Reviews (page 7 of 9)
Nežinau, nelabai įdomu buvo, bet tiesiog nesu country fanas.
In a mini run of country albums, this one wasn't half bad. There were some great lyrics and the music wasn't awful either. I can see where Roger Waters got some of his ideas maybe.
I understand his importance as a lyricist, but I couldn’t get into it.
Alright
I made it about halfway though and that is more than enough for me. Nothing particularly wrong with the music besides it being a bit bland and repetitive.
The first two songs were king of funny, seemed to not be too serious on the country side. Then it went downhill and got pretty bad. From his voice, he reminded me of Bob Dylan. But otherwise, way too country for my liking.
Perhaps has never been more relevant until these political times. You won't catch me with an illegal smile (or at least my lawyer concedes)! It all sounds the same. If you have this vinyl, you know what to do.
Never again. Please.
Old timey country for small cowpoke children
3.75
Purtty damn fahn
VERY folky
Got a good country album yesterday but this is not nearly as good
I'm already on the fourth song and it so far has all blended together. I'm multitasking but even so it's been most boring. I'm convinced that I will never like this genre, and that they can't ever do anything interesting because if they did it would completely change the style (which would be an improvement in my view). He sounds just like a thousand other artists to me. SO boring and repetitive. I just hate it. Okay I guess I should listen to the rest before I condemn it entirely. --Okay well that was sad. I finally thought they had a good song but the playlist had ended and it was playing something different. I know it's very mean of me to say but I just don't get the appeal and I would be embarrassed to like this music or to be a creator of this kind of music.
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.
Loved it! I was familiar with the name and his stuff really sounds great all these years later.
It’s pretty unremarkable but not awful. Fun lyrics here and there.
Wow. Another delightful surprise. I don’t know how John Prine passed me by all these years but I’m grateful to have listened today.
was actually much better than i expected!
Good country album. Never listened to John Prine before.
Early 70s rock classic
John Prine, you magnificent bastard.
abysmal
Esperaba un poquito más.
Creative, didn't really do much for me though
A poison pill wrapped in beauty and humor, this album is amazing. Bittersweet. The language is simple, yet clever and devastatingly potent. The arrangements are delicate, lovely and pastoral. The humor softens the bleakness. Truly an album of the human condition. The protests are potently stated for lack of stridency. Sick people in a sick country consuming themselves through appetitive desires, imperialism and capitalism. It yearns for a simpler, more rural solution to the ailments of the world, but these are but fantantasia. A eulogy for America. Folk/country music relies on the strength of the lyrics, and this album would be near impossible to be surpasses on that measure. The production has a light touch. No strings or studio tricks here. But that works very well because it puts Prime, his unpretentious, sincere vocal delivery and lyrics at the forefront. The backing band is gentle and melodic with sweet phrases of lap steel and occasional violin. There is zero new musical ground being broken here, but it serves its strengths perfectly. A beautiful, pure, honest work of art
Great lyrics, good tunes, nothing to disagree with here, though nothing to really inspire either. It's a good album.
I often try to convince my wife the country is not all just ‘There’s a tear in my beer’ type songs. But then some bullshit like this comes along
Really enjoyed this album and the lyrics were so relevant to even today. 3/5
Country isn't my cup of tea but this album was a great listen, I enjoyed it both musically and lyrically it is also good.
It may grow on me.
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
Fun country wholesome
Creo que las letras son graciosas, pero tampoco me he molestado en escucharlas. El rollito country-folk me da pereza.
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.
I like a bit of C&W with a sense of humour. Alabama 3 are clearly fans. There wasn't enough to sustain me until the end. The lyrics wouldn't make daytime radio in 2023.
Way better than the last album. Pretty good I would give it a 4/5
You really have to be willing to listen to this genre I think, it doesn't appeal to me
Mooie teksten, maar oerend saaie muziek. Laat Prine teksten voor anderen schrijven.
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.
Keskimääräistä parempaa musiikkia syvältä jenkkilän ytimestä. Klassikkobiisejä ja hieno äänihän miehellä on. 4/5
Country is not terrible, it is just not for me. Prine's voice is nice, but the lyrics do not come across as humorous but rather corny. Favorites: None
Zzz
Pretty dull
Heard a lot about Prine and there are some near-standards here.
Wow, that’s super American. Middle of the road country. But it’s all perfectly fine. Worth a 3 of anyone’s money.
