Getting To Know: John Prine
By Zayne Reeves

Who He Is:

He's The Man.

The third of four children, John Prine learned how to play guitar from older brother Dave, himself a fine musician who has played on several of John's records. Prine rose quickly through the ranks of Chicago's folk scene in the early 70s thanks to his brilliance as a songwriter and a series of lucky breaks. He was offered a job at The Fifth Peg, a local folk club, after his very first open mike performance (the three songs he played that night were "Sam Stone," "Paradise," and "Hello In There," so it makes sense) which allowed him to quit his gig at the post office a couple of months later. Then Steve Goodman, a talented singer/songwriter about to hit it big, came into Prine's life and the two formed one of the most heartwarming, sincere friendships the music industry has ever seen. In 1971, Goodman had a lucrative gig as opener for Kris Kristofferson, then at the height of his fame as a musician, and selflessly plugged his friend Prine to Kristofferson. The story goes that Goodman, Kristofferson and Paul Anka (Yes, Paul Anka) went over to the Earl of Old Town one night to watch Prine perform. They got there late and, according to one version of the tale, Prine was sleeping under a table at the deserted Old Town. Rousted by his guests, Prine got on stage and performed a set for an audience that consisted of Goodman, Kristofferson and Paul Anka (Yes, Paul Anka) and bowled them over with songs like "Angel from Montgomery" and "Donald & Lydia.” In another stunning display of generosity, Kristofferson went out of his way to help Prine land a contract with Atlantic Records and even wrote the liner notes for his first album.

Produced by Arif Mardin, John Prine was a powerhouse debut and it prompted critics to proclaim Prine as "the new Dylan." Following the enormous critical success of his eponymous debut, Diamonds in the Rough was savaged at the time of its release although it has grown in stature since and is regarded today as a minor classic. Sweet Revenge was a hard-bitten country record that should have put to rest any notion that Prine had only one great album in him. Sadly, the music was not connecting with mainstream audiences and Common Sense, his fourth and final album for Atlantic, did nothing to resuscitate his commercial viability and was greeted with indifference by critics. Prine took a three year sabbatical from the industry and focused on touring before coming aboard Asylum Records with the Steve Goodman-produced Bruised Orange. Although Bruised Orange was hailed as a return to form, Prine once again found himself on a label that had no idea what to do with him. Pink Cadillac, a raucous rockabilly record, was never marketed properly and its failure stung Prine. By the time Storm Windows was released in 1980, John Prine had decided it was time to give up the majors for good.

Prine moved to Nashville in the early 80s and started his own label, Oh Boy. He stayed under the radar for almost the entire decade only to resurface in a major way in 1991 with the release of The Missing Years. Produced by Howie Epstein, The Missing Years was one of Prine's biggest commercial successes and won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album. Prine followed up with the well-received Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings, which cemented his comeback, and had started work on In Spite of Ourselves when throat cancer put him on the shelf for nearly two years. Having defeated throat cancer, Prine went right back to work. He gave a scene-stealing performance in Billy Bob Thornton's Daddy & Them, finished In Spite of Ourselves and got back on the road. Souvenirs, released in 2000, saw Prine revisiting his older material with surprisingly fresh results. But it was Fair & Square, released earlier this year, that Prine fans were really waiting for and the album has earned the legendary folksinger universal praise as being one of the best of his rich career. He is, to quote a line from Johnny Cash's liner notes for Nashville Skyline; "A helluva poet. And lots of other things."


How to Spot Him:

John Prine has more balls than a big brass monkey and can usually be found digesting Reader's Digest in the back of a dirty book store. He's the young PFC masturbating in the barracks latrine while looking at the world through a storm window. He's the guy wearing an illegal smile and all the women in Memphis want to see just how long his money will last. Clumsy lyric mashups aside, Prine's an easy guy to spot in a crowd. His wise, sad eyes beam with mischief and when he smiles you can see glimpses of a world of private pain that you and I will never know about. In the late 90s he underwent surgery for neck cancer and, in the process, had his bite reset. This is especially noticeable whenever he shaves his mustache because, sans facial hair, he looks like a giant chipmunk. His hair's gone completely gray now and he's put on more than a few pounds since his days of running around with "Cowboy" Jack Clement. He can also write the shit out of a three chord ballad and is revered as an icon of artistic integrity. It has been said about The Velvet Underground that every person who bought their records went out and formed their own band after hearing what those guys were doing. Now, I don't know how many people went out and bought a guitar after listening to Sweet Revenge, but I'm willing to bet that he's inspired thousands of them to keep at it after the initial rush of "I'm gonna be the next so-and-so" wore off for them. But mostly, think Big Gray Chipmunk.  


