Reviews (page 6 of 8)
I, too, stare down my oatmeal and lose to it every morning.
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.
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!
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.
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. :)
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.
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.
Goofy lyrics, but I liked it overall
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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⭐️
Enjoyed rhyming of ‘peaches’ and ‘Jesus’ but that’s about it
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.
A new one on me, and a decent surprise.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
Some interesting lyrical things in there, all in all a solid country album.
A social realist Dylan you say? With a better singing voice, ability to craft a song that sounds new and old at the same time. Slight tinges of C and W, slightly more straightforward storytelling lyrics and less stream of consciousness. Sounds like three stars to me.
Llega el country con uno de sus eternos interpretes. Buen comienzo.
Really good album
Good mellow album to listen to when to unwind.
Pretty good, though a little too straightforwardly country for my tastes.
Good ol twangy country
Was not expecting to rate a country album this high, but good lyrics are good lyrics
Country, folk. Ni fu ni fa.
Like early Dylan but enjoyable. Extra half star for no harmonica.
Oh goody, I thought. Twangy banal country BS to wade through. And (to be fair) a lot of the music is just that. But it made me realise that country music really allows the vocals prominence, and a lot of these ones are worth a listen. A few really bleak lines in there.
Lyrically this is still so relevant, musically, not massively my thing but I didn't hate it, it's a 3
Surprisingly good
I liked this quite a bit. I'm not into Country or Christianity. But I still got a lot out of this. It's got some super fun rock and psychedelic moments as well.
Culturally interesting and great lyrics but I'm so sick of all this folk music.
Good old boy
The one good country album.
Interestingly enough, after coming off the Amy Winehouse album, I am seeing a certain "why" in how I feel about certain music and musicians. It isn't like this is "bad" (consider Amy Winehouse, not "bad" either). It is just that it is targeting a certain demographic, and not a big sweeping one, but an addict down one your luck one or, in this case, a life long done you down low and you gotta' just accept your lot in life... But for those who don't buy it, The bottle does not empty itself. You can't leave a place if you don't get up and go. I don't feel the life sucks then you die thing so much. Taking responsibility is not the same thing as resigning to ones fate (which is never set in stone). So while it is Ok, even decent, I can't really cry over any of it personally.
I suppose this sort folksy style of country music has to be understated and restrained by it's very nature, it wouldn't be what it is if it wasn't. So it's hard for me to blame ol' John for not writing songs that stick my head or leave a strong lasting impression. At the same time, he does what he does well, and the songs don't overstay their welcome. So I'll give him an understated and reserved score I think he deserves, with an underlying nod of respect and appreciation.
Not a genre I really like but there is an honesty to this. The storytelling is good and the music doesn't fall into the tropes of bad country. I bit Dylanny at times.
Prine can turn a phrase but on this one his vocal style was getting a bit monotonous.
Favourite song - Angel from montgomery
3.5/5
I have friends who rave about John Prine, and have heard many musicians praise him. It’s all about his lyrics. He tells great stories. But in my opinion musically ist’s unimpressive.
Mr. Prime assembled a pretty great collection of Prog. Country tracks, and while the direction of the album can feel kinda stale, there are some stellar country tunes in the mix.
Country version of Bob Dylan
Classic old rock
It’s like Bob Dylan with better vocals and no distracting harmonica.
Saanko sanoa taas tyylipuhdasta? Sitä tämä on lajissaan. Aikamoisia tarinoita sanoituksissa! Rouhea ääni. En kuitenkaan ole syvästi koskettunut. Kaksi ja puoli tähteä.
Tarkoituksena on kuunnella tarinointia, joka onkin paikoin lähes pysäyttävää, mutta valitettavasti kaipaisin vielä vähän kekseliäisyyttä biisien musiikilliseen puoleen. Toimii levy tällaisenaankin.
John Prine is a fantastic songwriter. He reminds me of Bob Dylan in many ways. His lyrics are often imaginative, deep, and clever. He really touches the heart of many people. On the other hand, his voice certainly leaves something to be desired. It’s an acquired taste. It would be like Getty Lee and Rush. Some people tolerate him. Other people hate him, vocally, but, it just fits. The same with John.
