John Prine

33⅓ Main Series #160

by Erin Osmon

He is known as the Mark Twain of American songwriting, a man who transformed the everyday happenings of regular people into plainly profound statements on war, industrialization, religion, and the human condition. Marking the 50th anniversary of the album's release, John Prine chronicles the legendary singer-songwriter's Middle American provenance, and his remarkable ascent from singing mailman to celebrated son of Chicago.“Illegal Smile,” “Hello in There,” “Sam Stone,” “Paradise,” “Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore,” “Far from Me,” “Donald and Lydia,” and “Angel from Montgomery” are considered standards in the American Songbook, covered by legions of Prine's peers and admirers. Through original interviews, exhaustive research, and incisive commentary, author Erin Osmon paints an in-depth portrait of the people, places, and experiences that inspired Prine's landmark debut.

After exploring his roots in rural Western Kentucky and suburban Maywood, Illinois, the book takes readers on an evocative journey through John Prine's Chicago. Its neighborhoods, characters, and clubs of the 1960s and 70s proved a formative and magical period in Prine's life, before he was a figurehead of the new Nashville scene. It's both a journalistic inquiry and a love letter: to Prine's self-titled debut and the Midwestern city that made him.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published November 18, 2021

Reviews

[Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not just a great look at Prine's first album but a marvelous short bio.

[MICHAEL · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the second 33 1/3 that I have read and greatly enjoyed both. A fan of Prine since the early 80's I had read a lot of his thoughts and interviews, but the early history was not something I was familiar with, and being a Chicagoan, especially one that has connections to The Old Town School, Oak Park, Maywood, and a love of the Folk era (which truly predated him) I found a lot of different reasons to be taken in by this book. I was also reading, at the same time, the mid sections of Third Coast which have quite a bit of music history as well so it was all working together for me.

[Alex Sarll]

Having as its subject a debut album, and a self-titled one at that, licenses this 33 1/3 to verge on a brief biography of John Prine, at least up to its release and reception. After all, there is the line about how your whole life up to that point goes into the songs on the first album - particularly here, where Paradise in particular turns out to be literally true in a way I'd never have expected from a song which sounds so much like a fable. Similarly, Prine's own story could easily pass for a fairytale - the singing mailman, talented and lucky enough to be discovered by showbiz folk and become a very unassuming sort of star. And it's a story which might be well known to people more grounded in that scene, but as a poncy Brit, it was all new to me. Perhaps Osmon can be a little too starry-eyed about the decent, overlooked folk of the flyover states – I've no reason not to think that Prine's own family were as lovely and progressive as they're painted here, but we've all seen lately the degree to which that doesn't hold for all their neighbours. And the romanticising of Chicago verges on the baffling - it's corrupt as hell, the weather's awful, but you gotta love its lack of airs and graces, right? Ah well, maybe every country needs a Manchester. But despite that, and despite my being more into Prine a little later on (that duets album!), there's plenty of interest here about how he wrote, and what he was writing; about how he played, and about how that interacted with the debut's unlikely backing band the Memphis Boys. Seriously, the idea that the same people played on Hello In There and Suspicious Minds does my nut.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Prine's debut is a masterpiece, an example of great writing coupled with catchy (if you like country) tunes.

Eric Osmon takes a different aspect for this volume. Instead he gives us a detailed biography of Prine, something which is needed and as one reads one sees how all of Prine's experiences fed into his debut. Yes one does have to know the record well but still is interesting at the type of life that Chicago's 'poet laureate' led.

[Desmond Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best of this series. A short biography of the early years of Prine and the Chicago folk music scene, building up to the recording of his first album in Memphis. Guest appearances by Steve Goodman and Kris Kristofferson and even Paul Anka(!) Cameos by Bob Dylan, Carly Simon, and Bette Midler (!!!). How Lucky Can One Man Get?

