John Prine - Great Days Anthology (41 tracks) +Album Reviews

Great music, BUT DON'T BUY THIS

Gordon C. Duus | Glen Ridge, NJ USA | 08/18/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love John Prine. I love nearly every song on this compilation. But I would NOT recommend that anyone buy this. Why? Because while this album selects out many of the wonderful songs on John Prine's first 10 studio albums, it leaves out almost as many great songs from those same albums, including "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You into Heaven", "Diamond in the Rough", "Mexican Home", "Often Is A Word I Seldom Use", "Accident (Things Could Have Been Worse)", "Way Down", "Hobo Song", "Chinatown", "Ubangi Stomp", "Bottomless Lake", "Let's Talk Dirty in Hawaiian", and "Jesus the Missing Years". An album with just those songs might be my favorite John Prine album. My point: buy the original studio albums--they're so strong throughout that it's pointless to try and pick the best songs. Any attempt to do so is highly subjective. If you like John Prine you'll see that virtually every one of his songs has something to recommend it."

Blow Up Your TV And Buy This Record

Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 07/18/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I wasn't introduced to the music of John Prine until 1978, but I became an instant fan upon hearing his self-titled debut. I can't think of another more fully developed debut and at six tracks it is (of the 14 albums on this anthology) the one most represented. [Too bad they didn't also include "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore," the funniest song about patriotism you'll ever hear.]But don't mistake Prine's humor as an attempt to merely go for a laugh; it usually is there to help mask pain or anger or to make his message more palatable. Mark Twain made this observation in "The Mysterious Stranger": "For your race, in its poverty, has unquestionably one really effective weapon--laughter. Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand." Prine uses this weapon effectively. Whether he's urging us to blow up our TVs in "Spanish Pipedream" or looking at the lighter side of death in "Please Don't Bury Me," his songs are full of charm and wit. And then there's the serious side of Prine's songwriting like the pathos of "Hello In There" and its look at aging, or the plight of the Viet Nam war vet in "Sam Stone."Many of these songs, like "Paradise" and "Angel From Montgomery," have become standards. Quite simply, Prine is one of the best songwriters of the past thirty years (he wrote or co-wrote all but one of these songs) and for longtime fans even this generous 41-track collection will be incomplete. It's a great introduction, but I'll bet you'll want to buy the individual albums after giving this a few listens. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED"

41 STARS FOR THIS ONE

craig_paul | Pittsburgh, PA | 08/25/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"....One for each track. For thirty years, Prine has shown the uncanny ability to serve up equal doses of wit, wisdom, pain and pathos in his singing and writing. Heavy representation here from his incredible self - titled debut album prove that, even at age 24, he wrote (as Kris Kristofferson said in the liner notes) as if he were in actuality, 220 years old. In the three decades since that auspicious start, this genius has done nothing but prove that it was no fluke.Immensely respected by the greatest artists of our time (Who HASN'T covered at least one John Prine song?) - the guy with the twangy voice and the wonderfully simple, sometimes twisted, often times downright crazy view of life - has gotten even better with age. According to Kristofferson, I guess he would be pushing 250 about now. "Great Days" is a wonderful chronology of Prine's continued brilliance, with ALL the songs on this anthology proving that point. Sure, there are some songs that are conspicuous by their absence, such as "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore," as mentioned by previous reviewers. So, big deal - buy the first album also. Then go buy the rest of the Prine catalog - you'll find, unless you already know, that there's a tremendous wealth of great music to be heard. Amazingly enough, even this two disc set with 41 tracks, only scratches the surface. I can't pick a favorite from this recording. Everything is good. Great Days, indeed. The only mystery is this - Why hasn't John Prine sold about 100 million records? This set would be a steal at twice the price. Buy it."

THE MACINTOSH OF SONG WRITERS

Vance Hughey | Carson City, NV USA | 10/29/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"John Prine's songs first got my attention way back in 1971 when I first heard "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore" on KSAN-FM radio in San Francisco. I had to buy the record. Since then, John has written and performed many clever, humorous, insightful, and heart-wrenching songs that are every bit as good as "Your Flag Decal ..." This anthology displays most of the best of these songs. As most John Prine devotees will understand, it is frustrating that more people haven't seen in Prine's music the special talent that we have seen. Oh well, sometimes it takes special people to recognize unique talent. This anthology is getting dated now that John has released "The Missing Years," "Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings," and "In Spite of Ourselves." Still, a must buy for Prine fans, especially if you prefer his early stuff."

Splendid

Sam Stone | Baltimore, MD USA | 11/01/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A splendid album that fills in the gaps nicely - but buy it after you've bought his most unique works, which (in my humble opinion) are John Prine, Sweet Revenge, Bruised Orange, The Missing Years, Souvenirs, German Afternoons and Aimless Love. Prine is not only one of the very finest American songwriters, but his best albums create seamless worlds all their own - they are best heard as a whole for their unique sense of tone and ambiance. A true American master and original, and regretfully underappreciated."

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