my body and brain typically rejects was trying to attack. As if there was some internal civil war going on. Every country 'twang' that hit was like a carpet bomb on my senses. Every country lyrical cliche John Prine hit was as if the troops within the trenches of my insides had to duck from an onslaught of bullets heading their way. With every new track starting up, and the longer the runtime went on, it began to feel like a war of attrition. But my troops have persevered and we are all the stronger for it. All jokes aside, John Prine seemed like he was a nice dude. I'm sure he has many fans; and it seems many artists mark him as an influence on their work. I just really do not like country music. Like at all. It is to music what 'Battlefield Earth' is to sci-fi film. It is the 'Episode I' of the Star Wars prequels (yeah, I like Episode II. We do exist). It is the 'Revolutions' of the Matrix trilogy. It is the 'Highlander II' of the Highlander franchise. And it is every sequel to the original 'Crow' film because they're all terrible. I guess it wasn't "all jokes aside" lol. Dip country music a little bit into other genres and I can tolerate it a bit more. But 40+ minutes of pure country? Not something I'm into at all. Aw what the hell - I'll give you some more! Country music is the 'Big Rigs: Over The Road Racing' of racing games. It's the original 'Final Fantasy XIV' of the prestigious RPG franchise. It's the 'E.T.' of retro gaming. The 'Balan Wonderworld' of platformers. It's the 'Sonic '06' of the blue hedgehog's adventures. And 'The Angel Of Darkness' of the 'Tomb Raider' series. In fact, I'd much rather listen to Pink Floyd's 'Ummagumma' on repeat all day than... okay. I'm done now. 1/5
4/5. Love this, and sad how a lot of these are still very relatable to what's happening today. Direct lyrics about exactly what he is thinking and his feelings about the world. I understand that that's what folk is basically but not as clear as this and no holding back. No walking around the subject. The music itself is nice but not something to praise. And some of the later songs on the album don't hold up as much as other ones. This is definitely on rotation but not perfect. Best Song: Angel From Montgomery, Sam Stone, Paradise
Chill, and reminiscent of early James Taylor.
I really enjoyed this despite not being a country fan
Yeah, giving this a second shot. I can see why this does well for fans of Dylan, Young and Springsteen. Some of the music is pretty. But I just can’t get into this. 2/5
YAAAAAY
For not being my fav genre, I actually really enjoyed this album. Great lyrics. Nice and mellow. Don’t know that I would listen on the reg, but I’m glad I’ve listened to it!
album feels like ur grandpa is telling you stories in his rocking chair next to the fireplace 8/10
I don’t care how “not country” this is. It’s country, and I don’t like it.
John Prine no es Johnny Cash ni Bob Dylan, sin embargo es una figura absolutamente respetada por ambos. Fallecido por la COVID (padecía cáncer de laringe) en 2020, antes de esto obutvo un merecido disco de tributo por parte de algunos de los más brillantes representantes del Country-Folk-Americana actual. Homenajes y versiones ha tenido de casi cualquier músico. Este disco de debut obtuvo una aclamación tanto en ventas como en crítica y presenta notables momentos y algunas de sus más conocidas canciones: Illegal Smile, Sam Stone y sobre todas Hello In There. Se mueve por parámetros clásicos, con una voz similar a la de Dylan (menos nasal, que luego a consecuencia del cáncer sonó aún más grave y mejor) algunas veces más hacia el Folk (Paradise) otras hacia el Rock (Pretty Good), pero en todas con absoluta maestría tanto en la melodía como en los textos.
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 isn't remarkable from a music perspective, it's really understated and stripped back simple country, but he's a wonderful lyricist and storyteller with a sweetly captivating voice to sell it. It gets a nice high 3 because it was a good listen, had some moments of promise when it breaks out of its shell like Pretty Good and Angel from Montgomery, not enough of those moments to go higher but a decent album.
Won't be going back to this really, it's too generic country in style. Lyrically it's pretty good, definitely has more depth to it than most country I've listened to, but the delivery just grates on me too much. If I had to listen to country music more often, this would be reasonably high on the list, but I don't so I won't. 3/5.
