The Missing Years (album)
The Missing Years | ||||
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alt-country, Americana | ||||
Length | 54:32 | |||
Label | Oh Boy | |||
Producer | Howie Epstein | |||
John Prine chronology | ||||
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The Missing Years is the 10th studio album by American folk musician John Prine, released in 1991 on Oh Boy Records. It won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.[1] In July 2003 the label released a deluxe vinyl reissue of the album with a bonus track called "The Third of July" from Prine's appearance on the PBS concert series Sessions at West 54th in 2001.[2]
Recording
The Missing Years was Prine's first studio release since his 1986 album German Afternoons and is regarded as his comeback album. According to the Great Days: The John Prine Anthology liner notes, manager Al Bunetta and longtime Prine associate Dan Einstein were brainstorming over prospective producers at Oh Boy headquarters and the name of
Composition
The album's title refers to the song "Jesus The Missing Years", which speculates upon the unrecorded middle 18 years of
In the Great Days anthology, Prine recalls that "The Sins Of Memphisto" was written under pressure from producer Epstein: "We were 12 cuts into The Missing Years, and Howie says, 'We need one or two more cuts.' And I went, 'You're kidding. From where? We've been working for nine months. I don't have anything hiding on the shelf. You could take an autopsy, and you won't find a song inside of me.' So I went and locked myself in a hotel room and went, 'If he wants a song, he'll get a song.' I tried to write one from as far in left field as I could and came up with 'Memphisto'." Prine biographer Eddie Huffman calls the song "a casually visionary song about loss of innocence, relationships, sex, aging, and the passage of time, one of the most remarkable in Prine's catalog, effortlessly tying together various lyrical threads from throughout his career as a songwriter."[7]
The Missing Years also features "Take A Look At My Heart" (co-written with rocker John Mellencamp) and collaborations with Keith Sykes and British songwriter Roger Cook. Prine covers the Lefty Frizzell classic "I Want To Be With You Always," while "Daddy's Little Pumpkin" was partly inspired by Mississippi John Hurt, who Pat McLaughlin reintroduced Prine to at the time.[7] The album opener "Picture Show" (which features Tom Petty on background vocals) reflects Prine's lifelong love of movies and namechecks John Garfield, James Dean, and Montgomery Clift, while "It's a Big Old Goofy World" was inspired by his mother Verna's love of crossword puzzles.[8]
Reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [12] |
The Missing Years was well received by critics and won the
Track listing
All songs by John Prine unless otherwise noted.
- "Picture Show" – 3:22
- "All the Best" – 3:28
- "The Sins of Memphisto" – 4:13
- "Everybody Wants to Feel Like You" (Prine, Keith Sykes) – 3:09
- "It's a Big Old Goofy World" – 5:10
- "I Want to Be With You Always" (Lefty Frizzell, Jim Beck) – 3:01
- "Daddy's Little Pumpkin" (Prine, Pat McLaughlin) – 2:41
- "Take a Look at My Heart" (Prine, John Mellencamp) – 3:38
- "Great Rain" (Prine (Words), Mike Campbell (Music)) – 4:08
- "Way Back Then" – 3:39
- "Unlonely" (Prine, Roger Cook) – 4:35
- "You Got Gold" (Prine, Sykes) – 4:38
- "Everything Is Cool" – 2:46
- "Jesus the Missing Years" – 5:55
In July 2003, the label released a deluxe vinyl reissue of the album with a bonus track called "The Third of July" from Prine's appearance on the PBS concert series Sessions at West 54th in 2001.
Personnel
- John Prine – Lead vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar
- Howie Epstein – Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Percussion, Additional Background Vocals
- John Jorgenson – Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Dobro, Saxophone/Bassoon/Clarinet, Mandolin
- David Lindley – Acoustic Guitar, Bouzouki/Fiddle/Harplex
- John Ciambotti – Bass
- Bob Glaub – Bass
- Benmont Tench – Bass, Organ, Piano, Harmonium
- Mike Campbell – Bass, Electric Guitar
- Joe Romersa – Drums, Percussion
- Albert Lee – Electric Guitar, Piano, Mandolin
- Phil Parlapiano – Accordion, Mandolin, Harmonium
- Steve Fishell – Dobro
- Mickey Raphael – Harmonica
- Richard Hardwick: Washboard
- Al Bunetta: Percussion
- Christina Amphlett– Background Vocals on "I Want To Be With You Always"
- Liz Byrnes – Background Vocals on "The Sins Of Memphisto"
- Phil Everly – Background Vocals on "You Got Gold"
- Tom Petty – Background Vocals on "Picture Show"
- Bonnie Raitt – Background Vocals on "Unlonely"
- Bruce Springsteen – Background Vocals on "Take A Look At My Heart"
Production notes
- Howie Epstein – producer
- Al Bunetta – executive producer
- Dan Einstein – executive producer
- Joe Romersa – engineer
- Ed Seay – engineer, mixing
- Joe Chiccarelli – mixing
- Denny Purcell – mastering
- Mike Poole – assistant engineer, mixing assistant
- Dave Bossie – production assistant
- Susanne Smolka – design
References
- ^ Allmusic. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
- ^ Huffman 2015, p. 196.
- ^ Huffman 2015, p. 139.
- ^ Huffman 2015, p. 140.
- ^ Huffman 2015, p. 144.
- ^ Huffman 2015, p. 141.
- ^ a b Huffman 2015, p. 142.
- ^ Huffman 2015, pp. 144–145.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert. "The Missing Years > Review". Robert Christgau. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
- ^ a b Van Matre, Lynn (October 1991). "Review: The Missing Years". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ a b Nash, Alanna (November 1991). "Review: The Missing Years". Entertainment Weekly.
- ISBN 978-0195313734.
Bibliography
- Huffman, Eddie (2015). John Prine: In Spite of Himself. ISBN 9780292748224.