Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine, Vol. 2 is a 2021 tribute album featuring a dozen covers of John Prine songs performed by various artists. Recorded as a "celebration of John and an offering to his beloved family", following his unexpected death caused by complications from COVID-19 in April, 2020, Brandi Carlile, Nathaniel Rateliff, Bonnie Raitt, and Sturgill Simpson are among the artists contributing their interpretations of Prine's music to the album.
Background Jody Whelan, son of John Prine and his widow Fiona Whelan Prine and operator of Prine's Oh Boy Records, told Billboard Magazine's Rich Fury that multiple albums worth of covers were planned, with this album following the 2010 first volume, Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine. Pointing to the rewards found in maintaining a legacy, Fiona Prine told Fury: "We had an enormous loss, but the gift is commensurate with the loss. What he left for us is a huge responsibility, and we take it very seriously."
Reception Reviews noted the "star-studded" lineup of artists on the album, while varying praise. Mike Davies of KLOF Magazine gave the performances excellent marks, writing in an overall assessment, "Doing ample justice to Prine’s talent and legacy, this is a terrific collection." Pitchfork reviewer Stephen M. Deusner was less enthusiastic, finding the performers in general somber, writing "they’re missing Prine’s wry sense of humor, his beatific sense of wonder." Deusner did find a bright spot in Amanda Shires' interpretation of "Saddle in the Rain", calling her humorous take on the sexual implications of covering the song from a female perspective "transformative, witty, fun...Shires shows how his songs welcome and even thrive on irreverence."
Track listing All songs written by John Prine except (1, 6): "I Remember Everything" (Pat McLaughlin, John Prine) - Brandi Carlile - 2:36 "Pretty Good" - Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats - 3:49 "Saddle in the Rain" - Amanda Shires - 4:46 "Yes I Guess They Oughta Name a Drink After You" - Tyler Childers - 2:52 "Sweet Revenge" - Margo Price - 4:34 "Summer's End" (McLaughlin, Prine) - Valerie June - 3:29 "Souvenirs" - Jason Isbell - 4:21 "Angel from Montgomery" - Bonnie Raitt - 4:11 "Sam Stone" - John Paul White - 4:26 "One Red Rose" - Iris DeMent - 3:07 "Hello in There" - Emmylou Harris - 4:43 "Paradise" - Sturgill Simpson - 3:18
Personnel Musicians and track production on (1), "I Remember Everything" Brandi Carlile – vocals, guitar, producer Ann Mincieli – producer
on (2), "Pretty Good" Nathaniel Rateliff – vocals, guitar Joseph Pope III – bass Mark Shusterman – keyboards Luke Mossman – electric guitar Patrick Meese – drums Jeff Dazey – tenor saxophone Andreas Wild – baritone saxophone Daniel Hardaway – trumpet RMB – producer, mixing James Barone – producer
on (3), "Saddle In The Rain" Amanda Shires – vocals Peter Levin – piano Peter Stroud – bass Audley Freed – guitars Fred Eltringham – drum Brittney Spencer – vocals Lawrence Rothman – producer, mixing Louis Remenapp – engineering Pete Lyman – mastering
on (4), "Yes I Guess They Oughta Name a Drink After You" Tyler Childers – vocals Rodney Elkins – drums Craig Burletic – bass Chase Lewis – piano James Barker – pedal steel Jesse Wells – acoustic guitar, baritone guitar, fiddle James Barker – recording, mixing
on (5), "Sweet Revenge" Margo Price – vocals, producer Kevin Black – bass, vocals Dillon Napier – drums, shaker, tambourine, vocals Jamie Davis – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals Alex Munoz – electric guitar, vocals Micah Hulscher – piano, electric b3 organ Ashley Wilcoxson – vocals Vance Powell – producer
on (6), "Summer's End" Valerie June – vocals Dan Iead – guitar, pedal steel guitar Ryan Sawyer – drums Jason DiMatteo – bass Ben Rice – engineering, mixing
on (7), "Souvenirs" Jason Isbell – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals, producer Chad Gamble – drums, percussion Jimbo Hart – bass Derry deBorja – piano Sadler Vaden – acoustic guitar Gena Johnson – engineering, mixing Louis Remenapp – engineering
on (8), "Angel from Montgomery" Bonnie Raitt – guitar, vocals James "Hutch" Hutchinson – bass, backing vocals Glenn Patscha – organ, backing vocals, recording, engineering Joel Jaffe – recording Matt Reagan – engineering Patrick Simmons – recording, engineering
on (9), "Sam Stone" John Paul White – vocals, acoustic guitar, bass, producer Ben Tanner – pump organ, producer, mixing Fats Kaplin – strings, steel guitar
on (10), "One Red Rose" Iris DeMent – vocals, piano Dave Jacques – bass, double bass (bowed bass) Jon Graboff – pedal steel guitar Bryan Owings – drums Brad Jones – mixing Pieta Brown – producer
on (11), "Hello in There" Emmylou Harris – vocals Bryan Sutton – acoustic guitar Jay Joyce – electric guitar (b-bender), producer Jason Hall – recording Court Blankenship – production assistant
on (12), "Paradise" Sturgill Simpson – vocals, guitar, backing vocals, producer Miles Miller – drums, backing vocals Mike Bub – bass, backing vocal Scott Vestal – banjo, backing vocals Sierra Hull – mandolin, backing vocals Stuart Duncan – fiddle, backing vocals Tim O'Brien – guitar, backing vocals Mark Howard – guitar, backing vocals Sean Sullivan – recording, mixing David Ferguson – producer, recording, mixing Album production Pete Lyman – mastering Jody Whelan – executive producer, compilation producer Eileen Tilson – executive producer Fiona Whelan Prine – compilation producer Colin Fiddler – production coordination
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