TCCDM Pulls One Out..."The Missing Years" - John Prine (1991)

"The Missing Years" - John Prine (1991)

"We all reside down the block inside of 23-Skidoo."  This Grammy award-winning, "The Missing Years" was John Prine's 10th studio album after taking a fairly long hiatus and it's a really good spin.  There's nobody like John Prine.  His songs are sweet and bittersweet; catchy and filled with wonderful and curious Prine-isms and observations.  And his vocals are friendlier than a front porch.  Some of his biggie friends show up to add sugar to the tea like Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Howie Epstein, Bonnie Raitt, and a few others.  And they all do so without being the elephant in the room, which is much appreciated.  There is a lot to like here.  The "Jesus, The Missing Years" track, of course.  "Picture Show."  And the faded love gem, "All The Best"...which John performed frequently while doing the obligatory TV album promotion thing.

My favorite, and maybe lesser-known tracks are "It's a Big Old Goofy World,"  "Unlonely" and "The Sins Of Memphisto"  I have this album in both CD/digital format and grabbed the vinyl copy directly from Oh Boy Records during one of their sales.  It is a double album and the first re-ish.  The album also includes the previously unreleased song..."The Third Of July."  The song is a darker affair about feeling...trapped in one's circumstances.  "I believe that a thought has just gotten caught in a place where words can't surround it."  I really dug it and wonder if he ever performed it on stage.  We sadly lost John Prine from  COVID-19 complications on April 7, 2020.

"The Missing Years" (back)

"The Missing Years" (inside gatefold)

"The Missing Years" (insert-1)

"The Missing Years" (insert-2)

"The Missing Years" (lyrics on back of both inserts)

Oh Boy Records label (Side A-B)

Oh Boy Records label (Side C-D)

Cat #
OBR-009
SIDE A  DEADWAX
OBR-009-A 2 [CMS Logo] BW 130327 Ⓤ  
SIDE B  DEADWAX
OBR-009-B [CMS Logo] BW 130327 Ⓤ  
SIDE C  DEADWAX
OBR-009-C [CMS Logo] BW 130327 Ⓤ
SIDE D  DEADWAX
OBR-009-D [CMS Logo] BW 130327 Ⓤ  

"Unlonely" - John Prine / "The Missing Years" (1991)

TRACKS:
A1  "Picture Show" 3:22
A2  "All the Best" 3:28
A3  "The Sins of Memphisto" 4:13
A4  "Everybody Wants to Feel Like You" 3:09
B1  "It's a Big Old Goofy World" 5:10
B2  "I Want to Be With You Always" 3:01
B3  "Daddy's Little Pumpkin" 2:41
B4  "Take a Look at My Heart" 3:38
C1  "Great Rain" 4:08
C2  "Way Back Then" 3:39
C3  "Unlonely" 4:35
C4  "You Got Gold" 4:38
D1  "Everything Is Cool" 2:46
D2  "Jesus the Missing Years" 5:55
D3  "The Third Of July" 3:11

PERSONNEL:
John Prine - vocals, guitar
Albert Lee - guitar, mandolin, piano
David Lindley - guitar, bouzouki, fiddle, harp
Mike Campbell - bass, guitar
John Ciambotti - bass
Howie Epstein - guitar, bass, b-vocals
Steve Fishell - dobro
Bob Glaub - bass
Joe Romersa - drums
Mickey Raphael - harmonica
Benmont Tench - organ, piano, harmonium
John Jorgenson - guitar, bass, dobro, mandolin, bassoon, saxophone
Phil Parlapiano - mandolin, accordion, harmonium
Tom Petty - b-vocals
Christina Amphlett - b-vocals
Liz Byrnes - b-vocals
Phil Everly - b-vocals
Bonnie Raitt - b-vocals
Bruce Springsteen - b-vocals

Good stuff.

Casey Chambers
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