Reviews (page 5 of 8)
F*** Toby Keith, this is real country music.
This album is an American classic! It's fire folk-country that represents Appalachia to the Mississippi river. There's a mix of sad songs and happy songs, but all of them are great and have a story to tell. John Prine had a perfect country singer voice and I'm sad I never knew about him until now. RIP
Love Mr Prine! This was an awesome listen
Much better than expected. Reminded me of Bob Dylan. Would listen to it again.
catchy, comedic, and wistful. like a funnier bob dylan perhaps
Wow. What an introduction to someone I have never heard before. Every song was really good
Some songs are catchy, mesmo não sendo meu estilo
Illegal Smile has me hopeful about this album. I'm liking this wayyyyy more than Bob Dylan's Blood On The Tracks. Sam Stone is a great tune. Your Flag Decal would be a good punk cover song.
You know, these nasally folk artists can be tough to listen all the way through for yours truly. I really enjoyed the vibe of the album from start to finish, I try to absorb the scene being painted for me. And eventually the nose faded away and I just relaxed into it.
Social commentary and protest songs in a country style! I really liked this. Pretty Dylan-esque. Fave track - "Sam Stone" - mainly because Spiritualized lifted some of the lyrics for one of my all time fave tracks "Cop Shoot Cop" from "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space" and hearing them in the original song was one of those "oooh, so _that's_ where that came from" moments!
var faktiskty bra
Spanish Pipedream and Sam Stone are highlights
I did not know him before. Love the sound.
4/19 Great songwriting, some somber songs delivered lightly. Standout Tracks: Hello In There, Sam Stone, Pretty Good, Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore, Six O'Clock News
Great lyricism. Must listen country album
His voice isn't great but his enunciation is clear, which is important because this is all about the lyrics and they are full of amiable wit and occasional wisdom. I found most of the musical settings unremarkable, although Hello in There is lovely
The unmistakable voice of John Prine. Great album
Guy sounds like a bit like Bob Dylan but has a different style of songwriting. Cool, but not something I see myself revisiting in full.
I understand this guy is the master of his genre but it sounded pretty uninteresting to me.
Medium
I have covid dont make me
I liked it enough. Kori said it “wasn’t the worst country album he’s heard”
Yup, that was John Prine. I found it funny that so many of the songs started with the same guitar part
Arlo vibes
influencial folk artist; e.g., BS Ghost of Tom Joad
I prefer folk to country, so not everything on John Prine's self-titled is for me, though for the most part it’s a solidly written effort with some soothing, pleasing songs. I must confess though there is the odd moment which made me weary (Your Flag Decal…) and my favourite bits are those that reminded me of Bob Dylan.
John Prine is getting a solid 3, enjoyed the songwriting and the arrangement, voice is a little too country for my tastes
This was really enjoyable and it helped me discover the link between Spiritulised and John Prine. Mid 3s.
Better than expected.
I never heard any song from John Prine Country music is not really the music I like to listen to… But I like most of the lyrics, kind of „ballades“/ telling from live, war, getting older. I saved several songs from his album.
Great songwriter! Favourite Songs: - Illegal smile - Hello in there - Paradise - Far from me - Angel from Montgomery - Quiet man
Ok
Ok
Great lyrics and stories but I just really hate country.
Dude can write a song. Angel from Montgomery has to be one of the most beautiful songs ever written, I think I knew he wrote it, but never heard his version (Bonnie Raitt's version is a treasure) which is fitting because John Prine was a far better writer than he was a performer. I don't care what you think about county music, John Prine was an amazing artist and this album is a great showcase of his song writing talent.
Älskar illegal smile. Resten låter som regular ass country
I had previously heard of John Prine but did not know any material. I didn't even realize he was a country artist. I'm not generally a fan of country music, but this was pretty accessible actually. Some of the lyrics are very compelling; Sam Stone is a standout for this. While I wouldn't necessarily mind hearing this again, I probably won't seek it out.
