John Prine Album: “Sweet Revenge”

I have every John Prine original studio album. Most I originally bought on vinyl and replaced with CDs. With quality songs from start to finish, Sweet Revenge is my favorite of his albums. Songs approximately about revenge, death, prison, advice, loneliness, exasperation, stardom, grandparents, four way stop signs, Mexican weather (?), intimacy and hauling coal are served up with Prine's usual mix of wit, humility, humor, poignancy, insight and compassion. Much of it is folk music, some of it rocks, all of it has a pinch of country. An absolute treasure trove.

I love Prine's music. I own more of his albums than I can count. If I had to pick 10 desert island disks, 7 of them would be by Prine. Out of all of them, this one is my favorite - it's the one I find myself listening to over and over again. Great songs, lively music with an edge, and some great guitar playing by Steve Goodman and others. A masterpiece.

No one else creates lyrics like John Prine, and nowhere else is his lyrical prowess more on display than on this album. I mean come on: "Naked as the eyes of a clown"? Who else but John Prine could twist up a line like that? I think this his is finest collection of lyrical masters, unless you want to purchase the anthology

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The album came right after Christmas, which was fine because I am a greedy bitch and it was a present for myself. Shipping was fast, item was in good condition, and the music is awesome. Love it. Thanks!

When I think of John Prine's early work, one word always seems to come to mind: "wry"..... as in possessing a dry wit and ironic sense of humor. Sort of like, if Andy Rooney was young, with dark facial hair, and could sing and play and write music...oh forget it. The pose of relaxed defiance on the cover pretty much tells the story. I'm a rebel but I first have to get just a little more worked up about this so I can climb out of this car. "Dear Abby" may be the pinnacle of this wit; in John's songview, the solution is always the same whatever the malady of the forelorn advice seeker. "Sweet Revenge" is also full of tuneful material rich in "hooks." Heck, we even get a touching ballad; "Blue Umbrella." And we get an unforgettable Christmas song, a lively ode to ancestry in "Grandpa Was a Carpenter," more wryness in "Often is a Word I Seldom Use," and so on. John has mellowed much these days. If you want a good dose of his earlier more cantankerous days, this is as good a place to start as any. Many songs that will cling to your memory for quite a long time.