John Prine, John Prine, 1971, :44
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
I'm a longtime Prine fan but I've only ever heard three albums in their entirety. Here in his debut we find a young Prine, his trademark deadpan wit not quite fully realized, or perhaps quashed by record execs who think that sort of thing won't sell platters. But either way, he sure came out of the gate swinging. It takes some chutzpah for a young man to include "Angel From Montgomery," from the point of view of a fiesty elderly woman, on his debut. It also takes balls of brass to include "Jesus Christ died for nothin' I suppose" on "Sam Stone," a tale of a junkie vet. Really great stuff; possibly a five-star album. Favorite tracks: "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore" (very Kris Kristofferson), "Angel From Montgomery," "Illegal Smile."