I liked this immediately and was familiar with Pretty Good. Some good track and some good lyrics too but I can’t see myself picking this up again from my own volition even though it’s in my wheelhouse. Nothing wrong or bad but something’s missing to want to go back to it.
Country is probably not for me.
Mildly entertaining, mostly nondescript
1049 - "Here's your juice box and orange slice. Thanks for coming." ("And you will see me tonight with an illegal smile...)
oh fuck he really got a twang i like the instrumentation, i don't like this guy's singing. would be so so good with yodeling. where's that walmart kid but seriously, it's like leonard cohen. good lyrics, eh voice, great fodder for other vocalists to cover. I can really see Johnny Cash, Jason Isbell, Norah Jones, etc etc doing well with these songs 2.75/5
OK for what it is, but also highly overrated.
7/10
I guess I get the appeal. Country Bob Dylan to me. Some steel guitar is always great. But it's slow and drags on. So many similarities from each song to the next that it just became a chore
so many of my favorite artists love john prine, yet i've never really been moved to check him out. thanks for the push. this is fine. glad i listened.
I groaned when I heard the opening bars of this, but this was actually pretty funny.
Charming
Really solid country record. Again, this project has proven to me that I actually enjoy country music. The songwriting and music is very well composed on this one, and the mood throughout is right up my alley. I really enjoyed this one.
This is going to kill my spotify recommendations. He's fine, very bob dylan
Solid
Not my style, but kinda fun
Very witty very classic country. Hovering between 3 and 4
I'm not the only reviewer who didn't expect or even want to like this - only two albums ago, I declared I didn't usually like country music - but who then got drawn in by the lyrics. Poetic character descriptions and storytelling, with the power to affect and to amuse. I didn't love all of the music, and I could have done without the echo of Bob D in his voice. But it's certainly a decent listen. And I'd never heard of him before.
Could see this gowing on me. Probably deserves a re-listen. 3/5.
Normally hate this country crap but did I like this?
This guy was clearly doing a bit of Dylan ripping. He sings like Dylan, which is bad. But he does it better, which is good. He sings in that awful Country twang and tone, which is bad. But he does it better, which is good. These are Country songs, which is bad. But they have a definite folk lean, which is better. And rather than singing about god, cattle, booze, flags, and women from a right wing slant, he sings about things which are actually important.
Jaunty little country album with dylan influences. ok
it was fine but a little bit weird. too country
John Prine was a 24 year old mailman from Maywood, Illinois who wrote songs on his delivery route because he had nowhere else to be and nothing better to do. He got his first gig by heckling an open mic night, loudly, until someone dared him to get up there himself. He sang Hello In There, Sam Stone, and Paradise to a nearly empty room. The owner offered him a job on the spot. This is the origin story of one of the greatest songwriters America ever produced and it happened because he had too many beers and a loud opinion, which is arguably the most American origin story possible. Kris Kristofferson dragged himself to a late night Chicago club after his own show, sat down in front of a stranger with a guitar, and by the end of the first song reportedly said the kid writes like he is two hundred and twenty years old. Bob Dylan later called it pure Proustian existentialism, midwestern mindtrips to the nth degree, which is exactly the kind of sentence Bob Dylan writes when he is trying to compliment someone and cannot help making it about Bob Dylan. Bruce Springsteen simply called Prine a national treasure and a songwriter for the ages, which is what you say when you have run out of superlatives and the facts are doing all the work anyway. The album was recorded at American Sound Studios in Memphis using Elvis Presley's rhythm section, which Prine described as terrifying because he went straight from playing alone in bars, still learning how to sing, to performing with the best session players in the world. He threw everything in because, as he later explained, he did not know any better. Sam Stone alone contains enough emotional weight to sustain an entire career. Hello In There was written at 22 years old by a man who delivered newspapers to an old people's home where residents would pretend he was a visiting relative. He wrote the song because it stuck with him and because nobody else was saying it. Kris Kristofferson joked that Prine was so good they would have to break his thumbs. This was a compliment. The cover features Prine sitting