- Included among the Record Descriptions of Favorite Albums (Part 1).
- Even though he never had a true hit record, John Prine’s songs outline vivid stories about ordinary people and are covered by numerous top musicians.
The Greatest Music
Ever Recorded!
John Prine – Prime Prine / The Best of John Prine (1976): John Prine is one of the most celebrated singer/songwriters of modern times; even though he never had a true hit record, his songs outline vivid stories about ordinary people and have been recorded by a host of prominent musicians, such as Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, Kris Kristofferson, George Strait, Bette Midler, Paul Westerberg, David Allan Coe, and Dwight Yoakam. Most of his music could be classified as folk or country, though he also recorded rock, R&B, and rockabilly songs. His 1971 debut album John Prine is regarded as an instant classic and features some of his best-known songs: “Sam Stone”, “Hello in There”, “and “Illegal Smile”. “Sam Stone” is the heart-breaking story of a drug-addicted veteran; the song features the shocking line: “Jesus Christ died for nothing I suppose”. Johnny Cash rewrote this line in his rendition of “Sam Stone”.
Prime Prine / The Best of John Prine is John Prine’s first retrospective album and also his only Gold album; Prime Prine also features “Donald and Lydia”, “Dear Abby” (a live performance), “Please Don’t Bury Me”, “Souvenirs”, “Come Back to Us Barbara Lewis Hare Krishna Beauregard”, and “He Was in Heaven Before He Died”. John Prine was one of the first prominent musicians to die from the effects of Covid-19, when he passed on April 7, 2020 at the age of 73.