pure Proustian existentialism - Midwestern mindtrips to the nth degree
January 6, 2022 8:46 AM Subscribe
New 33 1/3 Book Zooms In on John Prine’s Debut Album (No Depression): "Much more than a detailed analysis of the album, though, Osmon’s contribution to the series is a love letter from one Midwesterner to another, as well as an intimate portrait — drawing on archival materials and published interviews — of the folk clubs, neighborhood, and family that shaped Prine and about which he wrote so evocatively in his songs. As “a fifteen-year Chicago resident,” Osmon writes, “I’ve always understood Prine through the lens of our Middle American provenance, and admired his singular ability to convey our commonplace happenings to universal effect."
The “singing mailman” with a unique gift (Chicago Reader): Beyond his family stories, Osmon establishes the no-nonsense musical world that skyrocketed Prine from uncertain open-mike performer to major-label sensation. From a mythic debut performance that left his audience speechless, to the first review penned by Roger Ebert the day before Prine’s 24th birthday, Chicagoans caught on fast to the singer’s unique gift. Still, Prine wouldn’t have found his voice without the emergence of the Old Town School of Folk Music, a nonhierarchical, informal musical community founded in 1957, or the Earl of Old Town, an unpretentious nightclub that sustained the folk music revival in Chicago and gave Prine many of his earliest gigs. This honest, dedicated musical community is as much a part of the story as Prine’s thoughtful storytelling, and Osmon places its influence center stage in the making of Prine’s early career.
John Prine: The debut album that introduced a songwriting master (WPR): I think he did it because he kept it simple. When we think about great Midwestern songwriters, of course Bob Dylan comes to mind. But you know, many people compared Prine and Bob Dylan when Prine's self-titled album came out," Osmon said. "But with Prine, there was such a sense of simplicity and modesty. Prine never wanted to alienate the listener. On the contrary, he wanted to invite as many people as possible. That's why he wrote such simple yet profound statements through his lyrics."
Post title is from Bob Dylan's description of Prine: "Prine's stuff is pure Proustian existentialism. Midwestern mindtrips to the nth degree. And he writes beautiful songs. I remember when Kris Kristofferson first brought him on the scene. All that stuff about "Sam Stone" the soldier junky daddy and "Donald and Lydia," where people make love from ten miles away. Nobody but Prine could write like that."
Related: John Prine, 1946-2020 (2020), Life, Death, and John Prine (2018), The Big Old Goofy World of John Prine [yes, he's still with us] (2016)
The “singing mailman” with a unique gift (Chicago Reader): Beyond his family stories, Osmon establishes the no-nonsense musical world that skyrocketed Prine from uncertain open-mike performer to major-label sensation. From a mythic debut performance that left his audience speechless, to the first review penned by Roger Ebert the day before Prine’s 24th birthday, Chicagoans caught on fast to the singer’s unique gift. Still, Prine wouldn’t have found his voice without the emergence of the Old Town School of Folk Music, a nonhierarchical, informal musical community founded in 1957, or the Earl of Old Town, an unpretentious nightclub that sustained the folk music revival in Chicago and gave Prine many of his earliest gigs. This honest, dedicated musical community is as much a part of the story as Prine’s thoughtful storytelling, and Osmon places its influence center stage in the making of Prine’s early career.
John Prine: The debut album that introduced a songwriting master (WPR): I think he did it because he kept it simple. When we think about great Midwestern songwriters, of course Bob Dylan comes to mind. But you know, many people compared Prine and Bob Dylan when Prine's self-titled album came out," Osmon said. "But with Prine, there was such a sense of simplicity and modesty. Prine never wanted to alienate the listener. On the contrary, he wanted to invite as many people as possible. That's why he wrote such simple yet profound statements through his lyrics."
Post title is from Bob Dylan's description of Prine: "Prine's stuff is pure Proustian existentialism. Midwestern mindtrips to the nth degree. And he writes beautiful songs. I remember when Kris Kristofferson first brought him on the scene. All that stuff about "Sam Stone" the soldier junky daddy and "Donald and Lydia," where people make love from ten miles away. Nobody but Prine could write like that."
Related: John Prine, 1946-2020 (2020), Life, Death, and John Prine (2018), The Big Old Goofy World of John Prine [yes, he's still with us] (2016)
This is wonderful. Thank you so much, not_the_water!
From 1970: John Prine’s first review, by Roger Ebert: "He appears on stage with such modesty he almost seems to be backing into the spotlight. He sings rather quietly, and his guitar work is good, but he doesn’t show off. He starts slow. But after a song or two, even the drunks in the room begin to listen to his lyrics. And then he has you."
posted by MonkeyToes at 9:17 AM on January 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
From 1970: John Prine’s first review, by Roger Ebert: "He appears on stage with such modesty he almost seems to be backing into the spotlight. He sings rather quietly, and his guitar work is good, but he doesn’t show off. He starts slow. But after a song or two, even the drunks in the room begin to listen to his lyrics. And then he has you."
posted by MonkeyToes at 9:17 AM on January 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
That debut album may be the album I've played the most in my life. I'm really mad that pre-COVID I missed my (then unknown) last chance to see Prine play because his stuff has always just rung true to me.
