108: John Prine - John Prine (1971)

Wipe that illegal smile off your face! Phil has been immersed in the music of John Prine for his entire life, and he’s brought along John and Ben to discuss the Maywood, IL, singer/songwriter, who unfortunately was one of the earliest victims of the COVID-19 pandemic. When Prine recorded his 1971 debut, industry execs saw him as a Midwestern rube, to the point of posing him on top of a hay bale on the album cover, even though hay bales are in short supply in the Chicago suburbs. But he’s a witty, intelligent, insightful, and empathetic songwriter with the ability to make listeners laugh and cry in the space of a single line, and his songs have been covered by legends including Johnny Cash and Bonnie Raitt. Prine’s passing led to a surge of interest in his music, to the point where this album charted higher in the spring of 2020 than it ever had in the previous five decades, so if he’s has flown under your radar to this point, this episode is a great opportunity to learn all about a true genius of American folk music.

Cohosts: Phil Maddox, Ben Marlin, John McFerrin

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/108-john-prine-john-prine-1971

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