Our Review
John Prine is an artist I've always admired, although I've not closely followed his music. Some of my best friends would die for him, though. My impression of him has always been of an artist who goes his own way, regardless of what the world expects. This record confirms my view. With A John Prine Christmas he takes his holiday offering in directions not often chosen. The record features several songs that are pure Prine, most notably All the Best, an ode to his ex-wife. Evidently, he included this song because he got his divorce around Christmastime. It is a great song, and one you won't find on any other seasonal record.
My favorite song on the record is a very Prinelike Silver Bells, taken from a live performance.
His Christmas in Prison is just the song to bring a note of hard realism to a season all too often drenched in saccharine. This song is among the best examples of Prine's ability to deliver a serious message around an upbeat strumming style. He further juxtaposes Christmas and prison images, creating a beautiful but terrible tableau, layering irony upon pathos. He is a poet with a guitar.
I recommend this record to Prine fans and lovers of serious folk music.
--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 1998)
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John Prine
A John Prine Christmas
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Label: Oh Boy
Length: 32 minutes
Genre: Acoustic
Release: 1993
Track List
| Song Title |
|---|
| Everything Is Cool |
| All The Best |
| Silent Night All Day Long |
| If You Were The Woman And I Was The Man |
| Silver Bells |
| I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus |
| Christmas In Prison |
| A John Prine Christmas |