Vital Fact:

Oh Boy is Prine's own indie imprint that he started with the help of manager Al Bunetta and longtime cohort Dan Einstein after deciding that he'd had enough of dealing with the major labels. It started out as a mail-order only enterprise that has slowly, steadily evolved into a premier independent record label that boasts a formidable roster of talent, including Todd Snider, Dan Reeder, Shawn Camp and Kris Kristofferson. Oh Boy has also gotten into the lucrative repackaging business and features a solid line of best-of records showcasing the likes of Roger Miller and Merle Haggard. The success of Oh Boy is due in large part to how John Prine has grown into being a clever, responsible businessman as well as an inspired artist.


Not So Vital Fact:

Shortly before Fair & Square was released, I wrote a mockup review that I will now quote in its entirety -

“Buy this album, bitches! If you don't then you're fucking with Prine! When you fuck with Prine, you fuck with me! And when you fuck with me, you fuck with you!"      

I have also been known, when trying to impress upon people just how gifted the man is, to refer to him as John Motherfucking Prine Motherfucker. My folks are quite proud.


Where to Start:


John Prine Live (1988) - "Jehosephat the mongrel cat/Jumped off the roof today"

A magnificently stripped-to-the-bone live album that functions not only as a well-chosen overview of his best material up to that point but also as an opportunity for Prine to present the songs with the startling intimacy that can only come from being alone on stage with a guitar. From "Come Back to Us Barbara Lewis Hare Krishna Beauregard" to "Hello in There," Prine captivates listeners with his heartbreakingly funny observations on life and love that have earned him richly deserved comparisons to Raymond Carver. John Prine Live removes the studio gloss (Waylon Jennings called it "putting honey on a chocolate cake") and replaces it with a weathered voice that has earned the right to sing lyrics such as "So if you're walking down the street sometime/And spot some hollow ancient eyes/Please don't pass 'em by and stare/As if you didn't care/Say hello in there/Hello."

Key Tracks: “The Oldest Baby In The World,” “Angel From Montgomery” (w/ Bonnie Raitt), “Sabu Visits The Twin Cities Alone,” “Living In The Future” and “That's The Way That The World Goes 'Round.”


In Spite Of Ourselves (1999) - "He ain't got laid in a month of Sundays/I caught him once sniffin' my undies"

It is often said that a truly great artist is one that can turn their weaknesses into their greatest strengths. Well, allow me to submit In Spite Of Ourselves as Exhibit A to John Prine's greatness. Prine takes a passel of great country songs like "Back Street Affair," "I Know One" and "When Two Worlds Collide" and then invites a Murderer's Row of incredible female artists such as Melba Montgomery, Emmylou Harris, Trisha Yearwood and Dolores Keane to duet with him on these old chestnuts. One by one, Prine steals each and every song from his partner while being the most gracious and generous host to them at the same time. It's something of a miracle because every single one of these great women have a set of pipes on them that could mop the floor with Prine's craggy instrument but the twinkly bastard always winds up on top. Except with Iris DeMent. Iris has the voice of an angel who just said "Shit" for the first time after stepping in a mud puddle and her four numbers with Prine, particularly "In Spite of Ourselves" (the only song on the album written by Prine) amount to one of the coolest star turns to ever go unnoticed by the general populus.

Key Tracks: “Milwaukee Here I Come,” “In A Town This Size,” “Let's Invite Them Over Again” and “In Spite of Ourselves.”  


Sweet Revenge (1973) - "Last night I saw an accident/On the corner of Third and Green"

Wounded by the drubbing critics gave Diamonds in the Rough, Prine responded with this tough-as-nails piece of outlaw folk that served notice they could all just kiss his ass. Take another look at the album cover....the man looks more like the next Billy Joe Shaver than any part of the "New Dylan" crowd and it's a shame Atlantic was clueless when it came to Prine because this could have been their very own Honky Tonk Heroes or Phases & Stages. But, beyond the infectious screw-you flippancy of the title track and "Please Don't Bury Me," you will also find some of Prine's darkest, loneliest moments etched in songs like "Mexican Home" (about the death of his father) and "Christmas In Prison" that temper the Saturday night bawdiness with just enough Sunday morning melancholy.

Key Tracks: “Sweet Revenge,” “Christmas in Prison,” “The Accident (Things Could Be Worse),” “Mexican Home” and “A Good Time.”


The Missing Years (1991) - "But kids don't know/They can only guess/How hard it is/To wish you happiness"

The album that, twenty years after his debut, put John Prine back on the map. Produced by the late Howie Epstein, The Missing Years found Prine surrounded by some famous friends including Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and Bonnie Raitt. It is to the credit of all involved that, even with all that star wattage, the focus was never taken off Prine or his songs. And what songs! "You Got Gold" and "The Sins of Memphisto" are among the finest lyrics ever penned by Prine, and Epstein's work behind the boards honored the integrity of Prine's sound while, at the same time, giving it a much needed kick in the pants.

