The Missing Years

John Prine

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 24, 1991)
• Original Release Date: September 1991
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Oh Boy
• ASIN: B0000005XY
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,335 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #14 in	Music > Indie Music > Folk > Singer Songwriters
  #80 in	Music > Folk > Singer-Songwriters
  #88 in	Music > Indie Music > Country

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

John Prine was a battle-scarred veteran of the '70s "new Dylan" club and a superb craftsman whose modest commercial success found him without a major label deal in the '80s. Prine's solution was to move to Nashville and roll his own, setting up the tiny Oh Boy imprint and making records he wanted to hear, a survival game that paid off handsomely with this 1991 set, produced by Heartbreaker bassist Howie Epstein and boasting cameos from Phil Everly, Divinyls' Christina Amphlett, Tom Petty, old pal Bonnie Raitt, and another "new Dylan" alum, Bruce Springsteen. But it's Prine himself who holds your attention here, with his reliably fine songs mixing droll, dead-on narratives of recognizable Everymen, sweetly goofy parables, and unvarnished love songs that his craggy drawl inhabits with touching authority. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfectly Prine!, August 23, 2000

By	James Otterstrom (Big Bear City, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If CDs had grooves I'd have worn this one out 20 times. John is the writer, or co-writer, on 13 of the 14 songs here, and his writing has never been more poignant, subtle, or reflective. A fine blend of bluesy folk-rock, mildly sad and nostalgic, yet there's an undercurrent of joy & humor, suggesting the confidence of a survivor who thoroughly enjoys life. This record sounds like a long lost friend who's come back to share his stories--and, with the likes of David Lindley, Albert Lee, Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench, Tom Petty, Phil Everly, Bonnie Raitt, and Bruce Springsteen paying their respects--the music transcends Prine's previous records. A warm, family-reunion like aura permeates the sound, and it's hard for me to imagine a better John Prine album, enjoyable over and over again, one of my must-have CDs.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great album from a premier singer-songwriter, January 27, 2003

By	Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

John Prine is one of those rare singer/songwriters whose literate work is more popular with fellow artists than with the listening public (Phil Everly, Tom Petty, Bonnie Raitt, and Bruce Springsteen show up to do background vocals on this album). Prine's work started with acoustic folk and then headed off in the direction of country, but the common denominator remains his quotable lyrics (e.g., "Unlonely") and his wry comic take on the world in which we live (e.g., "Daddy's Little Pumpkin"). Even when Prince gets a bit caustic, as with "All the Best," it is still a treat, but "It's a Big Old Goofy World" with all its clichés is more to my liking. Other songs, such as "Way Back Then" and "Everything is Cool", provide the emotional revelation that is Prine's true hallmark. "The Missing Years" is one of Prine's best albums (1991 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album), a shade short of his first self-title work but as good as "Sweet Revenge," "Bruised Orange," and the more recent "In Spite of Ourselves." Of course, Prine had a built in advantage with "The Missing Years" because it had been about five years since his previous album and the result was, as you would suspect, a stronger body of work.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best John Prine album, May 3, 2000

By	Brian D. Rubendall (Oakton, VA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

John Prine hit his creative peak with "The Missing Years." There are so many fine songs, it is hard to choose a favorite. Prine has never been in better voice and his normally creative folk songwriting is particularly witty here. The verbal workout "The Sins of Memphisto," the playful "Daddy's Little Pumpkin," and the rockin' "Take a Look at My Heart" are among the best tracks. This is simply one of the best examples of folk rock available.