There really is something about John Prine and his songs. The overall sound isn't particularly unique but his songs are special.
Excellent
Mmm country, non mi piace molto...
Who? Amercian country-folk singer. Nothing to get excited about.
LP
There’s a stretch from tracks 3-5 which is among the saddest I’ve heard in one album. Good thing every song isn’t like that “Hello in There”, “Sam Stone”, “Paradise”, “Your Flag Decal”, “Angel From Montgomery”
folky boy that must love bob dylan. taking cues. firing shots. anti war. its fine.
Was expecting to not enjoy this country blues but he’s a pretty witty lyricist
An American Musical storyteller. John Prine told human stories with his music, lyrics and humor.
5.0
The king
Like if Bob Dylan did country and you haven’t heard Bob Dylan actually do country.
Fucking country music. I just can’t. It’s fucking shit. The same snivelling, whining nasally banal tone. The same shitty, zingy, steely guitars. The same overcooked lyrics. Yee fuckin’ haw. More like yee fuckin’ fuck off you fuck.
Really easy listening, songs blended together. This is something I'd expect to hear in the background at a country restaurant. Not really my cup of tea, however.
Vieux country, voix nasillarde, rien d'exceptionnel.
Pretty good stuff. I always wanted to like him more than I do.
Well, I never used to like country.. Still don't, but I never used to as well. Not for me thanks.
Fun, quirky classic country project. 3.5/5
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.
Man that was a depressing listen. I really like John Prine's song writing. He is good at finding beauty and humor in sadness. From the opening lines of Illegal Smile: "Bowl of oatmeal tried to stare me down, and won", I was hooked. Some of the songs were truly depressing like "Sam Stone", a song about a Vietnam Vet who gets addicted to heroin: "There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes". Jeez, i need to listen to something more upbeat, where's my Pink Floyd at. It's not all depressing though, as mentioned before many of the songs are filled with humor as well. There are too many lines to quote but I'll leave this review with "I knew that topless lady had something up her sleeve".
The Man
Stone cold classic. 10/10
4.75/5 Wow. What an amazing wordsmith. He just knows how to convey a feeling and a story without having to tell you directly. "Your Flag Decal Don't Get You Into Heaven Anymore" is such a politically charged, interesting, timeless and hilarious song. Then he talks about loneliness and masterbation in "Donald and Lydia" while making it feel somehow romantic. Then he sings about James Lewis, the child of incest who commits suicide. Like whoa...the topics are so diverse and yet so timeless. Loves it.
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.
John prine så nice med det
Robert, u right 4 this one
Swag... silver jews inflytande?
Awful
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.
This is my ideal form of folk/country music. Sweet without being sappy, simple without being condescending, with a biting wit and the catchiest choruses you could ask for. I’m gonna listen to this all the time.
Some of the best country songs I've ever heard. Loved Prine's lyrics, especially on Flag Decal and Angel from Montgomery.
Bit boring
Some clever lyrics
Not my thing
lets see
I now feel bad for giving the Divine Comedy's album a 1 last week, because this was far worse. I tapped out in the middle of the fourth song.
I used work at an Italian restaurant in downtown Nashville & waited on John Prine several times. He was a big man with a soft presence. I didn't know who he was at first, but everyone was quick to tell me he was one of the most respected & revered artists. I very much appreciate his songwriting & this is a solid debut album, but folk-country just isn't my thing. I give it 3.5 stars.
Really not my thing. Just couldn't get into this.
So good.
Classic Prine
This was a nice surprise! Seldom I listen to country "voluntarily", but this was actually quite good!
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.
I can do some bits of folk. I cannot do any country. Sadly here the latter shone through. Absolutely abysmal. Can't take his voice seriously. Some of the songwriting sounded like he was trying to emulate the freewheelin, but failing. So happy I never have to listen to it again.
Middle of the country road music.
High-level folk.
Not my jam
il y a vraiment de meilleurs albums dans le même genre. forgettable
Country crap
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.
this album is amazing. top tier songwriting (how can you hear “sam stone” and not beat affected?), and a solid voice. this man was clearly born to be a storyteller, and it shows on this one. highlights: “sam stone” “your flag decal won’t get you into heaven anymore” “six o’clock news”
Country folk old school cantat amb sentiment. Next
I can appreciate it if not quite my preferred taste
it’s probably better than i think but i don’t dig his voice and the production gives me the heebies
Thoughtful and funny. Sometimes funny because it's funny. Sometimes funny because it's true.
