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"In Spite Of Ourselves"
You've got to hand it to John Prine.
On the first song on this collection of duets, he plunges valiantly
into " The Jet Set," singing the part made famous by
George Jones, the Caruso of country music. And Prine, never blessed
with the most pliant pipes, promptly pancakes a note flatter
than Kansas. Aw, heck! The songwriter's songwriter takes a curious
turn with his first studio album since 1995's Lost Dogs &
Mixed Blessings. Here he penned only the hysterically coarse
title track, opting instead to coo a slew of classic lovin'-and-losin'
country tunes with Iris DeMent, Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris,
Connie Smith, Trisha Yearwood, Melba Montgomery, Patty Loveless,
Fiona Prine, and Dolores Keane. Given John Prine's ragged-but-right
voice, the effect is something akin to casting a grizzled character
actor opposite Katherine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story. --Steven
Stolder |
Customer review from Amazon
Reviewer: Mike Webster from New York, USA
Prine, Lucinda Williams, the wonderful Iris Dement. This duets
only album of covers (with the exception of the hilarious title
cut), is not what Prine fans expected for sure, given that he
is considered by his fans as one of the greatest songwriters
of his age (or anybody else's for that matter), but this disc
is simply charming from begining to end. Some of the gals Prine
"croons" with here have voices nearly as rough as his!
Emmylou even seems a little rougher than usual. All to the best!
Prine and Dement should tour. He has been a key supporter of
her career, and she clearly fits in well with him. This would
represent my "have to go to, concert of the year".
Who knows, perhaps Prine is a little comfy right now and a little
short of material. Happens to the best of em! This disc is much
more than just a stopgap however, it is wonderful entertainment
featuring great talent and great timeless songs, and please,
if for nothing else, get it for the lone Prine original "In
Spite Of Ourselves", an uproarious duet with Iris, "sniffing
my undies!! Jeez, John you ole' horndog you! |
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