Lyrics that were occasionally funny. I do enjoy him a bit more than Dylan. The music structure was the standard folk country, so that became a bit tiresome after awhile when it became clear there would not be any song arrangement surprises. Was worth a listen but probably won't make it into my regular rotation.
Such an awesome voice in the country space. So much feeling in each song. Rip fr
Clásico del country, buen álbum yeehaw
Wäri etz iwo zmitzt im nirgendwo sitting on my porch vibe denn wär da 10/10 aber so in bassersdorf hittets ebe scho ned so…
oke er näselet scho sehr, mier chegget du bisch countrybueb jaa bis jz findis na cute aber nöd meh WOW SCHLAGZÜG WAS ISCH DAS far from me isch endlich mal es lied wo mi wieder chli packt es gfalltmer allgemein besser wenn echli meh passiert, d orgle im hindergrund und de bass und s schlagzüg bringed vill find ich jaa cute aber joa?
I was initially not really enjoying it but at about the 4th song I started thinking hmm, this is all still super relevant. "Your flag won't get you into heaven anymore".
Anti-war country music was a pleasant surprise
Repetitive. Doesn't feel profound in any way
Good listen.
Made me think of John Dever. it's that style of music
Rating: 6/10
You know the album is going to be a little different when the first song ends with "Hot dog bun, my sister's a nun." The whole thing is a mixed bag though. This guy is a more Country sounding Bob Dylan with the clever lyrics in some songs like Illegal Smile, Pretty Good, and Your Flag Decal, but then there's some basic boring Country stuff too.
Heard of this artist. Not sure if I'll be able to give it a listen to much, not really into this kind of music.
This is a silly sounding album. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be or not, but the guy kinda sounds like Cat Stephens, I particularly liked the song Your flag decal won't get you into heaven any more, made me lol.
3.5/5
it's country with a lot of fiddle and banjo/guitar it's ok
Ok stuff
like a tv show i wouldnt return to but sat through. story telling on point
Was very listenable for an older country album. Very solid lyrics, flag decal sounds like it could have been written in the past few years.
Would like to hear others.
Pretty good, not bad, I can't complain. But actually, everything is just about the same. Strong start, with mostly forgettable second half. Excellent lyrics, capable of being playful to full of sorrow and despair.
I am not the biggest country fan, but this album made smile and chuckle. I recommend listening to it on a sunny winter's day on your way to the office for maximum impact.
Surprisingly I quite enjoyed this. Country folk isn't my favourite musical genre by a mile but found it quite mellow and each song told a story. Overall not a bad listen
I can see why people like him. Just not my favorite genre of music.
Liked, not loved. Some nice tunes; overall ok.
I like country so this was good.
yeah, so better than I thought. Some fun/clever lyrics and overall a pretty positive experience. Maybe a bit samey throughout but it was enjoyable!
At first I was not happy with another country album since that’s something I really don’t listen to usually, but this one was quite okay… Not too long album with nice storytelling songs, that would be 3 from me.
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There's a hole in daddy's arm where the money goes. Jesus Christ died for nothin', I suppose. That’s a hell of a line It’s a good solid 3 Suspect I could be convinced to go to 4 with enough listens
An interesting hybrid of Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan.
Not a fan of country. This was ok just not my thing. I appreciate the social messages. Your Flag Decal was hysterical and definitely holds up today. 3
Country, folk. Ni fu ni fa.
Great album, beautiful songs.
Kind of country-ish. The lyrics are really good. Probably wouldn't buy it but would listen to it on spotify.
2 1/2
Genre: 1/5 Lyrics: 5/5
Had a good turn a phrase on quite a few songs. Only an average listen for me.
I wish other genres would tell stories like country. If I didn't hate steel guitar and country accents in music, this would be amazing.
Nice, singer songwriter…
His lyrics are great. For a country/folk album I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would
A different type of songwriter to those around him at the time, and a cheeky sense of humour undercurrent to the lyrics. But.. I find his nasal delivery grates a bit, and makes each song rather same-ish. 3.5 rounded down to 3.
Mir gefällt dieser Singer-Songwriter Sound ganz gut! Die lockeren Texte sind auch ganz in Ordnung für dieses Genre. 5.2/10
Listenable country music. Sounds incredibly like Bob Dylan at first listen.
