For Better, or Worse
For Better, or Worse | ||||
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Studio album by John Prine | ||||
Released | September 30, 2016 (2016-09-30) | |||
Recorded | January–February 2016 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Label | Oh Boy | |||
John Prine chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Associated Press | (favourable)[2] |
Robert Christgau | ![]() |
Exclaim! | 9/10[4] |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
NPR | (favourable)[6] |
For Better, or Worse is the seventeenth studio album by John Prine. It consists of tracks in which the artist teams with an all-star contingent of female singers on a selection of vintage country songs as duets.[peacock prose] It was his first studio album in nine years, preceded by 2007's Standard Songs for Average People.
Background
This is the second album featuring duets with Prine. His first album of duets was released in 1999 with the similarly styled In Spite of Ourselves.[7][8][9]
The 15 tracks include 14 duets and feature 11 female artists, (with Iris DeMent, Lee Ann Womack and Kathy Mattea recording two duets each and Alison Krauss, Susan Tedeschi, Holly Williams, Morgane Stapleton, Amanda Shires, Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves and Prine's wife, Fiona, also contributing). The last track is a solo recording by Prine, of Hank Williams' "Just Waitin'".
Iris DeMent and Fiona Prine were featured on the 1999 album as well.
Commercial performance
Released on September 30, 2016 on CD and vinyl and in digital formats, the album debuted at No. 2 on the US Billboard Country Albums chart and at No. 30 on the Billboard 200. It also reached No. 7 on the US Independent Albums chart and No. 5 on the US Folk Albums chart. The album sold 43,700 copies in the US within its first six months of release.[10]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Featured vocalist | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Who's Gonna Take the Garbage Out" | Johnny Tillotson, Lucille Cosenza, Teddy Wilburn | Iris DeMent | 2:41 |
2. | "Storms Never Last" | Jessi Colter | Lee Ann Womack | 2:43 |
3. | "Falling in Love Again" | Friedrich Hollaender, Sammy Lerner | Alison Krauss | 2:31 |
4. | "Color of the Blues" | George Jones, Lawton Williams | Susan Tedeschi | 2:54 |
5. | "I'm Tellin' You" | Billy Hughes | Holly Williams | 1:50 |
6. | "Remember Me (When Candlelights Are Gleaming)" | Scott Wiseman | Kathy Mattea | 3:32 |
7. | "Look at Us" | Max T. Barnes, Vince Gill | Morgane Stapleton | 2:46 |
8. | "Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (And Loud, Loud Music)" | Joe Maphis, Rose Lee Maphis | Amanda Shires | 2:58 |
9. | "Fifteen Years Ago" | Raymond Smith | Lee Ann Womack | 3:06 |
10. | "Cold, Cold Heart" | Hank Williams | Miranda Lambert | 3:32 |
11. | "Dreaming My Dreams with You" | Allen Reynolds | Kathy Mattea | 3:12 |
12. | "Mental Cruelty" | Buck Owens, Dixie Davis, Larry Davis | Kacey Musgraves | 2:23 |
13. | "Mr. & Mrs. Used to Be" | Joe Deaton | Iris DeMent | 2:36 |
14. | "My Happiness" | Betty Peterson, Borney Bergantine | Fiona Prine | 2:55 |
15. | "Just Waitin'" | Hank Williams | 2:49 |
Personnel
- John Prine - lead vocals, acoustic guitar
- Kenneth Blevins – drums
- Shad Cobb – fiddle
- Iris DeMent – vocals on tracks 1 and 13
- Lloyd Green – pedal steel guitar
- Mark Howard – acoustic guitar, mandolin
- Dave Jacques – upright bass
- Kirk "Jelly Roll" Johnson – harmonica
- Alison Krauss – vocals on track 3
- Miranda Lambert – vocals on track 10
- Kathy Mattea – vocals on tracks 6 and 11
- Pat McLaughlin – mandolin
- Kacey Musgraves - vocals on track 12
- Tim O'Brien – fiddle, mandolin
- Al Perkins – pedal steel guitar, resonator guitar
- Fiona Prine – vocals on track 14
- Amanda Shires – vocals on track 8
- Morgane Stapleton – vocals on track 7
- Susan Tedeschi – electric guitar, vocals on track 4
- Pete Wasner – piano, Wurlitzer piano
- Jason Wilber – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
- Holly Williams – vocals on track 5
- Lee Ann Womack – vocals on tracks 2 and 9
Charts
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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References
- ^ Deming, Mark. "John Prine: For Better, Or Worse". AllMusic.
- ^ Wine, Steven (September 29, 2016). "Music Review: John Prine performs covers on duets album". Associated Press.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "For Better, or Worse > Review". Robert Christgau. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
- ^ Mullin, Kyle (September 30, 2016). "John Prine For Better, Or Worse". Exclaim!.
- ^ Spencer, Neil (October 2, 2016). "John Prine: For Better, Or Worse review – marriage duets, country-style". The Guardian.
- ^ Allen, Jim (September 22, 2016). "Review: John Prine, 'For Better, Or Worse'". NPR.
- ^ Richard Turner in The Wall Street Journal: John Prine Sings Duets in New Album, ‘For Better, or Worse’
- ^ Jim Allen review on npr.com: John Prine - 'For Better, Or Worse'
- ^ Neil Spencer in The Guardian: John Prine: For Better, Or Worse review – marriage duets, country-style
- ^ Bjorke, Matt (March 5, 2017). "Top 10 Country Albums Sales Chart: March 6, 2017". Roughstock.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – John Prine – For Better, or Worse" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – John Prine – For Better, or Worse" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
- ^ "John Prine Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
- ^ "John Prine Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard.
- ^ "John Prine Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard.
- ^ "John Prine Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard.
- ^ "John Prine Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard.
- ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2016". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
- v
- t
- e
- John Prine (1971)
- Diamonds in the Rough (1972)
- Sweet Revenge (1973)
- Common Sense (1975)
- Bruised Orange (1978)
- Pink Cadillac (1979)
- Storm Windows (1980)
- Aimless Love (1984)
- German Afternoons (1986)
- The Missing Years (1991)
- A John Prine Christmas (1994)
- Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings (1995)
- In Spite of Ourselves (1999)
- Souvenirs (2000)
- Fair & Square (2005)
- Standard Songs for Average People (with Mac Wiseman) (2007)
- For Better, or Worse (2016)
- The Tree of Forgiveness (2018)
- John Prine Live (1988)
- Live on Tour (1997)
- In Person & On Stage (2010)
- September '78 (2015)
- Prime Prine: The Best of John Prine (1976)
- Great Days: The John Prine Anthology (1993)
- "Sam Stone"
- "Hello in There
- "Paradise"
- "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore"
- "Angel from Montgomery"
- "The Great Compromise"
- "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness"
- Oh Boy Records
- John Prine – Live from Sessions at West 54th
- Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine