Among the English language's premier phrase-turners with music relevant to any age, the late great John Prine delivered songs that are both literate and personal. The skilled and compassionate storyteller enjoyed widespread critical acclaim in the wake of his groundbreaking eponymous debut and continued to write and perform songs that became central to our American musical heritage for nearly five decades.
Dedicated to his mother Verna Prine, the intimate and playful John Prine Live was largely recorded during a three-day stint at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, California and released in 1988 on the singer/songwriter's own label Oh Boy Records. As he explained to David Fricke in 1993: "We didn't have another artist to put out. The idea was to have me and my guitar, telling stories and doing songs - and buying me some time until I could get into the studio again."
1 Come Back to Us Barbara Lewis Hare Krishna Beauregard
2 Six O'Clock News
3 The Oldest Baby in the World
4 Angel from Montgomery
5 Grandpa Was a Carpenter
6 Blue Umbrella
7 Fish and Whistle
8 Sabu Visits the Twin Cities Alone
9 Living in the Future
10 Illegal Smile
11 Mexican Home
12 Speed of the Sound of Loneliness
13 The Accident (Things Could Be Worse)
14 Sam Stone
15 Souvenirs
16 Aw Heck
17 Donald and Lydia
18 That's the Way That the World Goes Round
19 Hello in There