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.
Prine and his self-titled are absolutely essential. These songs are chasing, but not only that. The best songs are front-loaded, but each and every track demands to be learned. Humor, pathos, place; They all threaten to enrich us in John's straightforward English.
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.
please i am begging i am so fucking tired of american country albums
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.
Lyrically this album is excellent and is a way to dive into folk music
such a great songwriter
It was aight
John Prine is one of my favourite country/folk artists. He has a way to spin song lyrics that can make you laugh or make you cry, or both. This man was a poet. One of the best lyricists in the genre. This album deals heavily with the Vietnam war, and the troubles faced by the veterans when they came home (Sam Stone is an absolutely heartbreaking song. Prine's lyrics spin such a vibrant story. You almost feel like you knew Sam Stone personally). My all time favourite Prine song is on this record, Spanish Pipedream. It is such a hilarious and poignant song! "Blow up your TV Throw away your paper Go to the country Build you a home Plant a little garden Eat a lot of peaches Try an' find Jesus on your own" Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore is an amazing anti-war song that is still so relevant today. Angel From Montgomery is an absolutely amazing song. I absolutely love Prine's music. I am not much of a country fan, but I always had a soft spot for this man's ability to tell a story. The man passed away a few years ago, but wrote music right up until the end. He wrote a song on his last album to be released before his death (the Tree of Forgiveness) called When I Get to Heaven which has the most beautiful lyrics: "And then I'm gonna get a cocktail Vodka and ginger ale Yeah, I'm gonna smoke a cigarette that's nine miles long I'm gonna kiss that pretty girl on the tilt-a-whirl 'Cause this old man is goin' to town" Amen Mr. Prine, Amen. I believe you did do all of those things. Thanks for the amazing music. RIP. Favourite songs: Spanish Pipedream, Angel From Montgomery, Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore, Sam Stone, Donald and Lydia, Illegal Smile, Hello in There, Paradise, Six O'Clock News, Quiet Man, Flashback Blues, Far From Me Least favourite songs: None.... It's all gold 5/5: perfection on record.
I really liked it. It's old country but the lyrics don't take themselves seriously and the instrument work is excellent. John's voice is very nice also.
9/10 emotional rollercoaster of an album, simple arrangements but stellar songwriting
7/10. Love some good old-fashioned depressing country music
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
Country music to me , nothing special
Like a west Pennine mill town in the drizzle; you can spot glimpses of beauty in the architecture but really you’d rather be at home
“Twenty-four years old and writes like he's two-hundred and twenty” A shame I can't find the person who said this, but this sentence sums up John Prine's self titled very fittingly! This record leaves me speechless. Wow, just wow, the lyrics are so livid, intense, real and from the heart. John Prine is an ACE songwriter, right up there besides Dylan and other great songwriters. These songs are orchestrated beautifully and the stories channeled through the lyrics accompany the songs very well! Very powerful record! This is an album I doubt I'll ever forget. Favorite lyrics: - Ah, but fortunately I have the key to escape reality. - Chased a rainbow down a one-way street, dead end. And all my friends turned out to be insurance salesmen. - For I knew that topless lady. Had something up her sleeve. - There's a hole in Daddy's arm where all the money goes. Jesus Christ died for nothin',I suppose. Little pitchers have big ears, don't stop to count the years. Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios. - Well, they dug for their coal till the land was forsaken. Then they wrote it all down as the progress of man. - Moonlight makes me dizzy. Sunlight makes me clean. Your light is the sweetest thing. That this boy has ever seen. - Ain't it funny how an old broken bottle. Looks just like a diamond ring? - If dreams were lightning, and thunder were desire. This old house would have burnt down a long time ago. - But that was a long time and no matter how I try. The years just flow by like a broken-down dam. - Just give me one thing that I can hold on to. To believe in this living is just a hard way to go. - Oodles of light, what a beautiful sight. Both of God's eyes are shining tonight. Rays and beams of incredible dreams. And I am a quiet man. Key tracks: Illegal Smile, Spanish Pipedream, Hello In There, Sam Stone, Paradise, Pretty Good, Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore, Angel From Montgomery, Six O'Clock News 9,5 out of 10
First couple of songs were weird. I like the commentary on WW2. Not my favorite.