on a bale of hay. He had never sat on a bale of hay in his life. The photographer apparently saw a hick trying to get out and made an executive decision. Prine later said he had suggested being photographed on a bus, which would have been the more honest image and a significantly less iconic album cover. The songs are extraordinary. The arrangements are sparse, acoustic, and rooted in a sonic world that predates everything I grew up on by fifteen years. If Noah Kahan had produced this record I would have given it a 5 without blinking. The songs deserve that production. They deserve the full dynamic build, the electric guitar swells, the drums that hit you before the words arrive. Instead they live in the quiet company of acoustic guitar and restrained instrumentation, which is the correct artistic choice and not entirely my natural habitat. I respect this album more than I enjoy it, which is a distinction John Prine would have understood completely and written a song about. 3 out of 5. One star for Hello In There, written at 22, which has no business being that wise. One for Sam Stone, which arrived in 1971 before anyone was ready for it and has been hitting people in the stomach ever since. One for the mailman from Maywood who heckled an open mic night and accidentally became a legend. The remaining two stars are somewhere on his delivery route, waiting patiently.
Folky C+W. Very samey, I can't see the importance or appeal. Pretty Good has some satirical lyrics, which is of minor interest. Same again with Your Flag Decal. So the lyrics are slightly subversive? Is that the point? Best track - Pretty Good, Your Flag Decal..., Flashback Blues 3 stars. Musically it's not very interesting, maybe even slightly annoying. But lyrically subversive enough to bump up to a 3
Awesome songwriting and interesting storytelling. Music was ok but a lot of songs kind of ran together. Would listen again.
Got some good songs, might listen again if I’m feeling like listening to country
Could be the best country album we've had, JP is definitely a cut above the usual both musically and lyrically while still sounding authentic. His guitar work reminded me of a good indie singer songwriter at times. Liked illegal smiles little tempo changes and the one about truck decals was well delivered. Think I would enjoy this live but it is still undeniably country music and by the end of the album Id had enough.
He has a really light touch - nice, intricate guitars, deceptively complex vocals. I would say, nothing struck me as amazing, but happy to have listened. Illegal Smile was my favourite track.
Pleasant bit of country, but nothing special about it. Kinda background noise.
Entertaining song writing. The style got a little repetitive but overall good stuff and easy listening to the story telling.
Might relisten.
They say that you shouldn’t judge a book (or an album) by its cover, but in this case the record company very much wanted to give us a picture of an amiable looking denim clad fellow sat on a straw bale with a guitar propped up beside him, making sure that we knew to expect a country album. John Prine later said “I thought they coulda has on a bus or something” The music is very much country but the vocals (at least initially) sound more like Bob Dylan. Pushing past that and listening to the lyrics shows a sharply written album with a wry sense of humour (“I knew that topless lady had something up her sleeve”). There are some pointed protest songs about the Vietnam War (“Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore”) and a hard hitting number about a wounded soldier coming home only to get hooked on morphine. The highlight for me was the heartbreaking song “Hello In There” which is about growing old and suffering from loneliness. Haybale-tastic!
An okay album, I liked Paradise the most.
This album wasn't really for me, even though it has a lot of the characteristics I normally am into. It's unlikely I'll return to it, but won't disparage it either Non-enthusiastically ⭐⭐⭐
Solid, actually not bad. Some OG country
The 3-song run of “Flag Decal”, “Far From Me” and “Angel from Montgomery” is really good. The rest was solid but didn’t capture me as much as I wanted
Like a more country Bob Dylan (Dylan himself is a big fan of Prine), great storytelling and a classic sound. Not all of it hits for me though, but there are definite highlights
Its a country album alright
Good lyrics, but I'm not big on country
3.5/5
Ja no well fine hey
I hate when my bowl of oatmeal tries to stare me down. Wait this guys kinda crazy what is he on about. Just some crazy country it sounds like a parody. Idk man it's nice I like it. Favourite: Six O'Clock News Least favourite: Illegal Smile
Well it’s ok and if you’re a big country fan you probably really like it. There are some decent songs. Sometimes he sounds like Dylan, sometimes even James Taylor.