Being torn between Boredom on most songs and Admiration in some songs (e.g. Angel from Montgomery, could be one of best songs Dylan), let me give it 3 stars
Very country and very folk, which is not for me. But the lyrics are amazing. Especially Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven.
Fin plade, er sikker på at man kan finde mere hvis man VIRKELIG tager sig sammen og lytter til teksten, for musikken var ret generisk.
Definitely not bad, but not really my thing
Funny how I like his twangy voice but I always disliked Willy Nelsen’s twangy voice.
Not quite sure how to rate this one. In terms of song structure and lyrics, great. In terms of vocals, instrumentation and overall feel of the album, not my style, and I found myself wanting it to be over.
Not my favorite style of music, but I like lyrics that try to make a political statement. The lyrics add +1 star to what I was going to rate it.
Bodenständiger Country. Sehr selbstreflektiv und teils auf humorvolle Weise gesellschaftskritisch, wir "Illegal Smiles" (die Cannabishymne, die nie als solche gedacht war).
The music doesn't do much for me, but the lyrics are great.
Completely forgettable but not terrible.
Great
3.5 Decent album. The two stand out for me are Your Flag Decal and Angel from Montgomery
Ganska bra, lite skön country-folk.
This album deserves better than the rating I am going to give it. It's a heartfelt reflection and critique of American culture and society, especially war culture, perfect for the American counter culture 1970s. The lyrics are poetic and occasionally darkly humorous. I just really don't like slow country. Favorite track was Sam stone
Not too bad... but that era just has too many outstanding folk albums..
Okay country folk with some good lyrics.
I'm not a big country music fan but I think this album has some songs that touch on serious issues and I felt connected to. It doesn't have a ton of replayability for me just based on personal preference but I do think it was well done
This is the album that plays in my head when I think of folk music. Favorite track was Illegal Smile.
Really like the lyrics on this, very woke for the era. Very simple sound, but it does a good job of frontlining the lyrics.
I don't like country but I like John Prine. The music itself is whatever but what he sings about is the kinda stuff I can get into. He seems like a cool dude.
Nežinau, nelabai įdomu buvo, bet tiesiog nesu country fanas.
3.75
A few songs I liked more than the rest It has a lot of that warm sweet feeling that classic country music is known for A lot of the album ended up feeling a bit too simple and same-y and uninteresting for me. Perhaps it could grow on me though.
Esperaba un poquito más.
Great lyrics, good tunes, nothing to disagree with here, though nothing to really inspire either. It's a good album.
Really enjoyed this album and the lyrics were so relevant to even today. 3/5
Decent old school country music albeit a bit silly and goofy at times. Not something that I would regularly listen to but I am see how people would enjoy it. Not bad
Enjoyed this more than expected. One of those albums where I can't quite gauge the audience this is aimed at or the mindset of Prine himself. Which made if feel interesting and different (to me). The wordplay here is quite engaging in places, but I wasn't humming the songs after hearing them. Feels like a relic or souvenir of that place and time.
Þetta er allt í lagi, ekki minn tebolli en alveg áhlustanlegt.
Lyrics are some of the best I just can't get into his voice
Ihan kova countrylevy hei! Testasin uuden vahvistimen kuuntelemalla tätä. 3/5
Hyvää countrya. Tekstit tässä varmaan oli ne tärkeimmät, mutta en ehtinyt juuri keskittymään. Jää nyt kolmeen, mutta potentiaalia neloseen.
Wow, that’s super American. Middle of the road country. But it’s all perfectly fine. Worth a 3 of anyone’s money.
folky boy that must love bob dylan. taking cues. firing shots. anti war. its fine.
Pretty good stuff. I always wanted to like him more than I do.
I never really listen to the lyrics that much, because then I need to focus on the song and can't focus on anything else I'm doing. But here the lyrics really stood out to me, he really has some witty, and sometimes clever, writing. Country folk music isn't a genre I'm particularly fond of, so it's not something I will put on again probably. But I enjoyed if for what it was, and it gets extra points for actually making me notice the lyrics, which usually just pass me by as background noise.
I'm not sure what to make of this. The music was pretty basic and cliché country however the lyrics were not. Humour, wisdom and sadness were all here in his songs, the storytelling was pretty top notch. One I rate more than I like.
I quite enjoyed the sound, and there was a bit of the Kristofferson about the lyrics - but not enough to make me want more.