Key Tracks: “All the Best,” “The Sins of Memphisto,” “Take a Look at My Heart,” “You Got Gold,” “Jesus the Missing Years”


John Prine (1971) - "But your flag decal won't get you into Heaven anymore/They're already overcrowded from your dirty little war/And Jesus don't like killing no matter what the reason for"

Song for song, Prine will probably never top his first record nor should he have to. "Sam Stone" might have been written during Vietnam but, sadly, its story of a lost, addicted war vet who dies in pitiful anonymity is still very relevant. "Hello in There" and "Angel From Montgomery" devastatingly describe just how hard a thing day-to-day life is for normal people while “Donald & Lydia” remains the sweetest paean to the sin of Onan ever written. From a songwriting standpoint, this album is an embarrassment of riches and the only reason it isn't at the top of the list is because Prine's voice here is thin, strained and hesitant in places which is understandable because he went from playing these songs by himself at folk clubs to recording with members of Elvis Presley's band. Still, it's a staggering debut and required listening for anyone interested in Prine or folk music in general.

Key Tracks: Just about all of 'em, really.


Where to Go From There:

Bruised Orange (1978) - Prine's first, and best, album for Asylum was produced by his great partner in crime, Steve Goodman. Bruised Orange has a mellowed out sound that contrasts sharply with the hard twang of his earlier work and, at times, almost approaches granola folkie territory. It's saved from that purgatory by a brilliant batch of songs that nearly equals his debut. Who else but John Prine could have turned a song about Sabu stranded in Minnesota into the saddest, most beautiful road song of them all? The album closes with "The Hobo Song" which, along with "A Good Time," stands as perhaps Prine's most underrated great song. It went downhill for Prine at Asylum after this as, once again, the singer/songwriter found himself on a label that had no clue how to utilize him properly. Asylum's strong suit at the time was unthreatening, radio friendly country rock schlock, and Prine was simply too weird to fit that mold comfortably.

Fair and Square (2005) - Always the least judgmental of artists (this side of Tom T. Hall at any rate), Prine's warm way with a character sketch or love song feels just a little more lived-in than ever before with Fair & Square. Now a confident pro inside the recording studio and capable of suggesting whole worlds of meaning with just the right turn of phrase, this album is the sound of a great artist slyly winking at his audience as if to say, "Look how good I am at this."

Live on Tour (1997) - Touring in support of Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings, his follow-up to Missing Years, Prine gave us another terrific live album. Where John Prine Live functioned as a career spanning document, Tour focused on his last two albums and showcased how far Prine had come along as a strong bandleader. The centerpiece of the album is LD&MB's "Lake Marie," a song that looms large as quite possibly the man's greatest song. A once-in-a-lifetime narrative that ties together the origins of how Lake Marie got its name with a chilling description of a murder scene being played out on a black & white TV.  Prine even throws in a married couple trying to salvage their union or, barring that, at least catching some fish while they're in Canada.

Souvenirs (2000) - This should have been a depressing retread through past glories, but somehow Souvenirs stands on its own as an immensely satisfying and insightful record. Prine had initially re-recorded his classic early material simply so that he could retain ownership of their master recordings as there was apparently an issue with European distribution. Sounds depressingly uninspired, doesn't it? Souvenirs’ great surprise is how, armed with a voice that had been altered by a bout with throat cancer, Prine gives his old standards the sort of lion in winter readings that his younger self could have only guessed at. It's not all transcendent, as some of the tracks are merely pleasant, but it's worth it for the bottomless sorrow he taps on the title track.

Diamonds in the Rough (1972) - The only thing wrong with Prine's sophomore record is that it is merely very, very good where John Prine was great. Having said that, how anyone could have so thoroughly trashed an album that boasted songs like “The Great Compromise,” “Souvenirs” and “The Late John Garfield Blues” is beyond me.


What to Avoid:

John Prine has never released and out-and-out dog of an album, and it's doubtful that he ever will. However, there are a couple of Prine records that you would do well to hold off on ‘til you are the sort of diehard that would shell out for Prine Meets the Tulsa Telephone Book: Me-Mu.

Common Sense (1975)

While the songs off Common Sense are fine, somehow they failed to gel into a coherent record. Prine was enthusiastic about having the great Steve Cropper aboard as the producer but there was bad blood between Cropper and Atlantic that spilled over into the recording sessions. The fact that Cropper did some post-production sweetening didn't help matters any.

Storm Windows (1980)

The title track and "Living In The Future" are Prine at his best but the rest of Storm Windows betrays an artist at a painful impasse in his career where he wanted out of the rat race. The only album in Prine's career where it feels like he is just going through the paces, fulfilling contractual obligations.


Everything Else You Need To Know:
Here are three excellent websites devoted to the man and his music.

www.ohboy.com

www.jpshrine.org

www.johnprine.net