Great Days: The John Prine Anthology

1993 compilation album by John Prine

Great Days: The John Prine Anthology is a compilation album by American folk singer John Prine, released in 1993.

Reception

Allmusic critic Steven Thomas Erlewine called the album an excellent summary of Prine's prime period (1971-1991), and "this provides a nearly flawless recap of his career - so much so that it's not only for neophytes, but also reminds longtime fans why they loved him in the first place."^[1] Music critic Robert Christgau also praised the compilation, writing "There aren't 41 best Prine songs. There are 50, 60, maybe more; the only way to resolve quibbles would be a bigger box than commerce or decorum permits...Prine's a lot friendlier than your average thriving old singer-songwriter (Young, Thompson, Cohen), and his disinclination to downplay his natural warmth or his folk-rock retro may make him impenetrable to victims of irony proficiency amnesia."^[2]

Track listing

All songs by John Prine unless otherwise noted.

Disc 1

1. "Illegal Smile" – 3:13
2. "Spanish Pipedream" – 2:41
3. "Hello In There" – 4:32
4. "Sam Stone" – 4:16
5. "Paradise" – 3:15
6. "Donald and Lydia" – 4:30
7. "The Late John Garfield Blues" – 3:06
8. "Yes I Guess They Oughta Name a Drink After You" – 2:10
9. "The Great Compromise" – 4:56
10. "Sweet Revenge" – 2:41
11. "Please Don't Bury Me" – 2:51
12. "Christmas in Prison" – 3:13
13. "Dear Abby" – 4:22 (live)
14. "Blue Umbrella" – 3:31
15. "Common Sense" – 3:11
16. "Come Back to Us Barbara Lewis Hare Krishna Beauregard" – 3:20
17. "Saddle in the Rain" – 3:35
18. "He Was in Heaven Before He Died" – 2:16
19. "Fish and Whistle" – 3:15
20. "That's the Way That the World Goes 'Round" – 3:22
21. "Bruised Orange (Chain of Sorrow)" – 5:20

• Tracks #1–6 are originally from John Prine
• Tracks #7–9 are originally from Diamonds in the Rough
• Tracks #10–14 are originally from Sweet Revenge
• Tracks #15–18 are originally from Common Sense
• Tracks #19–21 are originally from Bruised Orange

Disc 2

1. "Sabu Visits the Twin Cities Alone" – 2:55
2. "Automobile" – 4:23
3. "Killing the Blues" (Roly Salley) – 4:38
4. "Down by the Side of the Road" – 5:04
5. "Living in the Future" – 3:26
6. "It's Happening to You" (Prine, John Burns) – 2:19
7. "Storm Windows" – 5:07
8. "One Red Rose" – 3:19
9. "Souvenirs" – 3:33
10. "Aimless Love" – 3:08
11. "The Oldest Baby in the World" (Prine, Donnie Fritts) – 3:07
12. "People Puttin' People Down" – 2:50
13. "Unwed Fathers" (Prine, Bobby Braddock) – 3:32
14. "Angel from Montgomery" – 4:34 (live)
15. "Linda Goes to Mars" – 3:10
16. "Bad Boy" – 3:30
17. "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness" – 3:31 (live)
18. "It's a Big Old Goofy World" – 5:24 (live)
19. "The Sins of Memphisto" – 4:14
20. "All the Best" – 3:28

• Track #1 is originally from Bruised Orange
• Tracks #2–4 are originally from Pink Cadillac
• Tracks #5–8 are originally from Storm Windows
• Track #9 is originally from Affordable Art by Steve Goodman
• Tracks #10–13 are originally from Aimless Love
• Track #14 is originally from A Tribute to Steve Goodman
• Tracks #15–16 are originally from German Afternoons
• Track #17 is originally from John Prine Live
• Track #18 is originally from The Best of Mountain Stage Live, Volume 2
• Tracks #19–20 are originally from The Missing Years