Rv
bit repetitive, nothing revolutionary
Enjoyed this one
A Dylan like artist. I prefer over Dylan. An enjoyable, refreshing, back to basics listen
I kinda rocked with this ngl. Real cpuntey
Perushyvää countryä, sopii tiettyyn tilanteeseen oikein hyvin
Like a more country bob dylan. I thought it was “pretty good” top track: pretty good
***A good , easy listening album
5/10 Best songs: Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven, Angel from Montgomery This album will most likely be what I think of when I think of "country" from now on - even though it's (supposedly) somewhere in the intersection between country and folk (and maybe Americana?). Overall the album is fine. Few standouts either positive or negative, but Your Flag Decal... is still relevant today. That song, at least, is worth listening to.
listening to this felt like a joke, but so far it actually isn't so bad. i wanna do the spanish pipedream.
I know I’m missing something here that is not connecting with me. Is it me not being a lyrics person? Was it my first listen not sinking in? I know a lot of people like this guy and album, including the folks in my list group, but it hasn’t happened for me yet. I should probably circle back on this one in future.
# Album Name: John Prine # Artist: John Prine # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Meh, was ok # Top Tunes: # Would I listen to it again? Maybe once
Great country album, favorite song was Your flag decal won’t get you into heaven anymore. I felt the song was still relevant today! I was surprised how well I enjoyed it, easy listening!
- Very country, quite odd, comical songs - Kind of like Gilbert O'Sullivan
leuk, niet helemaal mijn genre
Inoffensive, but samey.
I liked this a lot more than I was expecting on first blush. Was rolling my eyes when I heard what sounded to be Fred Rogers singing country after swallowing Kermit whole. It grew on me quite a bit though, some of the lyrics are good and it’s got some variety in sound which I appreciate. It’s still country, but at least it’s not stadium country. Closer to a 4.
Humorous country folk album
some all-time classics here
That was fun!
I’m glad that Ben briefed me on this one before I listened, because I probably would have dismissed it pretty quickly as “not for me.” With Ben’s recommendation, I found a fair bit to love here. Enjoyable listen, but I haven’t fallen in love yet. 6/10 Pretty Good
Nice country album.
Country jeb jeb jebaaaaaanie dupcymi miłe panie fajne nuteczki
It sounds like old folk home music in parts, but the lyrics are actually very entertaining. I enjoy a lot of his turns of phrase.
🥰🥰🥰
Plum good listenin'.
Aangename stem
Country and folk aren't usually my preferred genres of music, so with that said I thought the album was alright. I definitely got notes of Bob Dylan in this album; the lyrics were clever and the guitar playing was nice, but I just couldn't totally get into it. I listened pretty carefully because John Prine is among my dad's favorite artists, so I wanted to give it a fair shake, and I just don't think it's for me. Maybe as I get older I will appreciate this type of music more.
I’m gonna be real, I know a lot of people looooove John Prine, but he was not a staple in my household growing up, so this was tough to get into. Took me like three tries to sit down and listen to this. The folksiness, the kind of cloying voice. It wasn’t an easy listen. But after focusing, I started to get it better about halfway through. I enjoyed his blunt humor, his anger, his blatantly anti-war messaging. It’s clever stuff and I ended up listening to it twice
me gusta el country?????
Murica again. Nice stories and all, but nothing extra for me. I think this is just the culture difference. I’m sure i could enjoy this more if i were american
448/1089 - It's a fine mix of Folk and Country. I don't really have much to say about albums I consider 3 stars. It's more fun to talk about 5s and 1s.
