Souvenirs
John Prine
Oh Boy Records
2000
15 tracks
Like changing from a plaid shirt and worn working jeans to a well-pressed business suit, a performer's interpretation of the words and music can make a song seem something else. With every artist who interprets it, the song evolves and grows. Yet, at the centre of every interpretation, there is always the music and the words that tell the story. After years of hearing various interpretations, it's always a pleasure and a surprise to be brought back to the centre of it all. That's what it's like to hear John Prine's new recordings of the songs he wrote.
I'll admit up front that I don't come to Souvenirs as an unbiased listener. I have long been aware of the words and music of John Prine, as much through the interpretations of other artists as through his own recordings. His polished lyrics tell their stories with no words wasted and his simple country melodies have a dignity and grace unmatched in contemporary folk music. So I came to this release expecting to hear something pretty special.
I wasn't disappointed. Continuing a long tradition of storytelling in American country music, Prine's songs open windows on the lives of everyday Americans, often telling their stories in their own distinctive voices. The melodies have a traditional feel, a simple down home sensibility, yet are complex enough to be able to cross genres with ease, artists in each genre emphasizing one aspect or another. The lyrics are sparse and compact, simple and conversational yet packed with story and not one word wasted.
Many of Prine's lyrics are melancholy expressions of something lost and not always remembered. "Souvenirs" and "Far from Me" are two quite different variations on this theme. While "Christmas in Prison" is the most obvious example, another common Prine theme is of people trapped in their own lives with no way out. At the other extreme [or perhaps not] is "Please Don't Bury Me" with its humourous take on death, a "Tie Me Kangaroo Down" for America.
Prine's raw vocal style has improved with age, as though his voice has grown into the stories he tells. On this release, he sounds like an old man sat in front of some store or house telling tales of the community in which he has lived for so long. This is an old man's voice, but at the same time young and vital and eternal. I can only think of two artists who have a similar vocal style when telling their stories: Tom T. Hall in America and our own Stompin' Tom Connors. There is an honesty in Prine's presentation that enlivens the reality of the stories he tells.
"Angel from Montgomery" has long been my favourite Prine song. The arrangement on this release is sweet and soulful, a sad commentary on the life of an old woman left with nothing to hold on to. The pulled-back instrumental and the integrity of Prine's vocal coax the listener into sharing the pathos of this woman's life. There is a subtle beauty to this song that makes it poetry as much as story.
That said, there's not a bad song on Souvenirs. As might be expected, the words, the music, and the performance are at the highest level. John Prine is a songwriter's songwriter, a poet's poet, and a storyteller's storyteller. He's one of those very specal artists that young artists look up to and have looked up to since he himself was a young artist.
Sometimes an artist who is a shining light in his youth may fade substantially as he grows older, repeating over and over his past triumphs or perhaps just becoming not very good at that in which he once excelled. Fortunately, that is not the case with John Prine, who appears to be at the peak of his powers, as good as if not better than he has ever been.
Those who want to know more about John Prine and his music can find information at the Oh Boy Records website.
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