Not bad, decent album. Go to the country, eat some peaches. 4/5
“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.”
Country isn't my thing and I cannot understand the praising of the lyrics. It's crude craftsmanship at best, but nothing near a lyricist would write and be proud of.
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
Should have known when I saw the hay bales. It's pretty bad. Terrible lyrics. Hope his song writing got better cos he has a reputation that this album doesn't justify.
A new listen for me. Save for some Jonny Cash and Gram Parsons country music is not usually my thing but I enjoyed this. The songs are simple but not predictable. The lyrics are great vignettes of ordinary people living their extraordinary lives. Kitchen sink dramas. A fine album
Ranked 149 on Rolling Stones 2020 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time! I am intrigued! This man is a true poet. “There’s a hole in daddy’s arm where all the money goes.” That’s powerful. Hang on - he wrote “Angel From Montgomery”! Ok, so we’re talking about a bonafide genius here. This isn’t quite my style of music, so I can’t give it a perfect score, but good Lord this was great. Absolutely belongs on the list of albums you must hear before you die.
Well, country really isn't my genre. Not by a long shot. So I wasn't thrilled to get this album. After a full listen-through, I will say it was proficiently played 1960s-1970s style country music and Prine’s lyrics are clever, but a lot of it reminded me of songs from the Muppet Show - think Kermit the Frog singing The Rainbow Connection. I like the Dave Matthews Band version of Angel from Montgomery a lot more. 3⭐️
That was a treat! I like his songwriting a lot. Best country artist in my opinion!
One of the most interesting country albums I’ve had on the list. Feels very unconventional in its themes while still relying on the old country sound from the 70s. Could see myself coming back to it when I’m in a mood for country music! 7/10
Got a little repetitive towards the end maybe, but it's some great country. Stands out lyrically with some really personal stuff, a good deal of anti-war sentiment I caught in there. Guitar playing is lovely too and he has the perfect voice for it. Very nice.
Enjoyed rhyming of ‘peaches’ and ‘Jesus’ but that’s about it
Pretty solid
I wasn’t at all in the mood for this today, and I found it kind of annoying. However, there are some witty lyrics here, which I appreciate, so it doesn’t feel fair to rate it as low as 2 stars.
Even though he doesn't have the greatest voice, I found myself enjoying this album Loved the guitar and the songs were very catchy 4 ⭐️
Not a fan of country music but this was actually alright. Good lyrics decent music.
Ibland påminner det om irländsk folkmusik, alla spår låter lika, inte helt enkelt min grej. Förtjänar det fler stjärnor än en, antagligen men det blir bara en stjärna. Bästa låten: Sam Stone (låter precis som The Post War Dream).
A new one on me, and a decent surprise.
Just a nice country record with a bit of a political slant haha. Not amazing but far from terrible. A second listen really gave me the space and time to hear more and appreciate more.
Harmless songs with some subversive and amusing lyrics. Got boring around the third or fourth song, though, as the music is just so ...country and western. The haystack in the album cover says a lot! Not very keen on his voice; sounds a bit like a farmer, leaning on his rake, singing at the sunset. Yee-haw.
even if I don't like country music, this is not bad
In country music, Why is Loretta always down by a big river, eating peaches, looking for Jesus? Played around with the timings/tempos a lot on this. Equal measures great and annoying! Hope Kathy got all those spoons polished… 2.7
Country is my worst genre on this list so far, but I enjoyed this one.
Where has this been hidden? This is exactly why I started using this app. Amazing stuff
One of the greatest song writers of all time. Funny, earnest, kind hearted, lovable, working class. His whole career is full of excellent material. One thing I love about John is he sings as characters often, Angel From Montgomery starts “I am an old woman” it’s about being old, lost, confused, wishing for more, to restart. It’s absolutely heartbreaking, and absolutely beautiful. Flag Decal and Sam Stone, probably the two biggest songs, are both anti-war songs, one with humor and one with tragedy. Both are poignant, both stand as some of the best critiques of Vietnam. Donald and Lydia has two of the least likely protagonists of a love song, the punch line being the two of them masturbating far away, never actually meeting. But Prine finds the beauty in that! It’s a joke, but one you laugh with! One that shows the beauty of life and love. That’s why I love him and his art so much. He holds a magnifying glass to humanity, warts and all, and is rightfully critical of evil, but often leaves me feeling happy about people and the world in general.