This was good, although I really couldn't stand the slow country songs. However, he really turned it around midway way through with "Pretty Good" and "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven." 3.0/5.0: Good
Un poco Dylan descafeinado. Me gustana más las canciones más folksys y menos country. Su voz me parece carismática, seguro que suena de fondo en alguna peli de los Coen...
Solid country. I'm feeling rootin and tootin
Jesus that overdose song was graphic. Fuck man these songs are dark. Kinda good country. Dark subject matter sometimes though.
Sam Stone fannst mér svoldið svakalegt, en hitt ekki nógu eftirminnilegt til að toga plötuna upp í fjarka.
While not being a big fan of country music in general, I was ever so slightly dreading the album. That being said, I actually had fun listening to it. I don't really think I have ever allowed myself to sit down and actually listen to any country music. I also feel that a lot of the time, it has this sort of stigma about it. But as I said, I had fun listening to it. Prine's vocals were really lovely to listen to and suited the tracks he was making. There are obviously some songs that stand out more than others, but altogether it was a decent album, and not a bad one at all to have as my first country album. Favourites: Illegal Smile Sam Stone Your Flag Decal Won't Get You into Heaven Anymore Flashback Blues
not bad, the kind of country i like
Folky, bluesy, country-y guitar music. It was okay, but not really my thing, I think.
That's some pretty decent Country
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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
A late Country singer who died from COVID-19.
3/5
Some really good lyrics and an inoffensive sound
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
Pretty good countryesque songs.
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.
Some beautiful country tunes with damning and even relatable stories, very nice.
Thoroughly enjoyed!
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
Great storytelling.
Yeah, liked it. Good lyrics, good songs, nice.
That's country how you imagine it
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.
margaritaville vibes (in the best way). angel From Montgomery is incredible. THRE!
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.
It's okay.
Nice easy listen 3/5
not bad but could’ve been better just standard country
Country/folk. It's ok but not super into it.
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.
Lwk not my vibe but wasn’t bad…
Nothing exciting here, I got all I needed from the cover
Album of two halves. First half great protest songs, second half country slop.
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.
Country leaning singer-songwriter
A fun little country album from a time where "find Jesus on your own" was a pretty radical statement.
its good writing but its not really my thing
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.
if you don't pay attention to the lyrics it just becomes background music at some point
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.
I want to hang with this guy 3.5/5
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.
It’s catchy for the most part. A little bit repetitive though.
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.
Basic country shit. Catchy, but won’t revisit.
Just a more redneck Bob Dylan.
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
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
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.
A fun collection of songs and stories, some deeper than you would expect. A light 3/5
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.
I liked it. Some of the lyrics were a little too country-cute for my tastes but overall a good listen. 3.5
Bowl of oatmeal tried to stare me down and won.
Dylan goes to Nashville. Again.
I just couldn’t get into it. Sappy.
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.
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.
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.
dig more than half, the more introspective less county tonk tunes.. the rest, no thank you
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.
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
Fairly interesting lyrics and I enjoyed the bluesier numbers (Pretty Good was pretty good). Not my genre though.
I was prepared to hate this based on the cover being the most country thing ever, but it actually wasn't bad. Somewhat Dylan-esque in parts, and some great lyrics stood out even on a casual listen.
I put this album to spin and was "oh no another country album "(I had Nitty Gritty last week), but this actually I didn't mind much and actually lied it. And it was the storytelling- the observation of those small moments in everydayblife you find happiness. Might listen to it again reading the lyrics. 3/5 the album is okish
Bob Dylan style folk singing Illegal Smile Spanish Pipedream Sam Stone Angel from Montgomery
Very country, very Bob Dylan.
I liked it. 3.5 stars
I’ve tried to get into John for years and never can. Same reaction on this listen. Every song individually is a C+ at worst but that just doesn’t grab me.
Country-folk music. Kind of has a Dylan vibe to it. Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: Top 500 Albums #149 (2020) Best Songs Illegal Smile Spanish Pipedream Sam Stone Angel from Montgomery
Folky country music. It’s fine
Not usually my type of music, but there is something relaxing about it. If it started playing, I wouldn’t change it, but I wouldn’t go looking for it.
