I know all the arguments about Bob Dylan and others, but Id be hard pressed to believe that America has ever produced a better story-telling songwriter than John Prine. His songs are the complete package. They are lyrical genius, masterfully blended with music that dovetails perfectly with the emotions generated in the words. These songs tell the American story, as seen from the eyes of people living these moments. They are not soaring or esoteric like Dylan. They are as ground level as the view from a chipped formica dinette, shoved up against a smoke-stained wall. A John Prine song is so real, you can smell it, if that makes any sense. His masterpiece first album contains images and themes that still resonate, 44 years after the tracks were recorded. A wounded war vet with PTSD, and a drug habit that costs him his life. A huge energy corporation that is raping the land in the name of profit. A sarcastic poke at the fake piety of those who wrap themselves in the flag and the bible, but dont walk the walk. A song about the way a couples relationship changes as they age. And this one...in duet with Bonnie Raitt... About a middle-aged woman who feels much older than she is, trapped in a bad marriage, and a hopeless life, who dreams of growing angels wings and flying away from it all....
Posted on: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 06:01:59 +0000