2/22- Driving to school John Prine has an overwhelming sense of love and compassion toward all people- regardless of their beliefs or actions-throughout this entire record. A faithful Christian, he extends his love to everybody. Vocally, lyrically, spiritually, and musically he exceeded all of my expectations coming into this, and I’ll be coming back to it for a long time.
I had a boss who was really upset when John Prine died at the beginning of the pandemic, and now I know why. "Subversive" isn't really strong enough a word. To be playing songs like these in a country circle must've gotten him hell. Whip-smart, funny lyrics; great, catchy melodies. Favorite tracks: "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven", "Illegal Smile", "Flashback Blues"
a listen too old-style country for me
This feels like something they’d dance to in Friday Night Lights. I’m not really hugely into country, and the music on these tracks feels pretty average, nothing particularly notable. Like others have pointed out, it has some pretty good lyrics. Bob Dylan apparently described John Prine’s music as “pure Proustian existentialism” but I’m not going to pretend that I’m well-read enough to know what that means. I like a good lyric but it needs to be set to music I like or it may as well just be poetry to me (and I would prefer it that way, I like poetry!) It’s classic country, but it would be really hard for any country to get more than 3 stars from me. Each individual song was fine, but none really stood out to me, and listening to all the songs back-to-back I just found myself bored and waiting for it to end. Wasn’t a fan of the vocals either. Best tracks: Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven (I liked the message of this one), Quiet Man, Donald and Lydia (did John Prine just predict long-distance sexting?(just to be clear this is a joke I understand what the song is about)) Worst tracks: Paradise (I really didn’t like the instrumental on this one), Hello in There, Six O’Clock News
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
I didn't like this album. I almost fell asleep to this album, which to be fair, was the vibe it was going for. But that's not what I'm looking for in an album. Plus a lot of the songs sound the same, so it was hard to know when a song ended and a new song started. 2/5 Favorite song: N/A Worst song: N/A, No opinions on any of the songs on this album.
Get some of the lyrics are good and funny, but don’t like country
Before today, the only John Prine album I'd listened to was 'Tree of Forgiveness,' which I'm pretty sure I listened to in the year of its release. I remember thinking it was really good, but it also wasn't exactly my cup of tea, so I never listened to any more of his work, even after his passing a few years ago. That was a mistake. This album is insanely good. I don't think I've ever heard lyrics like this before. I love that Prine doesn't sugarcoat anything, and there's no room to guess as to what message he's trying to convey. While his messages are straightforward, the imagery and language he uses are a little more "elevated," (that's the best way I could think to phrase it) and it completely works here. The instrumentation isn't anything extravagant, and it doesn't need to be. The main attraction here is the message, and the music is the conduit that Prine uses to convey his message. This is an amazing album, and I look forward to listening to more of Prine's work.
7/10
Exceptional songwriting; funny and thoughtful. 5*
Sorry, this put me to sleep
After joking about country music, I can see why this is in the top 1001. Yeehaw!
Quite enjoyed that. Has clearly influenced more recent artists and sounded quite modern in places.
No me gusta el country
Way better than Dylan. Clever songs, great simple melodies. Super fun album.
Definitely not a fan of Prine's voice but the songs themselves were decent enough to keep me interested. Lyrics are on point. A bit too country for me but it ended up being quite a nice listen.
Nei.
Unexpected Gem, one of the first from this list.
Maybe a weak 3, but there were some loony lyrics in this thing
2 not great. A few okay sounding songs here and there. Lyrics were funny-strange at times
Not for me
Idk not really for me. A bit too much twang and twee
Powerful country-folk, I was especially moved by "Sam Stone" and "Angel From Montgomery" :'( They're all so sad.
Never really listened to John Prime much before he died recently. His wonderful lyrics and simple music pair well with his voice. Reminds me of John Denver and Leonard Cohen. 4/5.
Not a fan at all, but not terrible music
Great album.
sweet
still hate country
Ganska intetsägande.
It's a time-honored country tradition to sing about Jesus while drunk, but Prine does it differently. He calls Our Blessed Lord as witness to all the meaningless deaths soldiers are sent to by bloodsucking politicians in rich suits. There are five songs that are either direct criticisms of the Korean War or explorations of the isolating psychological aftermath on a soldier's mind, as that soldier navigates the wreckage of his life, futilely searching for any meaningful human contact, a search that ultimately leads to suicide. Time passes into loneliness as you're locked inside your own meaningless existence, numbed by alcoholism and drug abuse. You have time to sit and do nothing and wallow in your survivor's guilt and mourn the loss of that world of your childhood when everything was still beautiful.