Very good lyrics, although there are some weird ass lines too lmao. Definitely one of the better country albums out there.
Aldrig hört förr. Underfundiga texter, tyckte om det.
lets see
There’s a lot lyrically to this album - Sam Stone is definitely a standout among a wealth of well written songs - Illegal smile and Hello in There also being strong shows. However the country folk thing is a bit too much for an entire record - and while Prine is a phenomenal lyricist - it’s a tough listen to ears like mine. Still a good record though.
Not my thing but I do like the laid back 70's feel and it exudes integrity. Pretty much the same tune and tone but the lyrics are worth listening to.
I can appreciate it if not quite my preferred taste
Lyrics are better than the music and singing. I guess I wanted to like it more but having only 1 of the 3 components isn't exactly going to give John Prine a great score. Was alright. 5/10.
My truck, my job, my girl, some girl got raped, my truck, my job, my girl...
It's a nice country album with some depth that other albums are missing. Nothing too special though if you have the limits of the genre in mind.
Folk and country. Fine.
The lyrics and storytelling are really good, but the instrumentals are often a bit basic and it's kinda the same for the whole album.
It was aight
Pretty sleepy country, the few more electric songs were better. All the people in global reviews are talking about the lyrics being genius but I guess I just don’t care enough. 5/10
Enjoyable music. Sassy man. Bottom song: Illegal Smile
Standouts: Illegal Smile, Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore, Others: Spanish Pipedream (Blow Up Your TV), Hello In There, Sam Stone, Pretty Good, Quiet Man. 3.5/5
good but too slow for me
Idk not really for me. A bit too much twang and twee
This album made me want to buy a cowboy hat, so that I could take it off to Johnny boy. It also made me hungry for peaches. He really cares about the story he is telling and forgets to rhyme. But I mean why rhyme when you can tell the world about Jesus more efficiently without it.
My bet is that some Texan producer said to himself, “What if Bob Dylan was Christian?” 5/10
It is a nice and chill album, hence I am very happy that I didn't listen to it in the gym today. I like: his accent his guitar tabbing his lyrics and the story he tell (when I actually payed attention to what he said).
4/13, 31%
Very solid and most importantly consistent country album. All songs are quality throughout the entire record. Enjoyed it enough to potentially return to this album later on.
Not bad! I like old folk country like this. My tolerance level for it wanes after about 30 minutes so this felt like it ran a little long. Overall, I liked it.
Nice and mellow Some songs had the instruments channeled strangely, some only showed up in the right channel and some in the left, was distracting 3.5 stars but you cant do half stars
COUNTRY ROAAADS TAKE ME HOME
Meh
Chill but all the songs from this album sounds the same...
Great songs, kinda annoying voice sometimes, but it's pretty damn good overall
I like this without loving it. If the music matched the lyrics, this would be five stars. Prine is a wonderfully creative songwriter, eschewing cliche and spotlighting some fairly peculiar subject matter for pop music. Unfortunately the music is as generic 1970s country-folk as it gets; all quite tasteful but a bit beige. The other stumble I face is that Prine's voice just started to grate by the end of the album. Enough, indeed, to drop this to three stars.
I went into this one expecting to hate it. But actually, the lyrics are compelling and incisive, and the music isn’t grating like most country. A welcome surprise! I think a lot of people need to hear that their flag decal won’t get them into heaven anymore
Why does this sound like it should have been recorded in the 1940s? Very nasal strongly country influenced singer/songwriter with an incredibly strong accent. (Not being American I can't say where the accent is from, it sounds like it should be Texas but probably isn't). The songs are well written but musically it is rather twee. Not my thing but well done.
This was fine. Very country/folk, so not my favorite.
Yeah it sounded like a Dylan knockoff, and was pretty generic. Good generic country, mind, but nothing new altogether. A decent record
Country clásico con voz conseguida y ritmos típicos del estilo de música. Para entusiastas del género
jahas jahas. dylanimaista folk diskografiaa paitsi paskempaa... kynä ei viuhahda kuin mestarilla... jeesus kristus imageryä paljon.. hyvä että KRISTILLISET arvot ovat NYKY AIKANA vielä tallella.... kyllä 1970-luku on nykyaikaa uskokaa tai älkää... luuletko että antiikin roomalainen kun puhuu tulevaisuudesta erottaa 1970-luvun ja 2020-luvun ei HIRVÄSTI KIINNOSTA ROOMALAISTA...olemme kaikki ihmisiä...kohdellaan meitä ihmisten tavoin...
