John Prine’s “For Better, Or Worse” Is His Best-Charting Album Ever
The ripe age of 70 is one hell of a time to experience a resurgence of interest in your music career, and that’s exactly what’s happening for country songwriting legend John Prine. Celebrating his seventh decade on planet Earth on Monday (8-10), Tuesday found confirmation that his most recent album For Better, Or Worse has come in at #2 on Billboard’s Country Album’s charts, sandwiched in between titles from mainstream folks such as Jason Aldean and Florida Georgia Line, and even besting the sales of new mainstream releases from William Michael Morgan and others.
For Better, or Worse is a sequel to John Prine’s beloved 1999 album In Spite of Ourselves. The new record finds Prine recording country standards with a female supporting cast including Iris DeMent, Alison Krauss, Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, Susan Tedeschi, Lee Ann Womack, Kathy Mattea, Holly Williams, Amanda Shires, and Morgane Stapleton.
“I cut my teeth on Hank Williams songs,” John Prine says about his love for the country classics. “When I sing these songs there is a small pipeline straight from my heart to my lips.”
But nostalgia is not all that is driving the renewed interest in John Prine and his new record. A close friend of fellow songwriter Jason Isbell, and one of the most revered living songwriters in the Americana scene, a new generation of country music fans are finding favor with Prine’s material both old and new.
“I’m a senior now,” Prine tells the Wall St. Journal, “and I get this attention from younger folks. They heard me in the back seat of their father’s car or something, and they’re all jumpin’ at the chance to record with me.”
Many are also jumping at the chance to hear the new John Prine material apparently. For Better, or Worse is Prine’s first proper studio release in a decade after a Cancer diagnosis slowed his output starting in 1999. The new album was released by his own Oh Boy Records which recently partnered with Thirty Tigers.
Many older and independent artists are finding career success on the albums charts due to the adoption of streaming music by many mainstream fans, but to come in at #2 is still a surprise for Prine. The best any of his records had ever charted previously was In Spite of Ourselves which peaked at #21. For Better, or Worse also comes in at #5 on the Folk/American chart, and #30 on the all genre Billboard 200.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
October 11, 2016 @ 8:10 pm
I have said for a long time that, from an artistic standpoint, at least in “Country” music, most artists record their best work later in life.
Not that they don’t release great stuff in their prime, but a lot of them release their best, if not most commercially successful, records later in life.
And John Prine is a special type of writer. He’s not a particularly remarkable singer by most metrics of vocal performance (I love his singing stylistically but from a technical measurement he’s average-ish at best) but it’s his complete and utter commitment to every line that really makes him stand out.
He’s not phoning it in when he sings, he’s not pretending.
First time I heard John Prine was on the Marty Stuart show. First John Prine album I ever bought was “Sweet Revenge” and it’s still an album I keep in pretty regular rotation.
First time I ever performed his music was when I was in a pretty hot classic Country jam band several years ago. One of our mainstays was a classic rock drummer who brought his guitar and sat in with us to “get his Country and Bluegrass fix” and he pulled out “Paradise” which I knew from the Tom T. Hall record “Magnificent Music Machine.” So for the longest time we’d perform that together.
I’m surprised to see a Prine album charting so well. I’d think he’s a little too rough around the edges for the slick hair and the stylish jackets of the young people today, and as a songwriter he’s “a bit much” for a casual listener to take in.”
“Dear Abby” is still one of my favorite songs.
I think, if I had my druthers, this is the second moment to convince me that Country Music will bounce back.
1st time was the Stapleton awards show sweep and subsequent album sales and promotion.
For me, a long-time Prine fan, this is the only other moment to fill me with so much hope for my genre.
The new generation just hasn’t gotten me this excited yet.
I’m hoping this turns into a meaningful return for Old Prine, it would be a great way to start wrapping up his career.
And while the new album just doesn’t fire me up, being mostly duets of songs I’ve heard before (it’s not an album I think I’ll play as much as “Sweet Revenge”)
I’m glad that other people are enjoying it more than me.
Fat Freddy's Cat
October 12, 2016 @ 7:00 am
but it’s his complete and utter commitment to every line that really makes him stand out
Well said! That’s the thing that stands out for me, for Prine and for other artists I think of as favorites.
the deserter
October 11, 2016 @ 8:15 pm
Whatever the reason this guy deserves every thing he gets and more
Biscuit
October 11, 2016 @ 8:49 pm
Good for John, superb songwriter and someone who you’d like to see get his due and new listeners at this juncture. I like it when he does duets.
Ed Torrisi
October 12, 2016 @ 5:08 am
I’ve been a fan since the 70s…..John played many times at Charlotte’s Web in Rockford Illinois…. Cancer at an early age took its toll on his vocal chords but there is so much more to John Prime than his voice……A true blue, easy going , down to earth country gentleman. So happy to see him get this well deserved recognition in his later years. Keep on keeping on John …..we love you .
RD
October 12, 2016 @ 5:19 am
I wasn’t aware that interest in John Prine had ever abated… He’s one of the best.
Stringbuzz
October 12, 2016 @ 7:07 am
I find it interesting that he shares an office with Sturgill.
Him and Sturgill are pretty close from things I’ve seen on Facebook and the public events they’ve done.
I saw Sturgill Sunday.. All I can say is wow.