My wife has used which Prine songs I'm playing as a gauge of my emotional state. :)
posted by drewbage1847 at 9:54 AM on January 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
My wife has used which Prine songs I'm playing as a gauge of my emotional state. :)
posted by drewbage1847 at 9:54 AM on January 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
"A man of people and places overlooked and underestimated."
Wow. That's such a perfect summary. Had no idea this book was coming out. Thanks for this!
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:04 AM on January 6, 2022
Wow. That's such a perfect summary. Had no idea this book was coming out. Thanks for this!
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:04 AM on January 6, 2022
Thanks for this post! The first John Prine song I ever heard was "Fish and Whistle." I heard it on the radio, didn't catch the name of the song or the artist, but it stuck in my head and I scoured the record store bins in search of what it could possibly be (children, this was in the early 1980s, way before the internets). I finally found it, and it remains in active rotation. Pretty much all of John Prine is just so good, but this one is still my favorite.
TLDR: I miss John Prine.
posted by chavenet at 10:17 AM on January 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
TLDR: I miss John Prine.
posted by chavenet at 10:17 AM on January 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
I was going to say that this no doubt explains the high affection and esteem fellow Midwesterner Bob Dylan held for John Prine the man and musician but, upon preview, I see that you have said it already.
Man, between you and kmt so far, the quality of posts today have shot up astronomically. It must be something in the aether.
posted by y2karl at 11:35 AM on January 6, 2022
Man, between you and kmt so far, the quality of posts today have shot up astronomically. It must be something in the aether.
posted by y2karl at 11:35 AM on January 6, 2022
I like the illusions to religion in his music that can only come from a midwesterner who took it so seriously for a while in his life and then not so seriously. Fish and Whistle is one of the best, but Jesus The Missing Years is wild too, both loving and sardonic at the same time. And from the same album, The Sins of Memphisto just swings along.
Summer's End might be the greatest song ever about the passage of time getting quicker with age and preparing for death.
posted by The_Vegetables at 1:34 PM on January 6, 2022 [2 favorites]
Summer's End might be the greatest song ever about the passage of time getting quicker with age and preparing for death.
posted by The_Vegetables at 1:34 PM on January 6, 2022 [2 favorites]
The Missing Years is Prine's most perfect album after his debut. I always liked the story about his writing The Sins of Memphisto. Just putting in the work, not some magical bolt from the blue.
Prine said: "I wrote this one under pressure from my producer, Howie Epstein. We were 12 cuts into The Missing Years, and Howie says, "We need one or two more cuts." And I went, "You're kidding. From where? We've been working for nine months. I don't have anything hiding on the shelf. You could take a autopsy, and you won't find a song inside of me." So I went and locked myself in a hotel room and went, "If he wants a song, he'll get a song." I tried to write one from as far in left field as I could and came up with "Memphisto."
posted by Lorin at 10:33 PM on January 6, 2022
Prine said: "I wrote this one under pressure from my producer, Howie Epstein. We were 12 cuts into The Missing Years, and Howie says, "We need one or two more cuts." And I went, "You're kidding. From where? We've been working for nine months. I don't have anything hiding on the shelf. You could take a autopsy, and you won't find a song inside of me." So I went and locked myself in a hotel room and went, "If he wants a song, he'll get a song." I tried to write one from as far in left field as I could and came up with "Memphisto."
posted by Lorin at 10:33 PM on January 6, 2022
I have no standing as a Prine aficionado but the album I keep playing is his last one (#fuckcovid).
When you got hell to pay
Put the truth on layaway
And blame it on that crazy bone
[...]
The moon and stars hang out in bars just talking
I still love that picture of us talking
Just like that ol house we thought was haunted
Summer's end came faster than we wanted
Come on home
Come on home
No you don't have to be alone
Come on home
Come on home
No you don't have to be alone
Just come on home
posted by away for regrooving at 11:59 PM on January 6, 2022 [2 favorites]
When you got hell to pay
Put the truth on layaway
And blame it on that crazy bone
[...]
The moon and stars hang out in bars just talking
I still love that picture of us talking
Just like that ol house we thought was haunted
Summer's end came faster than we wanted
Come on home
Come on home
No you don't have to be alone
Come on home
Come on home
No you don't have to be alone
Just come on home
posted by away for regrooving at 11:59 PM on January 6, 2022 [2 favorites]
Thank you, not_the_water, this is a wonderful post. John Prine was an incredible lyricist. Sam Stone destroys me Every. Single. Time.
posted by essexjan at 9:41 AM on January 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by essexjan at 9:41 AM on January 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
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