Garfield Christmas

Rhino's Great Days: The John Prine Anthology is an excellent summary of John Prine's prime period, from his sublime 1971 eponymous debut to 1991's Missing Years. This (appropriately) draws heavily from his early recordings (including the aforementioned debut), but it also does a terrific job of finding songs on uneven albums, while giving weight to such classic albums as Bruised Orange. Although those previously mentioned albums are all worthwhile on their own terms (as are many of Prine's other records), 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.

In December 1975, Grammy award-winning songwriter John Prine played three nights at The Other End (previously and now known as The Bitter End) in Greenwich Village, NYC. The acoustic performances featured some of his best-known songs such as “Angel From Montgomery” and “Hello In There”, from his first four studio albums: John Prine (1971), Diamonds In The Rough (1972), Sweet Revenge (1973) and Common Sense (1975).

Back in hip-hop's old school era – roughly 1978-1982 – albums were the exception and not the rule. Hip-hop became a lot more album-minded with the rise of its second generation (Run-D.M.C., Whodini, the Fat Boys, among others) around 1983-1984, but in the beginning, many MCs recorded nothing but singles. Two exceptions were the Sugarhill Gang and Kurtis Blow, whose self-titled debut album of 1980 was among hip-hop's first LPs and was the first rap album to come out on a major label. Thus, Kurtis Blow has serious historic value, although it is mildly uneven. Some of the tracks are superb, including "The Breaks" (a Top Five R&B smash in 1980) and "Rappin' Blow, Part Two," which is the second half of Blow's 1979 debut single, "Christmas Rappin'."

One of the most celebrated singer/songwriters of his generation – and recipient of the Grammy’s 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award – John Prine was a master storyteller whose work was often witty and always heartfelt, frequently offering a sly but sincere reflection of his Midwestern American roots. While Prine's songs were often rooted in folk and country flavors, he was no stranger to rock & roll, R&B, and rockabilly, and he readily adapted his rough but expressive voice to his musical surroundings. His songs were recorded by a long list of well-respected artists, including Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt, Kris Kristofferson, Carly Simon, George Strait, Norah Jones, John Denver, Miranda Lambert, The Everly Brothers, Bette Midler, Paul Westerberg, Tammy Wynette and Dwight Yoakam. John Prine’s Atlantic and Asylum albums are being released here in one 7-CD boxed set – John Prine (1971), Diamonds In The Rough (1972), Sweet Revenge (1973), Common Sense (1975), Bruised Orange (1978), Pink Cadillac (1979) and Storm Windows (1980) – that encompasses an essential and timeless American songbook.