2-3 songs stood out
Absolutely fine. I can hear the Dylan influence. I wouldn't complain if someone put it on.
This is a nice old school country album. It didn't stand out to me at all so I checked the Wikipedia to se if I was missing something. The main focus there was on the writing and the influence on later artists. As a non native speaker that might explain why I didn't find that little extra that makes this album special. That being said his voice is clean and the country feeling of the album is still great.
Not bad singing.
It was hilarious how much this sounded like Bob Dylan. Still a long lost country Dylan album was pretty fun. I'd get a lot more out of this if I pulled up the lyrics while I listened. Rating: 2.8
This is a nice record, easy to listen to, and yet there's definitely some depth to the lyrics.
I enjoyed it, though it wasn't amazing.
This was fine. Really liked "Pretty Good" and "Quiet Man". The description I read of this album (and John Prine) is that he was considered "America's next Dylan" and for the record I'd like to say that his voice and style is way better than Dylan's.
da risentire, non è roba proprio per me
Eccessivamente country classico americano per me ma apprezzo le vibes
First impression is that this is the kind of folk-y country I don't really like, but I will give it a chance. Ok, it was better than I thought and had me tapping my foot along. Still don't love the twangy, Bob Dylan style of singing, but I see the appeal for those that like the country genre. Mid-ish 3, which feels generous as a country hater.
It's a good un, but perhaps a bit twee?
I'm not a huge fan of the style (folk country with a side of country folk), but I can recognize the songwriting talent and skill. I do like other peoples' covers of his songs better than his own versions, though.
Good ol’ hippy dippy protest music. Done the right way.
A very sparse album. No doubt he wrote some excellent songs but his delivery is a little "plain". Contemporaries like Neil Young or Harry Nilsson have more texture in my opinion. Angel From Montgomery is an amazing some so Bonnie Raitt made it what is is, not this original version.
Halfway through and IDK what to think yet. Not a 1, not a 5... not anywhere in the middle either really... Wow, this album gets deep. But what isn't deep is John Prine's voice. I don't really like his voice all that much. Definitely takes away from some songs. I wanted to like this album more than I did. "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You into Heaven Anymore" is the standout I think. Other songs had their moments, but were just not good all the way through.
Not much of a country fan but there are a few interesting tunes on here, Hello in There, Pretty Good and Angel of Montgomery stand out, probably a 3.5 ⭐⭐⭐
Ok.
Since I've been listening to more country music than I usually do as part of the project, and to albums that I liked surprisingly well, I was looking forward to this album. John Prine plays good, unagitated music. I could listen to it well. But it didn't excite me. If I come across it again, I won't turn it off. But I won't go looking for it either. 3/5
An anti war country album?!!they were cooking back then Fav songs sam stone and pretty good
I initially really liked what this album was going for when I heard the first track, it resonated with me a lot honestly. The comedic aspect of this album helps this album sound better than it really does. The songwriting as well was something to be admired but the one thing that got on my nerves was the production. Don't get me wrong it wasn't bad or even mid but it just doesn't hold a candle to the other positive aspects of this album. There were some great tracks on here but I'd lying if I said I didn't almost doze off once or twice listening to this. Top 5: Illegal Smile, Spanish Pipedream, Sam Stone, Pretty Good, and Angel from Montgomery no bad songs 3.55/5
Solide Country Music der frühen 70er. Solide aber unspektakulär.
Quaint
Nice folk songs. Can be a good vibe if you’re in the mood. But I was at work so didn’t do much for me…
A pretty good folk album. The lyrics were fun, but no song really stuck with me. A nice change of pace for this list.