[Tyler McGaughey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Channeling Prine's generosity of spirit and bumping my rating up to 3 stars, but he really deserved better than a book that spends an inordinate amount of its 117 pages repeating thin soup stereotypes about Midwesterners (y'know, hard-workin salt of de earth types who love dere domestic lagers) and relating the history of the Old Town School of Folk Music (not inherently interesting, especially pertinent to Prine's first album, or well-told in these pages). The main insight that I'll carry with me from here is that the teenaged John Prine was apparently an amazing gymnast, his form and poses described as "beautiful" by his first wife. We love you and miss you, sweet man.

[mr ken spencer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was extremely disappointed by this book. It was disjointed and badly written.
John Prine's life is quite interesting. But this book skimmed over his formative years and his early career; and then it stopped after the release of his first record in 1971.
I found out about the session men and several other peripheral characters. But John Prine was largely absent.
I read this book in Kindle format. It ended after 80%, and the remaining 20% was made up of notes and acknowledgements.
This was an annoying waste of my time and money.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worthwhile read, especially for the stories of the founding of the Old Town School of Folk Music and Prine's relationship with it, and for his friendship with Steve Goodman.

The writing itself was to filled with cliches, and there were a few errors but still an interesting look at a great debut album.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Real good, just shudda been three times as long!

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the now plentiful book series labeled 33 and 1/3 about specific albums in the rock era. This has expanded and features a wide variety of albums. This history of John Prine’s self titled debut is a good introduction to the legend of The singer. At only a few over one hundred pages there is not much room to go beyond a short intoduction to the singers life.

Still as a full on fan of his I can recommend this wholeheartedly to those who might not be as familiar with the legend. His Kentucky roots, his deep connection to not only Chicago but those Appalachian connections. The realization that his song “ Paradise “ was based on a true story, what the TVA did to his family’s ancestral home.

Beyond that he really was a postman, he was drafted and unlike his friends was lucky enough not to be sent to Vietnam. The story of his discovery, the involvement of Kris Kristofferson, Steve Goodman, and oddly enough, Paul Anka is all told here as well as of the famous review by Roger Ebert.

And the album. It almost boggles the mind. Paradise, Angel From Montgomery, Hello In There, and Donald and Lydia are all time additions to the American Songbook. Yet it might be that the two overtly Vietnam songs which etched him in the consciousness of the folk movement permanently. Sam Stone is a brutal look at a returned soldier with a heroin habit “ there is a hole in Daddy’s arm, where all the money goes “ followed by the complete loss of faith in “ Jesus died for nothing I suppose.” Another song that bleak would have been too much. So on the same album we get “ Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore “ a sarcastic, witty takedown of false patriotism that still echoes today.

[Ann Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not know about the 33 /3rd series so was very confused when the book ended in 1971. A little research tells me that the series is supposed to be about just one album, and since Osmon chose the album titled "John Prine," perhaps I can't be faulted for thinking this was going to be a biography. I don't know that I would have bought it if I'd known how limited it was going to be. It's also clearly meant for the dedicated John Prine fan who knows the lyrics to all the songs on the album and I'm a fan, but not at that level. The author also gets off an an early wrong foot by saying that Maywood borders Oak Park, which would be a surprise to anyone living in River Forest or Forest Park. But still full of wonderful details about Prine's life and the Chicago folk seen in the 60s and 70s.

[Riley Womack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps structured with an odd imbalance that prioritizes artistic context over deep textual analysis, this offers a comprehensive look at the singer-songwriter’s landmark debut. That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the exploration of Prine’s Chicago upbringing, his childhood, or his family’s Kentucky roots—these details enrich the reading of his songs. Still, I found myself wishing for more direct engagement with the music itself.

Ultimately, the book reads as a story of Midwestern grit meeting lightning-strike Hollywood luck. Prine stands apart from figures like Dylan or even his contemporary Kris Kristofferson; he never cultivated mystique, yet somehow managed to elude easy categorization. I had always assumed he was from Kentucky, not Chicago—a testament to the way his music inhabits that distinctly ‘70s moment when folk and country were searching for new identities.

[Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew nothing about John Prine going into this book and now I feel like I know him like an old friend. I loved that this book incorporated an obvious love for Chicago and an overview of the Chicago music scene circa 1960s, and John Prine's personal history. I recognize and admire his southern pragmatism (it's gonna happen anyway, might as well figure out how to best deal with it), his long-term commitment to being true to his roots and to himself, and his suspicious attitude towards Paul Anka, who arguably sang the creepiest weirdo song of all time in You're Having My Baby. All in all, an excellent addition to the list of 33 1/3 books I've read.

[Dave Moyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book focused on Prine's background and emergence onto the folk scene in Chicago up to his encounter with Kris Kristoferson and trip to NY to record his first album. It is generally well-written and enjoyable, discussing his family, background, and many aspects of the Chicago folk scene in general. However, there is so much more to Prine's career, that I am going to have to look into other books. This is a sparse book and is part of a series including other artist, so I assume the other books are crafted similarly. A good book, but it barely scratches the surface.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, this book would certainly be a 5 star, if one glaring mistake were corrected...the book didn't really touch up on the album as a whole. I love the storytelling and the background of Prine, with some interesting tidbits thrown into the picture. Just felt like it kind of just had less than 10 pages on the album itself, so perhaps that's where I maybe didn't go full in on a 5 star review. Still, good read for fans of John and his work.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book of 2022 finished.

I really loved this. Part biography, part history book, and so good.
I have not read a book from this series before. I loved learning the history of John Probe’s debut album.
The details and stories and Osmon’s writing style sucked me right in.
And, made me miss Prine that much more.

[Bryan Combs · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a fan of John , or music in general you owe it to yourself to read this book. I can’t recommend it enough. Delves into the making of Prine’s masterpiece debut album. A quick, wonderful read. Buy it, read it, share it.

[Damian Konopka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another very solid 33 1/3 book

Great, great book about an album that keeps lingering in my head after many years. Feel like I know John Prine a little bit more other than his words and music. And songs from his album have been on repeat since I started reading.

[Damian Konopka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, great book about a singular songwriter and a record that has withstood the test of time for me. Several songs from his album have been on repeat since I started reading. Another solid story in the 33 1/3 series.

[Ranjit · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one might be my favorite of all the 33 1/3 album books on my shelf. Beyond the great stories and details about the songs on Prine’s debut masterpiece, it’s an entertaining biography of Prine up through that record. Many great quotes and LOL moments. Five stars.

[Jonny Brick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Son of a Kentuckian who returns from service to write songs while posting mail gets discovered (in turn) by Roger Ebert, Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Wexler, Paul Anka and finds himself with a national platform for his cult first album. Very good potted history of Prine's early years.

[cait loughran · Rating 4 out of 5]

john prine always makes me think about my papa, so reading about his life and ultimate debut felt very special to me. also the first book i’ve read in the 33 1/3 series, which really makes me want to read more of them!

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this would be a song-by-song review of John Prine’s self-titled debut album, but it was more like a series of essays about some of his songs, but also his childhood, how he got discovered, and recording this album. I’d love to read more in this series about significant albums.

[Jachin Heckman · Rating 3 out of 5]

"All music is folk music; I ain't never heard no horse sing a song," - Louis Armstrong

I literally can't imagine a person who could have something negative to say about John Prine. What a wonderful person to have existed. Cute, little book about the making of his first album.

[Joe Asher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent historical overview. Well researched and the flow of the book kept me engaged. Also, the author is, like prine a midwesterner which can be energetically felt throughout

[Nat Ware · Rating 3 out of 5]

oh to be at a party at carly simon’s house with john prine and bob dylan and steve goodman

[Jitte Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing.

[Brian H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too abrupt of an ending and a few sections where Prine is the subject for several paragraphs (which is unfortunate given it is a short book). Otherwise good and a breeze to read.

[Tracy Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written very matter-of-factly and yet the love for its subject shines through every line. You know, like a John Prine song.

[Barrett Gough · Rating 1 out of 5]

In a book of 120 pages, this book contains an impressive inventory of contradictions and cliches. Other than the five or so cool anecdotes included, this book is poorly framed and poorly written, which is an incredible disservice to my absolute favorite album of all time.