1. Come Back to Us Barbara Lewis Hare Krishna Beauregard
2. Six O'Clock News
3. The Oldest Baby in the World - John Prine, Fritts, Donnie
4. Angel from Montgomery
5. Grandpa Was a Carpenter
6. Blue Umbrella
7. Fish and Whistle
8. Sabu Visits the Twin Cities Alone
9. Living in the Future
10. Illegal Smile
11. Mexican Home
12. Speed of the Sound of Loneliness
13. The Accident (Things Could Be Worse)
14. Sam Stone
15. Souvenirs
16. Aw Heck
17. Donald and Lydia
18. That's the Way That the World Goes 'Round
19. Hello in There
Amazon.com
"I've been thinking lately 'bout the people I meet," sings Prine at the beginning of "Fish and Whistle." Yes, we all think about those people, but only Prine can relay their (or his own) heartbreaking stories in such a heartwarming fashion. The bulk of this cozy record was recorded at an intimate solo-acoustic show at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, California, and is augmented by a pair of full-band cuts recorded at Nashville's Cannery plus one duet each with Bonnie Raitt and Steve Goodman. Even longtime Prine collectors will relish these pared-down tender readings for the snug setting calls even more attention to Prine's uncanny eye for detail, his acute empathy for human suffering, and ultimately, his ability to find humor where most only find misery. And try not to crack an "Illegal Smile" when the whole crowd sings along with him. --Marc Greilsamer
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John Prine Live
- Audio CD: 0 pages (1990-10-25)
- Publisher: Oh Boy
- Label: Oh Boy
- Format: Live
- Studio: Oh Boy
- Average Customer Review:
 based on 9 reviews
- Sales Rank in Music: #11353
Avg. Customer Review:
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Stunning 2007-07-20
Comment: i was introduced to John Prine by my father when i was wee lad of 6 or 7. My sister and I loved the humor of Bruised Orange. As I matured I discovered the depth of his lyrics and i bought this album for my Dad when i was about 15. Its hard to put into words what Prine is seemingly effortlessly able to convey through his at once simple yet incredibly deep lyrics. This album pairs it down to the simple basics. Lyrically he is my all time favorite. Gut wrenching yet accesible stories about the dark, light and truthful epic that is our lives. Im shocked there are only a handfull of reviews to this testament to sheer lyrical brilliance. John doesnt have a great voice or virtuoso musical ability but it hardly matters when he can spit these lyrical gems seemingly at will. He can make you laugh, cry and sit in amazement as he belts out his heartfelt tunes. "It's nothing....it really is nothing" he tells the audience as he uses his three chords to enchant and enthrall. "Angel from Montgomery" is worth the price of admission where Bonnie Raitt accompanies him with the vocal passion that Prine lacks yet inspires her to with lines like, "How the Hell can a person, go to work in the morning, come home in the evening, and have nothing to say." Prine is a lyrical GENIUS! His albums may not have the production or musical sophistication of others but he hardly requires such embellishments when the songs stand on their own. If you want to check out one of the true masters of storytelling via song, buy and listen to this album over and over and over again.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Prine at his Prime 2007-02-17
Comment: In 1988 I knew next to nothing about one of my now favorite artists, but I became aware of songs like "Fish and Whistle", "That's the Way the World Goes Round", "Paradise" and "Donald and Lydia" as my friends played them at open mike night at a local club. From there it was a short step to "John Prine Live", my first Prine CD. Prine's live performances of many of his best songs are reduced to their essential elements--by turns poignant, insightful and clever lyrics, a raspy voice (from too many cigarettes, I'd guess), and as he puts after "Grandpa Was a Carpenter", three chords on the guitar. Particularly effective in this motif are such songs "Barbara Lewis Hare Khrisna Beauregard" and "Blue Umbrella" and "Mexican Home", all of which suffer a little from overproduction in their studio versions. Prine also delights with his "stories before the song" on "Sabu", "That's the Way the World Goes Round" (the Happy Enchiladas would be a great name for a band, and once was for one night about 17 years ago), and "Living in the Future". Still, a fuller sound brings us the lovely classic "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness" and a perfect duet with Bonnie Raitt on "Angel from Montgomery". After buying and listening to all of Prine's CD's over the years, I feel like "Prine Live" misses a couple of the best ("Bruised Orange" for poignancy (maybe it just couldn't stand without the closing soprano sax solo, "Pretty Good" and "Please Don't Bury Me" for humor), but overall, it's still my favorite compilation of the man's music. I've been to a couple of Prine concerts and "John Prine Live" captures the mood very well. Highly recommended.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Very funny and beautiful 2006-12-08
Comment: This album is probably worth the price just for the anecdote Prine tells on "That's the Way the World Goes Round" (about a woman who misunderstood the lyric "half an inch of water" and asked him to sing his song about the "happy enchilada").
That anecdote makes a larger point about Prine. There's something amusing, if not altogether clear, about his lyrics. They're often kind of goofy and cockeyed. They're wordplays, and somehow they make for marvelous, intricate poetry, but you can't take them literally. You have to rely on the "feel" of the songs, and there are a couple of almost heart-breaking, musically gorgeous numbers here: "Blue Umbrella" and "The Speed of the Sound of Loneliness," the latter of which is one of the marvels of American music.
Still, the humor's the best part, and there are some great, funny, straightforward stories here, such as the account of the Indian actor Sabu going on a promotional tour in the Midwest in winter and one about an accident in which nobody was seriously hurt. There's also Prine's observation on how hokey the future is turning out to be.
The is his best album, an excellent survey of the first half of his career, before he ran out of creative steam. The low point is when he is joined onstage by Bonnie Raitt on "Angel From Montgomery." She, of course, dominates the number. As great a songwriter as Prine is, I haven't heard many covers of his songs. His talents are too distinctive for that, and they are exhibited to near perfection here.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: If you only buy one John Prine album... 2006-05-12
Comment: ...then this is the one. I have been a fan of John Prine's songs for many years, and I believe this album serves them the best. He is without a doubt one of the great songwriters of our time, but he has had two things working against him: the cloying production that plagued many singer-songwriter albums from the 70s and his rather limited vocal talents. This album rectifies the first fault by placing him in a warm intimate concert setting which complement his songs very well. As for his voice, I have never heard it sound better. By this time (mid-1980s), it has become just weathered enough but not too raspy as it would later become. The live setting of course also affords this rather personable singer to spin tales between songs about how each of them was written, and I can tell you that after hundreds of listens I still find those stories charming, particularly the one about the girl who wanted to hear a song about a "happy enchilada".
The music of course is the best that Prine had written to date. It serves as a de facto greatest hits package with better production. My favorites include "Donald and Lydia" and his duet with Bonnie Raitt, "Angel from Montgomery". This is definitely the album to start with, and if you're a John Prine fan without this album then you definitely need to buy it. You won't be sorry.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: did john just play in my living room 2002-11-13
Comment: my girlfriend hates this one, maybe i should get rid of her. me i love the thing. the stories this guy can tell. reminds me of a saturday night when the suds were flowing and your best friend was telling all the wacky stories he had lived or had the nerve to make up. This record sounds like a few friends just hanging out and talking about old times and whats happened since last seeing each other. it's all so intimate and close, you forget he's playing to a few thousand people. i am sure everyone in the audience thought the songs were performed for them and isn't that the whole point of a live album.
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John Prine Live
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