3 08.21.2025
Mostly fine.
fun
It just makes we want to listen to Bob Dylan Angel from Montgomery is fire tho
i liked it more than i thought i would
Another dude I never heard of. Should have known by the hay in the cover that this would be ultra country. I thought more folk. Further I got in it was more folk with country twang. I liked this. Interesting lyrics. Nicer melodies than country for sure. More diverse instruments it felt like. I’d listen to this again for sure. Worst part was his voice - but not annoying, just not polished.
Okay
Didn't do anything for me, but fine.,
Typical country album. OK for me
Not my thing at all but I can understand why others might love it.
Meh. Too twangy. But better than modern country of course.
I love him but this is not my overall favorite.
I've heard these songs before but not the entire album. The kind of album that was probably in the cheap bin 20 years ago but now sought after. It's ok but the style wears on you after a while. Definitely the kind of album that's good in a mix with other like artists/songs but kind of thin on it's own.
7/10 fun sound, reminds me a lot of road trip music I like, and it’s probably my preferred form of country.
Highlight for me was “Angel from Mongomery”. Definitely feels like a country Bob Dylan. I enjoyed it enough considering country isn’t a favourite genre for me.
Country is no my style but this was quite enjoyable! At the very least authentic and well crafted
some songs are sweet but still not a country fan
Nice and chill
bob dylan type voice but a more country/folk type lyrics and sound. 6/10
I really like “Angel from Montgomery.” I’ve never clicked with “Sam Stone,” despite any number of people who call it a classic.
Sort of a softer Bob Dylan with less edgy lyrics (and perhaps a less grating voice).
Not my favorite genre, but the songwriting and lyrics were great. Probably a 3.5 out of 5, just not quite enough for a 4.
- why do i relate this much to a old man in the 70s - nostaglia, religion, war - cute kind of love - descriptive lyricism
Great words, but it's fairly boring musically. Pretty Good is jarringly modern sounding; voice reminds me The Mountain Goats. Cool to hear a rock guitar solo after all the country. Your Flag Decal Won't Get You into Heaven Anymore - The words to this are particularly great. Angel from Montgomery - cool timings in this. Donald and Lydia - Bob Dylan was right; this IS a really cool concept for the time.
We used to be a proper country, with proper country music.
I really like the anti-war sentiment and the lyrics in general, but musically a bit samey. 'Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore' and 'Angel from Montgomery" are the highlights for me.
5 star lyrics (Sam Stone!). I kind of liked Paradise (fiddles) , Pretty Good (blues). It was good to be exposed to this artist, but country music makes me impatient for it to end.
I am being generous with a 3. The Dylan comparison is overstated as he is no Bob, nowhere near the same league.
This guy’s pretty funny. I wish this didn’t wash over me :(
This album sounds like a snapshot of Americana in 1971. Enjoyable, more so than I was expecting to, but it's hard to get past John Prine's voice, which sounds suspiciously similar to Bob Dylan.
You know when you're sitting on a chair and you lean back so you're just on two legs and you lean too far so you almost fall over but at the last second you catch yourself? That's John Prine nearly going into full Bob Dylan voice ALL THE TIME. This is way better than anything I have been forced to listen to from Bob Dylan on this list. It's still not something I would listen to again on purpose, but it wasn't that bad.
Fun, for country. I had an ok time.
I don’t like country, but this album is fun. It doesn’t take itself seriously and goes for entertainment factor with its whimsical lyrics, which I like. It’s also not as slow and doesn’t go for constant prolonged notes like country tends to do. This style of instrumentation and vocals is still not my thing, because I prefer the music to be more complex and/or energetic, but this album was pretty fun. 7/10
‘Paradise’ was the stand out for me with the bluegrass twang. Those elongated vowels reminiscent of Bob at times. Inoffensive after one complete listen.
