I “discovered” John Prine in 2016 via my Spotify Discover Weekly playlist (“Ain’t Hurtin’ Nobody”). At the time, I was grumpy at work, and sarcastic country music was a surprisingly good fit for my mood.
I’m not typically a fan of Country. I surmise it showed up in my playlist because at the time, my son was listening to Kenny Rogers’ “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was in)” over and over because he thought it was hilarious. And one might argue that, not being Rock, a Country artist can’t be Classic Rock. But it’s my blog and nobody reads it anyway so here we are.
“The Tree of Forgiveness” is foot-stompy from Track 1. “Knockin’ on Your Screen Door” is immediately catchy and makes me want to buy a Telecaster to add to my collection of guitars I don’t know how to play.
Here’s what’s interesting about this album. I’ve listened to “The Tree of Forgiveness” when I’m happy and it fit my mood perfectly. I’ve listened to it when I’m depressed and it fit my mood perfectly. I guess one can hear Prine’s sincerity or his sarcasm as the situation dictates.