Well, there's no question: This is country. I would rate it higher, but I feel that, even among country fans, the album is pretty tame. The sound is pretty crisp, though!
Very good, great storytelling.
A simple folk/country album by John Prime, who is supposedly one of the most respected musicians in this genre. Lyrics to his songs had a little funny or more sarcastic twist to it, which made it more pleasant to listen to, but ultimately, the music itself is not really defending the quality of the album. Rather an average record in my opinion.
Music-wise really not my vibe. A lot of cool lyrics in there though. Good storytelling. Some faves: "A bowl of oatmeal tried to stare me down and won" "There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes, Jesus died for nothing I suppose" "Your flag decal won't get you into heaven anymore; They're already overcrowded from your dirty little war"
On a few more listens, I think I could grow to like this more. Still quite nice. Original lyrics, sung in a gentle voice and accompanied by lovely guitar. I don't tend to listen to acoustic/folk/country music that much, so this was a nice change. I've also heard good things about John Prine before, so it was nice to check him out for the first time. Overall OK, but might get better on future listens. (really liked Spanish pipedream and quiet man)
Enjoyed it more than I thought I would Album cover: I like it 3/5
I liked this pretty well, but it is at that level of Country Sap that is a little strong for me. The maudlin plus the aw shucks and all. Clever writer though, and plays to his strengths as singer.
Ok
E okej je, ali nisam bio baš u tom điru.
this album was a calming listen. prine has an even voice, which definitely contributed to the overall easy feeling. it allowed him to tell stories within his songs and include a great political anti-war message. sometimes prine even included rather amusing lyrics (see the final few lines of “illegal smile”!). all in all, this album was a different kind of addition to this project. i enjoyed it!
Upon hearing the first song, I was quick to judge and figured I was in for an album with awful lyrics and awful vocals. While I won't say every lyric is a winner on the album, I can say that things go uphill from here. While Prine does seem to have some fun on this album, most of the lyrics do tell a worthwhile, engaging story. I found it funny that on a couple of different occasions, Prine used Jesus Christ as a storytelling device, talking about what Jesus would and wouldn't be liking about the state of the world at the time. Frankly, Your Flag Decal Won't Get You into Heaven Anymore was a bit jarring because this message is still 100% relevant in America, maybe now more than ever. I definitely thought of Bob Dylan when hearing this (and turns out, John Prine was definitely on Bob Dylan's radar). This was an interesting folk/country listen with some very superb first album songwriting chops!
Paradise is such a great song.
I saw this cover of this album and thought Itd just be another typical country album, but I was definitely wrong. The storytelling and lyrics on this are some of the best I’ve heard, I could picture in my head the exact scenarios the various characters throughout are going through in very vivid detail. That being said, a lot of the album sounds pretty same-ish and it got grating to listen to all the way through (until Prine beautifully sung another witty one-liner). This is definitely a project where you pick your favorites and forget those ones that don’t resonate with you. All that said, super enjoyable listen and might have to give the rest of his discography a try.
Not going to be something I ever choose, but enjoyed the listen.
Some very fun storytelling songs
OK I guess
Not really my type of music, but pretty nice album. I enjoyed it.
While the music wasn't exactly what I'm into, I appreciate the topics this album tackles. I definitely understand why people would really like this album. My favourite song was Hello in There.
would probably need another listen to warm up to it
A bit Dylan-esque. Probably a bit too Country for me to listen to regularly but ok. Some nice words in there, especially liked the bit Jason Pierce stole on Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space.
It's hard to rate this album because really listen to a lot of country/folk and I don't really know how to compare one country/folk album to another. I can tell there's a lot of heart and soul in this album though. Overall I'd say I liked it.
Country but blue collar + liberal like the good old days
Nice and chill
Lyrics are what made this for me. Subverted my expectations with those, but I felt the album as a whole was a little repetitive.
