In what has to be one of the best stories of how someone got into the music biz...
In the late 1960s, while Prine was delivering mail in Maywood, Illinois, he began to sing at open mic evenings at the Fifth Peg on Armitage Avenue. Prine was initially a spectator, reluctant to perform, but eventually did so in response to a "You think you can do better?" comment made to him by another performer. Chicago Sun-Times movie critic Roger Ebert heard him there and wrote the first review Prine ever received, calling him a great songwriter.
In 1971 Prine's self-titled debut album was released. He and friend Steve Goodman had each been active in the Chicago folk scene before being "discovered" by Kris Kristofferson (Kristofferson remarked that Prine wrote songs so good that "we'll have to break his thumbs"). The album included his signature songs "Illegal Smile," "Sam Stone," and the folk and country standards "Angel from Montgomery" and "Paradise." The album also included "Hello In There", a song about aging that was later covered by numerous artists and "Far From Me," a lonely waltz about lost love for a waitress that Prine later said was his favorite of all his songs. The album received many positive reviews, and some hailed Prine as "the next Dylan." Bob Dylan himself appeared unannounced at one of Prine's first New York City club appearances, anonymously backing him on harmonica.
I just picked this up for 99 cents. i love the flea market....
John Prine - S/T - 1971
11 comments:
One of the best debut albums ever. Back in punk rock times friends were surprised that I listened to Prine but he's just so damn good. I didn't care that he was outside my preferred genre. Over the years I've come to realize that most of my favorite songs are I-!V-V songs. It's amazing how much Prine can do with those three chords, mostly in the key of G.
My dad listened to this a lot when I was a kid. They always appealed to me as a child since then I thought there was something that seemed a little silly about 'em - like he's singing with a smirk and letting you in on the joke. Never knew what an illegal smile was then or why my dad thought it was so funny but knew all the words to sing along with him anyway. Still drag this one out every once in a while when I get that nostalgic mood goin'.
I would like to download this, but can't get divshare to work. What is the secret?
no secret. divshare seems to be working fine. let me know if you still have problems but its workin for me right now.
cheers!
dd
One of my favorite albums, bought mine new at E J Korvettes for 3.95
Can't wait to give it a listen. Very good overview too! Thanks.
I love this album.
Still a great album, always will be. 99 cents? The only thing better than good music, is good music bought cheap. I used to go to EJ Korvettes in Audubon, they had a great music department. I bought many imports and LPs on small labels whenever they had their "all label" sales. Had "Never Mind The Bollocks" at least 3 months before the US release. Never bought anything else there.
Albums this good are so rare... not very often anyone puts one out with a half-dozen songs that are stone-cold instant classics that still stand up decades later...
every young songwriter should have a copy.
d
John Prine's first album and Buffet's A1A about a year later join that fine group of select albums that are filled with jewels, unique and interesting. We are blessed to encounter one every decade or half across all genres let alone in two years.
--Jan
Thanks for sharing that story... funny that one of my favorite people, Roger Ebert, helped my favorite singer/songwriter EVER get off the ground! I worked around people who would say "Who's he?" when I mentioned Prine... then I would go to his concert where everybody knew all the words to his songs... my people, lol! Love 'em. And this is my favorite album of his. I heard Anderson East singing Devil in Me tonight on the way home, and I thought for a minute that it was John singing. Hmm...
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