John Prine — For Better, Or Worse
Dave Hjortland | Published on 8/24/2023
The music world lost a giant of Americana with the passing of John Prine in April of 2020, due to complications from COVID-19. But his legacy and place in music history is assured by the body of his work that includes some 27 albums and – of course – numerous classic songs, many of which have been and continue to be covered by other artists.
This was, I believe, his next-to-last album, and in theme and content was a follow-up to his 1999 album, In Spite of Ourselves. It features 14 Prine duets and one solo song by Prine, the duets all with various (mostly well-known) female singers, the likes of which include Iris DeMent, Alison Krauss, Susan Tesdeschi, Kacey Musgraves, Kathy Mattea, and others. Some of the songs are country semi-classics; “Dim Lights, Thick Smoke,” and “Cold, Cold Heart” for example, but for some reason none of the songs were written by Prine.
While the material is good and the personnel are notable, I regret to say that the production and sound quality are merely so-so. This follow-up album lacks the spark and verve of the 1999 original, and with only few exceptions sadly falls rather flat. Better production would have helped a great deal. If you don’t have In Spite of Ourselves, I would recommend that you by all means go for that very good and worthwhile album instead. (LP & CD, Oh Boy Records, 2016)