Meget fint lille album, der var en håndfuld sange som jeg ret godt kunne lide, men også en del som ikke lige sagde mig så meget. Og kæmpe shoutout gitte bjerre xd
I liked this album as "coffee shop music" - perfect to have in the background as I worked.
Good for what it was, with what seemed like clever lyrics when they caught my attention. I enjoyed it well enough, even if I'm unlikely to revisit it.
A rare instance of an artist I've never heard of being a great surprise. This has shades of Willie Nelson with equally fun, subversive lyrics - all delivered in a twang that reminds you country doesn't have to stay in one, populist, predictable lane.
It's country/folk music not much more I can say. One.
So bad
Yet another by numbers Country album- queue slide gutar etc. There was one song I didn't mind, but just a general feeling of apathy towards this rather than any particular hostile feeling. The cover art was definitely the worst thing about the album. Closely followed by the music. It would get 0.5 of a star on a very good day.
Lyrics are good. Music is not my thing. Your Flag Decal Won't Get You In Heaven Anymore is very relevant today. Took guts to write and record this and I respect that.
Lyrics are very good. Music is eh though
Man I can't stand country music. Listening to this after a 5 hour drive isn't helping either. This isn't the worst album ever, but it is the last thing I want to hear today Very low 2
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
well done, hot dog bun, my sister's a nun
I understand what makes this good, but I don't like it at all. You can have very good termites in your porch's wood, but that only makes it worse. Favorite song: Hello in there
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.
My thoughts on this album went up and down throughout. I think I stayed on the positive time more often than I was on the negative side. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I’m not a fan of most country music, so it was these areas where it tended to lose me. However, a lot of this sounded folky, perhaps in the same vain as Bob Dylan minus the annoying voice. I’m glad I heard this album, yet I’m unsure if I’ll be coming back for another listen. Probably not the whole album, but maybe the odd song.
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.
Some of the sentences this man concots… One of those lyricists who just constantly blows me away
Always had a sweet spot for Mr. Prine, past TVZ and Lucinda Williams I always thought he was one of the best storytellers in the folk/country scene... the album is really fun and kinda zany - dude kicks ass!
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 respect Prine tremendously, so I wanted to love this record. I liked it a lot, but maybe my expectations were too high. I'm not sure. Regardless, this is an astounding debut; his writing voice was fully formed. He's funny, unpretentious, and an astute storyteller. It's a good thing the lyrics are great, because the music itself kind of comes second here. I can hear his influence on other singer-songwriter types outside of this genre, especially Springsteen and Lenker. Also, "Angel From Montgomery" is a perfect song. I think this is an album that would reward repeated listening. Highlights: Illegal Smile, Hello in There, Paradise, Angel from Montgomery
How many of these "one man and his thoughts" country albums have I got left? They're all so samey.
It's becoming more and more obvious that the human race is splintering into 2 races. One pursues knowledge, security, and progress for all humans. The other wants to return to a previous time where ignorance and mass stupidity reign supreme. The latter creates music such as this as a waste byproduct.
Twice as irritating as it is interesting. I suppose we can just chalk it up to a matter of a style that I rarely appreciate. His stories of down-on-their-luck American ordinary-types have a certain poignancy, but this can’t do nothin about his nasal delivery or the deep dull repetitiveness of the tunes themselves. Can’t see listening to this twice.
Repetitive with stupid lyrics and boring themes. Really not that great other than a few of the instrumentals. 2/5.
Some interesting lyrical things in there, all in all a solid country album.
It felt like a meta commentary album that used country to mask its intentions. Otherwise this would be no different than the seemingly hundreds of other drowry country albums at the time. 2.4