John Prine was a great storytelling singer songwriter. His songs are country standards now, Angel from Montgomery was covered by Dave Matthews. Overall a good album
Prefs: Illegal Smile, Hello in There, Sam Stone, Pretty Good, Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore, Angel From Montgomery, Donald and Lydia, Six O'Clock News, Flashback Blues Moins pref: Far From Me
I like it but I've never been as impressed by him as his diehard fans.
It was okay, I had never heard of this guy.
Nice country folk album. Very similar to Bob Dylan.
a nice folk album, I really enjoyed the lyrics
This is much better folk than the last folk album I got. The lyrics are packed with anti-war and other social commentary but the music is still fun to listen to
3, For country actually not bad
It's american folk music. Some of the lyrics are rather good, but the music itself is about as standard as you get for the genre, I feel.
Loved the voice, it's like Dylan in the pink Floyd's the wall. Overall it's a generic county.
Country, folk
John Prine is a gifted country singer-songwriter but there is nothing special about his voice and the arrangements weren't the best. For example, I much preferred Angel from Montgomery when covered by others
Great songwriter!
He was a good one, better on folk than country
Gouden country, perfecte stem ervoor
Surprisingly nice album. I liked the songwriting that contained social commentary about the 70s with hints of humor. Good artist with good lyrics and a nice voice.
S'écoute bien, pas mon genre mais je respecte l'oeuvre
Not my favorite. Country style singing is not always my fav genre. Good singing and decent instrumentals. Fav song: Spanish pipedream
Bueno
If the only song on this album were 'Angel From Montgomery' it would still be worthy of inclusion in this project. The rest of the tracks showcase his incredible songwriting talent. Due to his performance style and the era in which it was recorded, it sounds a little bland to my ears but I'm sure that's mostly due to the countless performers and acts who sound a lot like this. It also suffers through my ears because of my slightly negative perception of twangy country-western style music (although, as with any genre, there is plenty of music in that realm that I do like). Despite that challenge, I still enjoyed listening to it and definitely appreciate it.
Not a fan of country and this didn't exactly make me one either. It was pretty good though.
I'm not a fan of country music, but John Prine is one of the ones I can appreciate at least a little bit. Paradise, Angel of Montgomery, and Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore are the highlights here.
fvck country
Country, but charming. Didn't hate it but didn't love it either.
Overall enjoyed it but no real standouts for me. I probably don't listen to the lyrics enough. Prine has a goofy vocal tone that I kind of enjoy.
Knew I was in trouble the second I saw the guitar and hay bales on the album cover. Prine’s a fun lyricist, but I still can’t really deal with country music
I appreciate the tongue in cheek irreverence of the songwriting, there's a playfulness there, a subtle sendup of the classic twanging country song in every verse. The deeply earnest "I've got problems" country singer schtick of other artists gets old fast which is why this genre doesn't do anything for me. But I can see Prine up there, winking mischievously at those looking close enough to see it, as if to say "let's not take ourselves so seriously as all that George Jones nonsense, let's have fun." And I'm cool with that. And then there are nuggets of social commentary that don't beat you over the head, and that's cool too. Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore feels relevant in today's American socio-political climate, very on the nose.
I like old country but this one didn't really hit home for me. It wasn't bad but frankly I couldn't get behind the lyrics and John Pine's voice completely. Perhaps if I listened to him more I could like him more. I did however add a few songs to my list from the album that I liked somewhat ex. Illegal Smile
2nd Listen. Really starting to enjoy this one. 3/5 "side 1" is better than "side 2" but overall still really good.
bara fínt
Like the early Dylan albums, this debut from John Prine pays for repeated listening. There's a lot to explore and unpack, musically and lyrically.
Not a big folk guy but this one grew on me a bit. Lyrically very good and enjoyable. It's equal parts folk/country but avoids the worst of both genres. "Illegal Smile" and "Spanish Pipedream" are strong openers and are fun listens. "Flag Decal" remain relevant 50 years later which is impressive/upsetting.
The lyrics are the highlight here.
"hello in there" was nice
This was a fun listen, kind of country-folk poetry, the lyrics and songwriting are great. Musically a lot of the tracks sound kinda the same. Not bad though.
I'm not a huge country person but I can definitely see the appeal. Songwriting is solid, though not super excited about the melody lines or anything like that. Might go back and listen if in a yeehaw mood. Otherwise probably not. Fave track: Illegal Smile. Loved the line about the oatmeal winning a staring contest.