Not my taste. Like Dylan and Don MacLean, albeit jollier, with a strong country vibe. Just not for me.
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
Very country which i am actually not as opposed to as I would expect to be. Pretty Good is very good but overall the album is pretty mediocre, probably because country isn’t really my thing. I did enjoy it though. There is a lot of story telling and a bit to much religion. The album started to grow on me especially around Quite Man which I liked. Low 4
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%
Love this one - 4 stars
1.5
A first rate lyricist but not exactly my favorite performer. He's good, don't get me wrong, but I just don't get the same enjoyment that I get feom other country music greats. No disrespect intended, the man has earned the respect of many but he's just not quite top shelf for me.
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.
Suck excellent lyrics and storytelling. The instrumentals didn't catch my eyes too much but it's still a great album nonetheless.
Looking forward to hearing more.
This album is well done! Hot dog bun! My sisters a nun!
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.
Surprisingly good
Not my cuppa tea. I'm sure for the right person this album rules.
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
Best of the best.
John Prine was quite simply, one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century. He had the ability to tell the stories of others with striking empathy and humor. Whether it was from the perspective of the lonely old in 'Hello in There,' the story of a Vietnam War veteran who came home with a heroin habit in 'Sam Stone', or from the perspective of an older woman who never got to live the life she dreamed of in 'Angel From Montgomery', John Prine could be trusted to tell that story faithfully. His songs became instant classics and his loss will be felt for a long time.
COUNTRY ROAAADS TAKE ME HOME
Meh
Chill but all the songs from this album sounds the same...
Subversive folk music masquerading as country. I can respect that
Great songs, kinda annoying voice sometimes, but it's pretty damn good overall
Yet another record to die of. What dump was this album dug out of?
I will always love John Prine. His lyrics are so balanced in profundity and unpretention. So wonderful. And oh boy is “your flag decal won’t get you into heaven” still relevant today
man i love vintage country so much
Whoa - this is great. I love this. I've heard of John Prine but never listened and this is pretty great and deserves a closer listen from me.
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.
Really quite liked this. It hits the sweet spot of country and western music that I like, in that it sounds like something you’d hear at a bar in Texas before there were cell phones and every now and then something in the lyrics would make you grin slyly. Will listen to more!
Country old west beats, the storytelling from the tracks make them very interesting with a moral. The vibe of the whole album transports you back into a wooden tabern with live music in a hot climate
Definitely not an album I would have chosen to listen, and it hasn’t really changed my mind about country music not really being for me. Simple songs, some funny lines, and an interesting political stance on a few tracks. If this fella was playing a festival stage I’d sit and have a drink while he played. Not likely to listen to the album again.
You'd be tempted to live under the assumption that male teenage anxiety is an adolescent fad. The themes change, "teenage" to "grown-up", but the fad remains. Pretty good, not bad, I can't complain, but actually everything is just about the same.
I'm not a fan of twang but the lyrics were hilarious.
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
Good tunes, biting and funny lyrics. Glad I heard it
I only came across John Prine this year, and I've listened to this album a couple of times over the past few months. It's hard to believe I hadn't listened to him before, although I had heard of him. I really like it, even if he does remind me a little bit of Kermit T. Frog! The song writing and guitar playing are fantastic, they range from brimming with positivity (Hello in There) to heartbreaking (Sam Stone). Fave songs: Spanish Pipedream, Hello In There, Your Flag Decal... Least Fav: None in particular really, but some of them (like Paradise) are a bit too country for me.
Wild that I can enjoy country when it's a little more anti-capitalist, talks about drugs, and is genuinely clever and witty.
Close to a 5. Very strong start, but it doesn't stay full steam the whole album.
Not my scene. Although this seems to lean more on the folk side of country, which explains why I'm more receptive to it. And anyway a great song is a great song, regardless of genre. Hello In There, Far From Me and Sam Stone are truly great. And today I learned that Cop Shoot Cop by Spiritualized has a direct reference to this song. I can understand the Dylan comparison particularly on songs like Pretty Good. The novelty songs leave me cold, but there's some wonderful stuff mixed in here. By the end, really won over. What a great album.
Lyrically rich.
