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." 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."
Track listing All songs by John Prine unless otherwise noted. Disc 1 "Illegal Smile" – 3:13 "Spanish Pipedream" – 2:41 "Hello In There" – 4:32 "Sam Stone" – 4:16 "Paradise" – 3:15 "Donald and Lydia" – 4:30 "The Late John Garfield Blues" – 3:06 "Yes I Guess They Oughta Name a Drink After You" – 2:10 "The Great Compromise" – 4:56 "Sweet Revenge" – 2:41 "Please Don't Bury Me" – 2:51 "Christmas in Prison" – 3:13 "Dear Abby" – 4:22 (live) "Blue Umbrella" – 3:31 "Common Sense" – 3:11 "Come Back to Us Barbara Lewis Hare Krishna Beauregard" – 3:20 "Saddle in the Rain" – 3:35 "He Was in Heaven Before He Died" – 2:16 "Fish and Whistle" – 3:15 "That's the Way That the World Goes 'Round" – 3:22 "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 "Sabu Visits the Twin Cities Alone" – 2:55 "Automobile" – 4:23 "Killing the Blues" (Roly Salley) – 4:38 "Down by the Side of the Road" – 5:04 "Living in the Future" – 3:26 "It's Happening to You" (Prine, John Burns) – 2:19 "Storm Windows" – 5:07 "One Red Rose" – 3:19 "Souvenirs" – 3:33 "Aimless Love" – 3:08 "The Oldest Baby in the World" (Prine, Donnie Fritts) – 3:07 "People Puttin' People Down" – 2:50 "Unwed Fathers" (Prine, Bobby Braddock) – 3:32 "Angel from Montgomery" – 4:34 (live) "Linda Goes to Mars" – 3:10 "Bad Boy" – 3:30 "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness" – 3:31 (live) "It's a Big Old Goofy World" – 5:24 (live) "The Sins of Memphisto" – 4:14 "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 JD 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