John Prine

Country, folk and rockabilly converge in the outstanding back catalog of husky-voiced, Illinois-born John Prine, who has continued to sidestep pigeon-holes through 2005's Fair and Square and beyond. After cutting his teeth on the Chicago club circuit in the '60s, Prine got a leg up from fan Kris Kristofferson to record his self-titled debut in 1971, which showcases an assured feel for everyday poetry and his easy-going humor: check out marijuana-flavored opener "Illegal Smile," the gently compassionate "Hello In There," and a live recording of still-loved standard "Angel from Montgomery" which has been covered by the likes of Bonnie Raitt and Dave Matthews. Prine's wry, deadpan humor comes to the fore, in Next Steps.

From narrative classics like "Christmas In Prison," from 1973's lovably bitter Sweet Revenge, to the duets on 1999's In Spite of Ourselves — on which recording was delayed while Prine successfully underwent a cancer operation — the character and good-natured cynicism of the man clings to every note. "Space Monkey," about an Eastern Bloc ape left stranded in the cosmos until the collapse of the Soviet Union, captures Prine's laid-back way with absurdity, and Standard Songs for Average People (2007), made in cahoots with octogenarian bluegrass artist Mac Wiseman, treats us to country classics like "I Forgot to Remember to Forget." Prine rocks out with Steve Cropper, and earns a GRAMMY® with Tom Petty, in Deep Cuts.

Prine returned from a five-year studio hiatus with The Missing Years in 1991. Co-produced by the Heartbreakers' Howie Epstein and featuring back-up from Tom Petty, the record won a folk GRAMMY®: on one hand it showcases his wistful tenderness ("Way Back Then"), on the other, his easy wit ("It's a Big Old Goofy World"). Rewind to 1975, and we find Prine in the company of producer Steve Cropper, the famous Stax house guitarist, on Common Sense, an upbeat album he closes by covering Chuck Berry's "You Can Never Tell" — and if that track sounds familiar, you'll probably remember the original from the Jack Rabbit Slim scene in Pulp Fiction.

John Prine is an almost mythical figure in folk culture: he's right up there with Bob Dylan (only with more laughs) as a deceptively simple songsmith who can take the ordinary and make it seem incredible. Every track on his first album, 1971's John Prine, holds up as a watertight classic, none more affecting than his anthem for the careworn "Angel from Montgomery." Here we offer you a wide overview covering Prine's four decades in the business, taking in grin-crackin' gems like "Yes I Guess They Oughta Name a Drink After You" and "Let's Talk Dirty in Hawaiian," sharp, slice-of-life narratives ("Paradise," "Sam Stone"), and elegant duets ("When Two Worlds Collide" with Trisha Yearwood). Cue up any John Prine track in any joint, anywhere in the world, and the world will start to make sense.