Country clásico con voz conseguida y ritmos típicos del estilo de música. Para entusiastas del género
I'm quite baffled that I didn't know this before.. that's just right for me, really nothing to object to Perfection
I am not very used to listen to music country, so, at first, I found it a bit strange but as I listened through the album I got more and more into it.
Wow. Just… wow. Gorgeous music that paints a painful picture of a very real and imperfect world.
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...
THIS IS NOT MY COUNTRY!!! My Country is more like Cash or Nelson...
imma have to pass after just 2 songs. not for me. 2.
weed song
Auuuuuuuuuuuuu ja Auuuuuuuuuuuuuu. Koirat haukkuu ja karavaani kulkee.
Ei, en vieläkään syty tän kaltasesta kantrista, sori
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.
Country Dylan. No thanks.
Solid
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.
yeah nah. fuck cunty music.
John Prine us the kind of guy who can take a real hard cock up his ass. His music is a a piece of work itching to be castrated. I both love and hate everything about him. A beekeeper amongst wasps.
A fucking hay bail. This is going to be country shit, isn't it? Ergh. No thanks.
Meh
Great lyrics. Right level of melancholy. Very sharp images, you can easily have mind trips to Nebraska or other forgotten US states while listening to this album. Anti-war songs and social issues too. Sound-wise, country music is not really my cup of tea, but I enjoyed the album. Maybe listening it straight from the beginning to the end was a little bit too much for me. "Ain't it funny how an old broken bottle looks just like a diamond ring" I said "You must know the answer" She said "No, but I'll give it a try" :)
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"
Not worth a listen. Hokey and boring
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
Fun!
Made me found jeezas
A strong sense of lyrical narrative (both serious and tongue-in-cheek) on top of great country songwriting is a sure fire formula for a great LP. I’m a little ashamed I hadn’t listened to any Prone before this - it’s easy to see why his passing invoked such loss as the artistry and skill here is rather clear.
This style of country is just not to my taste
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.
really liked the vibe. not my favorite type of music. would give 4.5 if I could.
Ok
E okej je, ali nisam bio baš u tom điru.
Very good, will definitely listen again
Yes. Solid vocals, storytelling lyrics, and soundscapes that will melt your sorrows. I do love acoustic guitar tons, so that helps. Yeah, it's pretty country, but it's also pretty lovely.
Didn’t listen
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!
Trött countryfolk.
Very much enjoyed this, and would listen again & to more of his stuff.
Eh.
Liked the 2 songs I already knew (angel from Montgomery, paradise) and other lyrics were clever but just musically not interesting enough for me
Sam stone and pretty good are awesome. Not a huge fan of country but this really gets the toes tapping
Actually decent country
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.
Took a little bit to get used to the country "twang", but there are some great songs on this one. Lovely songwriting with good lyrics. Will come back for another listen.
such a good vibe
It's like Bob Dylan poetry if he kept going down the country genre after 'Self Portrait' in 1970. Really impressed. Gotta get some more of this vibe in my life
Some very fun storytelling songs
Die Aufnahme dieses Albums in die Liste macht mich aggressiv. Texte lustig, Musik unerträglich fad.
OK I guess
At first I thought this was just some redneck trad country but then a few songs in it got political and emotional and musical with shades of Dylan. I enjoyed it
he's just fun.
Oh no, a man on a throne of hay. At least I know what I'm going to get. Yep, fully twangy. However Illegal Smile is pretty cute. Goodness me there is quite a lot of wit and heart in these songs, isn't there? An unfortunate amount of the lyrical content is still perfectly relevant today, which is a fact of life worth pondering. But even so, this is fundamentally a cheerful album. I liked it. Thank you, album generator, I think I did need to hear this.
Not my thing
Very good writing. Stylistically kind of samesy.
Bit of a surprise, worth revisiting
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.
Did not like the start to this album at all. Lyrics were dumb and instrumentals weren't interesting. It got better toward the end, but country music just isn't my thing. Favorite track: Far From Me
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.
And this is his FIRST album. Jesus Christ, what a talent.
One of my personal favorites, I know every word to every song on this album. My dad played John Prine records all through my childhood. Prine was an American treasure, one of the greatest song writers ever. This album is perfect. Favorite track: Paradise
I am not a country music fan at all but just a few songs in.... this pretty great. Fun lyrics and easy to listen to. Song writing is top notch. Wait. Am I a country music fan now? Either way, I was pleasantly surprised - which is the whole point of doing this IMO.
