Christmas in Prison by John Prine.
John Prine was 71 years old when he died in 2020. He was wracked with health problems for years but continued writing, recording, and performing almost to the end. His once luxuriant brown locks had receded to a thin gray brush. His face was contorted by the removal of half a cancerous jaw. His distinct twangy tenor had become something of a gravely rasp. He was often in pain and sidelined for various hospitalizations but was soon back on stage and in the recording studio.
He had come a long way from his days as the singing Maywood Mailman and standout star of the Chicago folk music scene. His 1971 self-titled debut album on Atlantic Records was a treasure trove of memorable songs--the rollicking and irreverent Illegal Smile and Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore; the bittersweet ballads Hello in There, Paradise, and Angel From Montgomery; and the gut-wrenching Sam Stone. It was a virtuoso collection that rivaled anything Bob Dylan could put out. Two follow up albums added more great songs to his portfolio.
Despite that song bag and an electrifying stage presence as a solo artist; in duets with pals like Steve Goodman, Kris Kristofferson, and Iris DeMent; or with a kick ass band, Prine never became a big star with his own hit records, radio play, or stadium tours. Other people scored hits with his songs. He was idolized by other musicians and had a devoted cult following. Later in his life fans followed him from town to town on his tours like Deadheads. He was too dangerous and radical for the country music establishment and country radio. On the other hand, he was too country for rock & roll and too rock for fans of laid back singer/songwriters.
Prine switched labels and left Chicago for Nashville, but Asylum did not seem to know what to do with him and he grew to mistrust major labels for exploiting songwriters. In 1981 he founded his own label Oh Boy which gave him creative control but limited distribution.
He regularly released albums--live shows, compilations, collaborations, and new material--until Fair & Square in 2010. Battling two different cancers, heart disease, and a compromised immune system that made him susceptible to pneumonia and infectious illness he finally began to achieve the popular acclaim that had eluded him. In 2018 Prine's first album of all new material in 13 years, The Tree of Forgiveness became his highest charting record on the Billboard 200.
In 2019 he recorded several tracks including Please Let Me Go 'Round Again in which h warmly confronted the end of life. It was his final recording session. The last song recorded was I Remember Everything which as released on June 12, 2020 with a music video. It was released following the two hour Tribute Celebrating John Prine the night before which featured Sturgill Simpson, Vince Gill, Jason Isbell, Kacey Musgraves, Bonnie Raitte, Rita Wilson, Eric Church, Brandi Carlile and other artists and friends. On the first night of the Democratic National Convention in 2020 I Remember Everything was the soundtrack to a COVID-19 Memorial video.
Today's Holidays Music Festival selection is Christmas in Prison, surely the most melancholy seasonal ditty this side of the Pogue's Fairy Tale of New York. It first appeared on Prine's second album Diamonds in the Rough in 1972 and was also included on A John Prine Christmas and Souvenirs in 2000.
No comments:
Post a Comment