Now Available: John Prine, CROOKED PIECE OF TIME: THE ATLANTIC & ASYLUM ALBUMS (1971-1980)

When John Prine died in April, it wasn’t just a moment when more than a few people suddenly went, “Oh, man, this COVID-19 thing is no joke,” it was a devastating loss to music fans everywhere. Prine was the singer-songwriter’s singer-songwriter, a guy whose work influenced more other artists than we’d care to count, and to lose him when he’d just done some of his most acclaimed work was nothing short of a tragedy.

Prine – who earlier this year received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award – recorded for a number of labels during his career, and Rhino has just released a CD box set of the work he did for Atlantic Records and Asylum Records between 1971 and 1980. Entitled CROOKED PIECE OF TIME, it contains seven albums, all of which are housed in mini-LP replica sleeves within a clamshell box. In addition, there’s a 20-page booklet with new liner notes written by David Fricke, and the cover art is a newly-commissioned painting by artist Joshua Petker based on a photo of Prine taken by Jim Shea. 

CROOKED PIECE OF TIME: THE ATLANTIC & ASYLUM ALBUMS (1971-1980) is in stores now, and here’s the track listing!

CROOKED PIECE OF TIME: THE ATLANTIC & ASYLUM ALBUMS (1971-1980) 
Track Listing:

JOHN PRINE
1.      “Illegal Smile”
2.      “Spanish Pipedream”
3.      “Hello In There”
4.      “Sam Stone”
5.      “Paradise”
6.      “Pretty Good”
7.      “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore”
8.      “Far From Me”
9.      “Angel From Montgomery”
10.  “Quiet Man”
11.  “Donald and Lydia”
12.  “Six O’Clock News”
13.  “Flashback Blues”

DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH
1.      “Everybody”
2.      “The Torch Singer”
3.      “Souvenirs”
4.      “The Late John Garfield Blues”
5.      “Sour Grapes”
6.      “Billy the Bum”
7.      “The Frying Pan”
8.      “Yes I Guess They Oughta Name A Drink After You”
9.      “Take The Star Out Of The Window”
10.  “The Great Compromise”
11.  “Clocks And Spoons”
12.  “Rocky Mountain Time”
13.  “Diamonds In The Rough”
 
SWEET REVENGE
1.      “Sweet Revenge”
2.      “Please Don’t Bury Me”
3.      “Christmas In Prison”
4.      “Dear Abby”
5.      “Blue Umbrella”
6.      “Often Is A Word I Seldom Use”
7.      “Onomatopoeia”
8.      “Grandpa Was A Carpenter”
9.      “The Accident (Things Could Be Worse)”
10.  “Mexican Home”
11.  “A Good Time”
12.  “Nine Pound Hammer”
 
COMMON SENSE
1.      “Middle Man”
2.      “Common Sense”
3.      “Come Back To Us Barbara Lewis Hare Krishna Beauregard”
4.      “Wedding Day In Funeralville”
5.      “Way Down”
6.      “My Own Best Friend”
7.      “Forbidden Jimmy”
8.      “Saddle In The Rain”
9.      “That Close To You”
10.  “He Was In Heaven Before He Died”
11.  “You Never Can Tell”
 
BRUISED ORANGE
1.      “Fish And Whistle”
2.      “There She Goes”
3.      “If You Don’t Want My Love”
4.      “That’s The Way That The World Goes ’round”
5.      “Bruised Orange (Chain Of Sorrow)”
6.      “Sabu Visits The Twin Cities Alone”
7.      “Aw Heck”
8.      “Crooked Piece Of Time”
9.      “Iron Ore Betty”
10.  “The Hobo Song”
 
PINK CADILLAC
1.      “Chinatown”
2.      “Automobile”
3.      “Killing The Blues”
4.      “No Name Girl”
5.      “Saigon”
6.      “Cold War (This Cold War With You)”
7.      “Baby Let’s Play House”
8.      “Down By The Side Of The Road”
9.      “How Lucky”
10.  “Ubangi Stomp”
 
STORM WINDOWS
1.      “Shop Talk”
2.      “Living In The Future”
3.      “It’s Happening To You”
4.      “Sleepy Eyed Boy”
5.      “All Night Blue”
6.      “Just Wanna Be With You”
7.      “Storm Windows”
8.      “Baby Ruth”
9.      “One Red Rose”
10.  “I Had A Dream”