John Prine has been long considered Country royalty. His amazing story telling really sets him apart for me. You can't really sing along with his songs but you can feel them. Even if its telling stories about people from the 50's. To me, John Prine is the music equivalent of the American Gothic painting or a Louie Lamore book. You get a real glimpse into life of the times.
This is the dichotomy of my life: I’m a sucker for the pedal steel, but I have a strong dislike for most country music. It’s a genre I can’t relate to much - I didn’t grow up with it and it can be very monolithic and same-y. Obviously not all country music sounds the same, but let’s be real, the joke about all country songs being about a) your wife leaving you, b) your truck breaking down or c) your dog dying, is funny because it’s true. As a matter of fact, the first song that auto-played after this record ended (She Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere by Guy Clark) was about a guy whose wife left him. Checkmate. But the pedal steel, sweet Jesus on a skateboard, what an absolutely beautiful sounding instrument. It can be sad sounding, but also uplifting and understatedly psychedelic. For lack of a better phrase, it “sings” in a way that few other instruments can. It tickles my brain in the best possible way. The pedal steel on this record, played by Leo LeBlanc, is wonderful and perfectly compliments every one of the songs where it appears on this record. Don’t let my unabashed love of the pedal steel overshadow the great collection of songs John Prine wrote here. They’re often humorous, but also poignant and touching. It’s no surprise that Kurt Vile is such a fan of Prine; Prine’s sense of humor and skill with lyrical turns of phrase is clearly an influence. John Prine’s self-titled is a rarity for me: a country record that I was fully engaged with. When it was over, I had to listen again.
Only heard of him recently after his passing. RIP Excellent album
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.
Haven’t listened to much folk but this was some of the best folk music I’ve ever heard. Loved the general vibe and the lyrics.
Country but blue collar + liberal like the good old days
Really a 2.5 for me. I liked some of the lyricism, found other songs dull, but overall it didn't do anything to make me like this style of music more than I had previously.
Some ok songs, but mostly forgettable and or grating songs
cool
Nice and chill
What's this? A country album that I enjoyed? In this economy? This is a great album, and way more diverse than a lot of the other country albums on this list so far. Fantastic lyrics throughout as well and some cracking guitar playing
Lyrics are what made this for me. Subverted my expectations with those, but I felt the album as a whole was a little repetitive.
A real find!
Sharp lyrics
Dificilmente mais algum crountry clássico vai me surpreender.
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
Interesting that this should come up so soon after Spiritualized's "Ladies and Gentlemen...," which nabs some lyrics. I like this as well, it's country rock with a venomous streak of 'nam-era cynicism and a biting sense of humour.
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.
I'm really disappointed. Adrianne Lenker is one of my favorite songwriters of all time. John Prine is one of her largest inspirations, and while I can see the clear link on Big Thief's previous album, Prine's music is just not what I was wanting to hear. The lyrics are wonderful, and he's a great storyteller, but the music is unbearably boring. I'm just not a country gal, but I wish there was better music to go with the stories.
The singing mailman is one of my faves.
Not bad for a country album.
Nice country folk album. Very similar to Bob Dylan.
Not really my thing musically unfortunately, I can appreciate the songwriting but the album as a whole didn't really speak to me
a nice folk album, I really enjoyed the lyrics
It's really too bad that I live in such a dogshit era for country music. I've never really had much of an appreciation for it because I came of age after most of the greats of old country music were long passed their prime. I think I would have enjoyed the genre a lot more if I was present during eras like this where you had good musicians making earnest country music, rather than the completely manufactured generic rural word salad that modern country has become. Earnest is certainly the word that I would use to describe John Prine. The album feels intimate, personal, like it's just you and him and he's really opening up to you. Then the album first started I thought it was good but not for me. As it played on, I started to enjoy it more and more. He wins you over. "There's a hole in daddy's arm where the money goes, and Jesus died for nothing I suppose" God damn 4/5
Reminded of me with Bob Dylan in singing style. Lyrically naive though. A BIG NO from me.
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
Great country, like home. Just enough harmonic interest, kinda Tallest Man, more jazzy Flag Decal is amazing
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.
Its either pioneering or desperately derivative. Maybe I just don't like country
Loved the voice, it's like Dylan in the pink Floyd's the wall. Overall it's a generic county.