Great lyrics, ok country music
twiddly widdly country
heard some of these before and didn't realize it was john prine. a big find for me
Enjoyable country. But it's still country.
I will file this under a similar category to how I feel about Bob Dylan and similar singer songwriters......I'm sure the lyrics are lovely and the vocals put them across very well but I'm not very good at listening to them closely, call me lazy. Pleasant enough though just doesn't light me up with excitement
John Prine was clearly all about the lyrics, and it's evident from a couple of listens to this that even as a young man he was a cut above most other writers. There's empathy and humour and some knockout couplets, plus he tackles more interesting subject matters than your average schmuck. Musically it's very pedestrian though and while that helps to bring out the words, I can't honestly say it's an album I will keep coming back to. A respectful 3 stars.
Enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Wish he was a bit less religious as 3/4 songs were about angels or coming home to heaven. But the ones without I would definitely listen to again.
First country album I have received on this list. I am honestly not a huge fan of country at all (modern country is probably my least favorite genre), but I do find that I can appreciate older, folk-ier country as time goes on. I did enjoy this album more than I thought upon realizing what I was getting into, but I didn't think it stood out too much in terms of specific songs/moments. The instrumentals were relaxing and exactly the type of country I would like to listen to; however, I was not a fan of John's voice solely due to my dislike of the genre in general. I would definitely listen to this album again over some other albums I have received so far from genres I love which is a really good sign. If I liked country more, this would be higher up in my rankings. 2.5/5.
I expected to like this more given the reputation which preceeded it. It was more country one style than expected. Illegal Smile is Admittedly a pretty cooland humorous tune as is the next one Spanish Pipedream. Pretty Good might be my favorite song. All in all I enjoyed it 3.5 stRs
Was a bit annoyed at first but got over it. Still, not quite the generation to get into this, so in some ways it’s not for me. Sad country postwar americana.
Sounds like a very tame Götz Widmann
Pretty good, like john denver/simon and garfunkel.
Ok, acoustic singer/songwriter. Try not to be boring. Thank your band for helping you. The lyrics (which I'm sure at the point) are charming and entertaining. But, that's the trouble with listening while working. I think I miss that charm. But, I can definitely see myself returning to this when I am driving sometime and need something chill. That's the place where I can focus on music the most - at least the singer/songwriter variety.
Folk/Country singer's John Prine's first record, 1971.
Really great songwriting and lyrics here, particularly on the A side. This guy clearly has a lot of talent. But at the same time, I think it’s better as individual songs; as a full album it gets pretty samey for one sitting.
As far as folk music goes, this is passable. Favorite track is Spanish Pipedream.
good ol country
Enjoyable, but again not something I’m going to think about a lot
To the untrained ear this could be Bob Dylan with a bit of country added in. I enjoyed it.
Pretty and depressing. 3.5
Bit more country than I was expecting
Don’t know a lot of country for comparison and context’s same, but I heard a nice Dylan vibe, good lyrics, and overall just enjoyable to listen to. Nothing out of this world but my appreciation of country is limited so 3 stars
Test
Some great songs here. I liked it. 3.5 🌟
Twangy and informal
Country music. Not unique in any way, but quite pleasant and I like his voice. Vocally this reminds me of Bob Dylan, which is odd, as I find Dylan's voice really puts me off his music.
No es mucho mi tipo pero mola para tenerla de fondo, música de señor con guitarra en bar, hay algunas canciones q me han gustado pero en general no es q me apasione este tipo de música BT: Illegal Smile (1) Pretty Good (6)
There's that great scene in Stripes, where Bill Murray's girlfriend argues with him about always listening to Tito Puente. Murray responds by saying, "You know, one day, Tito Puente will be dead, and you'll say, 'Oh, yes, I've been listening to his work for years.'" The same theory could apply to John Prine. I never heard one word about John Prine, but when he got COVID and died, suddenly he had fans coming out of the woodworks. Might be crass to say, but I believe it was further magnified by the fact he was one of the first celebrity COVID deaths (for further reference, witness the outpouring of love for the dude from Fountains Of Wayne). So yeah, sacreligious as it might be in some corners, I think Prine is a tad overrated. Sounds like someone doing a Dylan imitation if Dylan went completely country. Angel Of Montgomery saves this for me, but I prefer other versions, especially Bonnie Raitt's cover. Angel Of Montgomery is a 5, and suggests that I should give Prine another chance. He was obviously a great songwriter. I'm sure I'll like him more than Tito Puente.