Jack Williams
October 13, 2016 @ 7:56 am
I saw Sturgill on Tuesday. While I would say it was a great show, it wasn’t my favorite by hime I’ve seen (this show was #5 for me). Sometimes it was a bit busy/jambandy and my mind wandered. Especially on some of the older, straight country songs, where I didn’t think the “large band” treatment worked so well. The best part of the show was them running through all of ASGTE straight through at the tail end of the show. It’s an album I like a lot but don’t quite love, but he had the band to play it and they killed it. And nice to see Sturgill tear it up a little on electric guitar. Call to Arms/The Motivator to close the show was out of this world. No encore after that, but there were no complaints that I heard. What would have been the point?
Nice to see Valerie June as the opener. Didn’t realize she was going to play until a few days earlier.
rusty beltway
October 12, 2016 @ 7:35 am
I was a little kid when my mom called me into the living room to “check out this guy” on TV. It was a local PBS station showing the Philadelphia Folk Festival. She had seen it the night before. “He sings one about the Peabody Coal Co” (Paradise) and “one about these two old people” (Hello in There.) That must have been forty years ago.
I miss Steve Gaines
October 12, 2016 @ 9:08 am
All wonderful quotes so far, I love this Artist!
Grady Shades
October 12, 2016 @ 1:49 pm
Every time I listen to his music, which I have done religiously since 1983 when I first heard him, I am still amazed by how simply he puts complicated things. That to me is a sign he understands those things, and does it in a manner respectful to his fans. Not an ounce of arrogance, or superiority. One of my many favorite Prine moments was when he sang Clay Pigeons on Austin City Limits, he spoke of Blaze Foley’s wonderful writing of that beautiful song. I have seen others sing Blaze’s song without mention. Most people that I know anyway thought it was written by Mr. Prine. He seems to always help and never at anyone’s expense. Great man.
Emily
October 12, 2016 @ 2:28 pm
As a 25 year old who discovered John Prine about a year ago it really tickles me to read that he has a bit of a following with the younger generation. I thought I was an odd-ball for being interested in him. I originally checked him out after hearing Kasey Musgraves song that references him. I like some of Kasey’s stuff, but I absolutely have fallen in love with a lot of John’s. I actually found out about Jason Isbell after finding John which seems a little backwards. I really like both artists though so it’s always fun to see them sharing a stage or tweets or instagram pictures with them both.
Margaret Tarver Gallerani
October 12, 2016 @ 6:58 pm
Back in the late seventies, my father owned a club in Atlanta called the Great Southeast Music Hall. John Prine played there several times, and was one of my mother’s favorites. I later had the privilege of seeing him play at the Telluride Bluegrass festival. A class act every step of the way.
Mark Serna
October 13, 2016 @ 3:51 am
I remember back in the late 80’s Myself and about 3 other couples saw him in San Juan Cap at the Coach House it was right before his missing years album but I remember him playing with his band and the song LAKE Marie” most of all I remember being up at the coach houses upper room and JP after the show opened the door to the private room their and said ‘Hello In There”
I wonder if he remembers that because I do and I was super drunk. I make it a ritual to see him every time he comes to so co
Brandon F
October 13, 2016 @ 6:50 am
I loved this album from the first listen on NPR. I feel bad that the Luke Bryan story has over 100 comments and this has 12, so I figured I’d chime in on something this album made me think about.
While everyone has been focusing on the lack of women on country radio I haven’t seen much talk about the lack of quality female artists at country radio. For me playing women on country radio just because there are more spins for men isn’t the right topic. Just like the men, the women on country radio right now don’t represent the best in country music. Maybe the women aren’t registering on country radio because of their output. Ratings aren’t going to improve when the women getting airplay are Jana Kramer and Kelsea Ballerini — although I’ll admit to mostly liking “Peter Pan”. Mickey Guyton seemed promising and then released a pop song as a follow-up. I think she really missed an opportunity by not releasing Why Baby Why as a single.
This album made me want a station that played Alison Krauss, Holly Williams, Amanda Shires, Kacey Musgraves, and Morgane Stapleton (assuming she puts an album out). I’d actually listen and not change the station. Hopefully Miranda Lambert’s new album will keep her on the charts, because outside of her and Carrie Underwood I don’t think there are any female artists on country radio right now that I enjoy listening to.
Trigger
October 13, 2016 @ 9:38 am
Kacey Musgraves is on a major label and is releasing singles to country radio. Brandy Clark is on a major label and releasing singles to country radio. I totally understand your quality argument, but there are two examples of country females with quality music attempting to impact country radio, and being ignored. So it’s not just a quality issue, though that may factor in.
Brandon F
October 13, 2016 @ 10:39 am
I think you just backed up my point without really realizing it. I think if the quality of country radio improved, Kacey and Brandy would have a better chance of surviving on radio. They play Jana and Kelsea because it isn’t much different than what the guys are doing.
Christian H
October 16, 2016 @ 6:15 pm
Throughout high school, we listened to a wide variety of music. Especially through bands like R.E.M. and The Replacements, we were introduced to a lot of music of the 60’s and 70’s. After being exposed to The Band, and to Grateful Dead albums like American Beauty and Workingman’s Dead, we came full circle and I started borrowing my mom’s old vinyl collection to which I grew up listening in the 70’s and 80’s: Kris Kristofferson mainly, but Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, etc. Eventually, a year or two out of high school now, a good friend of mine and I took note of the “Owed to John Prine” note in the title of Kristofferson’s “Jesus Was a Capricorn.” We started digging into John Prine. This must have been about 1990 or so. Been enthralled with John Prine’s song writing ever since. I’m thrilled to see him getting the recognition and respect he has always deserved (and I was already late to discover the artist in terms of his career). Congratulations Mr. Prine!