Bledsoe: John Prine songs stand up to age and change

John Prine

"In Person & On Stage," John Prine (O Boy); "Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine," Various Artists (O Boy)

John Prine is an American treasure. He's one of the most natural and original songwriters of the 20th century and belongs alongside Hank Williams, Woody Guthrie and Merle Haggard as "poets of the common man."

Prine has released live albums previously (1988's "John Prine Live" is essential), but "In Person & On Stage" captures Prine in recent performances. His voice is ever-more weathered, but Prine is comfortable with his changing voice. Iris DeMent, Sara Watkins and Emmylou Harris help on a few songs.

This set captures Prine telling more stories about his compositions ("Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore" was inspired by one-time mailman Prine having to deliver Reader's Digests containing American flag decals during the height of the Vietnam War).

Prine's songs defy age - both that of the singer and the subject. "Flag Decal" is as timely now as then and, no matter that cancer-survior Prine is almost croaking out "The Bottomless Lake," the song remains still as wistful and innocently weird as a child's fantasy.

"Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows" (which will be released on June 22) finds 12 acts paying tribute to those songs. The Avett Brothers, Conor Oberst, My Morning Jacket, Old Crow Medicine Show, Deer Tick and other young acts mostly play the songs straight - almost too reverently. Yet, then again, Prine's performances of the songs are so indelible that it's hard to get away from them.

The stand-outs are the performances that do sound the farthest away from Prine's own versions.

Lambchop tackles "Six O'Clock News," a song about a boy finding out he is the product of incest, with typically odd charm.

Sara Watkins' take on "The Late John Garfield Blues" is more delicate than Prine would ever attempt. And Drive-By Truckers' take on "Daddy's Little Pumpkin" amps up the song with a burst of rockabilly.

And, Those Darlins deliver "Let's Talk Dirty in Hawaiian" with a low-fi psychedelic bent.

These songs are classics. It doesn't matter who sings them. In fact, the most enduring thing about Prine's work is that people around campfires, on front porches and little stages all over America are bound to sing a John Prine song and make it sound like their own.

What more could an artist ask for?

"Oooh La La!," Crash Test Dummies (Deep Fried)

In the early 1990s the Winnipeg, Manitoba- based Crash Test Dummies were one of the freshest groups in pop. Brad Roberts' deep voice and peculiar and thoughtful lyrics made "Superman's Song" a college radio favorite and "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" and "Afternoons and Coffeespoons" very unlikely hits. Yet, after two inspired albums ("The Ghosts That Haunt Me" and "God Shuffled His Feet"), the band seemed to lose its mojo. Subsequent albums might contain a few redeeming songs, but were mostly lackluster.

"Oooh La La!" doesn't completely bring back the band's magic, but with sweet songs, including "And It's Beautiful" and "Songbird," it sometimes comes close. There's an added sense of playfulness in the instrumentation with Roberts and producer/songwriting collaborator Stewart Lerman playing Omnichords and Optigans - cool pre-digital sampled-sound instruments.

For fans of the Dummies' quirky charms, this is a nice step back.

Wayne Bledsoe may be reached at 865-342-6444 or bledsoew@knoxville.com. He is also the host of "All Over the Road" midnight Saturdays to 4 a.m. Sundays on WDVX-FM.

© 2010, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
Want to use this article? Click here for options!

© 2010 Knoxville.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.