It was an alright album. I enjoy some folk songs, but I wasn't the biggest fan of the country-ness of this particular album. I can appreciate the blunt storytelling of the lyrics and the mellow guitar, but it's not the sound for me. Favorite track: Paradise
I enjoy country and bluegrass. The songs from this album had good storytelling but the music itself didn’t wow me. Maybe because it’s an older genre of country.
Not awful but not one to go back to
Not into country but some of the songs were alright
Le début de générateur était si catastrophique que John Prine y faisait figure de cador. Il reste toutefois très gentil.
allright, not as good as the blue one
I quite enjoyed it
un homme extremement sympatique, musicalement rien de particulierement interessant mais j'ai apprecié sa gentillesse et sa delicatesse, 3/5
Jingly jangly
Interesting stories and funny in parts.
Optimus Prine
Yeah it was OK. Fairly generic country.
Some catchy lyrics. well done, hot dog bun, my sister's a nun.
Dylanline
Playful, cheeky Americana but with some really solid songwriting. Not my typical cup of tea but I really appreciate the craft (and subversive political humor).
I sort of liked and didn’t like this album. It was just *slightly* too country twang for my taste, but I didn’t really hate it. I also found some of the songs to be surprisingly relevant.
I'm on track one and I don't think I'm going to last very long. I'm turning into Rolling Stone here, giving everything 3 stars even if I don't like it, but I can't exactly punish an album simply for not aligning with my tastes.
Discount Willie Nelson. Some talent but none of the songs truly grabbed me
pretty good not bad cant complain
6
Dylan-Esque, "Pretty Good" bester Song, sonst etwas zu viel Country für meinen Geschmack
I'm not fan of the genre, but I certainly listened to this a lot while working
Fun time country
Decent album, not the biggest fan of the unserious lyrics
Got some Dylan vibes.
I mean if this isn't country, or at least some yank folk rock, I'll eat my hat. haha ok the lyrics are great, it almost borders on joke rock so far. Hard to tell if it's a pisstake on country or a genuine effort. Wiki seems to think it's more of a genuine attempt at writing sarcastic hot takes and not the country version of steel panther or anything. I think they might be right. In any case, it's pretty catchy but it did get pretty samey, I'd had enough by the end. 3/5.
Heard of him but it's my first time listening to him. After the first song I thought it could be an interesting album but I was mistaken. The rest was absolutely not interesting to me, it was just ok at best 2/5
This is as monotonous as you can get. The tunes are plain vanilla but the rouse is in the lyrics. As clever as that might be, it’s not for me.
Boring country music.
2,5
On any other day, I could give this at least another star, but this is another album in a long string of country ones I've been hearing recently, and this just takes it over the edge. Alternatively, not sure if I'd really like it in isolation anyway.
Mr. Johnny Prine...sure can write a line. We got a decent folk-country-rock album here. Not half bad for a bumpkin outta Illi. This genre never gonna be my jam but I like the song's subject matter...fun story tellin'. Opening track "Illegal Smile" is a good one. 2.08 stars...pretty well done, hotdog bun, my sister's a nun.
John Prine seems like a pretty swell fellow. He drafted a couple decent tunes with some heavy subject matter, especially Sam Stone. Some of it was OK but I was surprised how cheesy the opening tracks were. Another serving of pretty standard country folk music from the 70's as far as I can tell. John Prine sounds like a really nice guy almost to a point that he sounds like caricature from a bad children's cartoon which is kinda endearing. I got some chuckles out of imaging a character like this in a Family Guy cutaway or something. We've had plenty of country music and I continue to feel the same way about all of it. I'd love to hear a true country fan weigh in on this album and explain to my why I needed to hear this specific album before I die. 1.89 stars
It's giving "there's a junebug on my shoulder, there's a cricket up my sleeve" IYKYK. Some very valid and very timeless messages but not my vibe overall.
I liked the humor. The instrumentation I wasn’t really in the mood for, but in the right context is up my alley.
It was alright—not the biggest fan of this country