Personnel

• John Prine – vocals, guitar, backing vocals
• Kenny Ascher – piano
• Barry Beckett – piano
• David Briggs – organ, piano
• David Bromberg – guitar, dobro
• James Brown – organ
• Al Bunetta – percussion
• Steve Burgh – bass, drums, guitar
• John Burns – guitar, backing vocals
• Paul Cannon – guitar
• Tommy Cathey – bass
• Peter Bunetta – drums
• Gene Chrisman – drums
• Johnny Christopher – guitar
• Lewis Collins – horn
• Mailto Correa – conga
• Steve Cropper – guitar
• Philip Donnelly – guitar
• Pat Coulter – backing vocals
• Stuart Duncan – fiddle, mandolin
• Donald "Duck" Dunn – bass
• Bobby Emmons – organ
• Howie Epstein – guitar, percussion
• Chuck Fiore – bass
• Steve Fishell – pedal steel guitar
• Donnie Fritts – piano
• Bob Glaub – bass
• Steve Goodman – guitar, backing vocals, harmony vocals
• Jack Hale – horn
• Alan Hand – piano
• Glen D. Hardin – piano
• James Harrah – guitar
• Bishop Heywood – percussion
• Robert Hoban – fiddle, piano, backing vocals
• Wayne Jackson – horn
• John Jorgenson – guitar, mandolin
• Leo LeBlanc – pedal steel guitar
• Mike Leech – bass
• Howard Levy – organ, harmonica, accordion, saxophone
• Andrew Love – horn
• Lyle Lovett - vocals
• Raun MacKinnon – vocals, backing vocals, harmony vocals
• Jay Dee Maness – steel guitar
• Grady Martin – dobro
• Hugh McDonald – bass
• James Mitchell – horn
• Larry Muhoberac – piano
• Dee Murray – bass
• Phil Parlapiano – accordion
• Rachel Peer-Prine – bass, backing vocals, harmony vocals
• Tom Piekarske – bass, backing vocals
• Dave Prine – fiddle, guitar, vocals
• Bonnie Raitt – guitar, backing vocals, harmony vocals
• Joe Romersa – drums, percussion
• Jim Rooney – guitar, backing vocals
• Neal Rosengarden – bass
• Jim Rothermel – clarinet, recorder, saxophone, human whistle, penny whistle
• Johnny Lee Schell – bass, backing vocals, harmony vocals
• John Sebastian – harmonica
• Jerry Shook – harmonica
• Corky Siegel – piano
• Bobby Whitlock – organ, piano
• Bobby Woods – piano
• Rick Vito – guitar, slide guitar
• Reggie Young – guitar
• Sid Sims – bass
• Steve Spear – bass
• Benmont Tench – organ, bass
• Mike Utley – organ
• Tom Radtke – drums, percussion
• Tony Newman – drums
• Angie Varias – drums
• Kevin Wells – drums
• Kenny Malone – drums, tambourine
• Steve Mosley – drums
• Helen Bernard – backing vocals
• Bob Bowker – backing vocals
• Jackson Browne – backing vocals
• Liz Byrnes – backing vocals, harmony vocals
• Judy Clay – backing vocals
• Len Dressler – backing vocals
• Phyllis Duncan – backing vocals
• Gwen Edwards – backing vocals
• Glenn Frey – backing vocals
• Kitty Haywood – backing vocals
• Bonnie Herman – backing vocals
• Diane Holmes – backing vocals
• Cissy Houston – backing vocals
• Vicki Hubley – backing vocals
• Brooks Hunnicutt – backing vocals
• Bonnie Koloc – backing vocals, harmony vocals
• Greg Prestopino – backing vocals
• J.D. Souther – backing vocals
• Don Shelton – backing vocals
• Deidre Tuck – backing vocals
• Jennifer Warnes – backing vocals
• Beverly White – backing vocals
• Matthew Wilder – backing vocals

Production notes

• Ken Perry – remastering
• Gary Peterson – research
• Bill Inglot – remastering
• Carl Marsh – arranger
• David Fricke – liner notes
• Geoff Gans – artwork

References

1. Erlewine, Steven Thomas. "Great Days: The John Prine Anthology > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
2. Christgau, Robert. "Great Days: The John Prine Anthology > Review". Robert Christgau. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
3. Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.