I have one simple question - who the heck is John Prine?!? Lyrically, this album it's interesting - great storytelling in that usual country style, and John has a wonderful turn of phrase. Whislt not an exceptional singer (he sounds like an in-tune Bob Dylan), the song-writing is great. Wonderful country guitar playing, every song was simple but pretty. Like a few of the albums given to me on this generator, it's very background music for me. Good background music, let's not insult the quality of the song-writing and musicianship, but hard for me to lock into and give my full attention as nothing drew me in. I can imagine him sat in the corner of a nice country pub playing simple background music whilst I have a nice cold pint. I can't give it more than a 3 as it was... an average listening experience for me. Nothing blew me away (could be a sign of the times) but I wasn't offended or bored.
Very Bob Dylanesk except he he does a good job with music and singing. Great song writing.
Lots of classics here. Enjoyable, but I wasn’t riveted. (Shh, don’t tell Mike.)
Laid back and kinda funny in places. An easy listen.
Okay, for a country album.
He's a good lyricist although I wouldn't say all these songs resonated with me fully. Some good, some a bit boring, so 3* seems fair. I'm not really into country but this was better than some of the others from that genre on this list
A little hokey, a little honky — pretty fun
poignant classic
John Prine is as clever as there is a writer, both funny and despairing. I can see why he's so revered by the other great singer songwriters (Dylan, Kristofferson, Cash, Baez). But he cannot sing. He's a step above Dylan and Waits but then who isn't? I also didn't always love his musical compositions, tempo, or timing. I didn't dislike many (any?) of his songs but the ones I enjoyed the most tended to be because of the lyrics - Illegal Smile (funny, with an ending that reminded me of Dylan's Talkin World War III Blues), Hello In There (my favorite, so somber, so human), Sam Stone (very clever), Paradise (this one I like for it's rhythm, it's an easy sounding folk song), Pretty Good (witty, especially verse 2), Your Flag Decal Won't Get You into Heaven Anymore (great anti-war angle), and Angel From Montgomery (another one where the music speaks to me). Maybe like Waits, there's more Prine albums to come and I'll learn to love him. But after a few listens I couldn't quite get to 3.5 where I might round up.
Basic country songs with a country twang and shades of Dylan (at least nice to hear that Dylan was a Prine fan). The lyrics are powerful which is why I can appreciate his reputation as a great songwriter, but basic country just isn't my thing. Favorite tracks: Hello in There, Paradise, Quiet Man.
Ihan fine. Ei sykähdyttänyt mutta kuuntelisin kyllä uudestaan.
Country is not my favorite genre but it was chill and some songs I did enjoy. I like Angel from Montgomery.
A unique voice and perspective. I think he got better with age. 3/5
I know people love him but I don't really resonate with his music
Great lyrics and melodies Standout songs: Illegal Smile Hello in There Quiet Man
The lyrics are sometimes funny and sweet and poignant too, not a country fan at all but this is just alright, maybe 3 stars.
Not my thing, but the songwriting is definitely very strong. Songwriting is a 4, but the style is a 2, so I'll split the difference and go with 3 stars.
Nicely done songs.
Great song writing. Not a huge fan of his voice.
Not bad, very country.
Not my thing
This was the first time I’d ever listened to John Prine although I realized that I was already familiar with a few of his songs which had been covered by other people. His voice is, well, not great, but it’s endearing and his songs were so fun to listen to, because they told stories and so you had to listen to the whole thing to see what happened. I liked that. And Bob Dylan’s voice is absolute poop and people still like him, because of his songwriting ability. So why the heck not John Prine?
Highlights: Hello In There, Pretty Good. In a nutshell: the Dylan of country folk? Great lyrics. Bleak, witty, comically dark, real. The songs have a cliched country music composition (steel guitar, standard chords on an acoustic guitar, fiddle), but as much as that type of music annoys me, it makes the lyrics stand out more. Prine said that he didn't see himself as a protest singer or political lyricist. He just wrote and sang about what he saw around him. I think there is a place for this album on the list amongst country/folk stalwarts Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash. Overall: 6/10
Ктоа
Just getting worn out on albums that are ‘ok’ at best
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.
54 years later and "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore" still rings true...
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.
Pretty good fun but not my genre really
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.
Folky