There's Never Been a Better Time to Buy John Prine Records

This week marks one year since we tragically lost the legendary John Prine to COVID-19 complications, and while obviously nothing can replace the singer-songwriter, the blow is somewhat softened by the fact that there’s never been a better time to be a Prine fan with some disposable income to spend on the slew of posthumous reissues, rarities, tributes and compilations released in the wake of his passing. The trend shows no signs of slowing down, either, as just yesterday Record Store Day announced three new Prine-related exclusives you’ll be able to pick up at your favorite independent record store this July.

It can be a lot to keep up with, even for a diehard fan. To help you keep track of the embarrassment of riches, we’re running through all the recent and forthcoming Prine releases below. Pour yourself a Handsome Johnny and start plotting out your shopping list.

John Prine Live reissue

Release date: Out now (vinyl sold out, still available on CD)

Record Store Day Exclusive? No

Last year, for the first time since its original limited release in 1988, Oh Boy Records reissued this live gem on vinyl. (Unfortunately, it sold out quickly, but it’s still available on CD here.) Pulled mostly from three days of performances at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, California, it also features a stunning 1985 rendition of “Angel from Montgomery” with Bonnie Raitt recorded at Chicago’s Arie Crown Theater at a Steve Goodman memorial concert as well as an Austin City Limits performance of “Souvenirs” with Goodman. But besides the excellent music, the real selling point here are the highly entertaining stories Prine tells in-between songs, including his famous “Happy Enchilada” tale. (If you must, the vinyl version is generally available on Discogs for around $125, but there’s one on there for $95, which is the lowest we’ve seen since it was released.)

Crooked Piece of Time: The Atlantic & Asylum Albums (1971 – 1980) box set

Release date: Out now

Record Store Day Exclusive? No

Crooked Piece of Time, which pulls its name from one of Bruised Orange‘s standout tracks, is a box set released last October that features remastered CD versions of Prine’s first seven albums — John Prine (1971), Diamonds in the Rough (1972), Sweet Revenge (1973), Common Sense (1975), Bruised Orange (1978), Pink Cadillac (1979) and Storm Windows (1980). It also includes poster inserts and a new 20-page booklet featuring liner notes by David Fricke. You can snag it here. (These albums were also reissued on vinyl as two separate box sets: one called The Atlantic Albums, the other called The Asylum Albums, both of which are long sold out but available on Discogs for around $200 and $100 respectively.)

Souvenirs reissue

Release date: Out now

Record Store Day Exclusive? No

Released on vinyl for the first time last year, Prine’s 2000 album Souvenirs finds him revisiting some of his most popular early work, rerecording and reimagining tracks like “Angel from Montgomery,” “Hello in There,” and “Please Don’t Bury Me” for the first time. You can buy it here.

Bruised Orange reissue

Release date: Out now

Record Store Day Exclusive? No

If you’re not sure you want to throw down $60 for the Crooked Piece of Time box set — or if you’re a wax enthusiast who finds its 7-CD format to be less than ideal — Rhino reissued three of the records included in it on vinyl as well last year. First up is the masterpiece Bruised Orange, produced by Prine’s pal and fellow Chicago songwriter Steve Goodman — a legend in his own right whose sensibility meshed perfectly with Prine’s and resulted in a record that gives John Prine a run for its money. You can pick it up here.

Pink Cadillac reissue

Release date: Out now

Record Store Day Exclusive? No

Pink Cadillac bombed so badly when it was originally released back in 1979 that Rolling Stone dubbed it “an almost unmitigated disaster,” but while it’s certainly an outlier in Prine’s catalog, it’s worth revisiting as a reminder of his multifaceted talent. His trademark lyricism is de-emphasized here — five of the album’s 10 tracks are covers — and he leans into his rock ‘n’ roll influences instead, something that was surely off-putting to fans at the time who didn’t know quite what to make of it. “What we tried to achieve here is a recording of a five-piece band with a vocalist playing and singing good honest music,” Prine explained in its liner notes. Mission accomplished, if you ask us. (Buy it here.)

Storm Windows reissue

Release date: Out now

Record Store Day Exclusive? No

Rhino reissued Prine’s seventh record — his last for a major label, originally released in 1980, one year before he, Al Bunnetta and Dan Einstein launched their independent label Oh Boy Records — earlier this year. Recorded at Alabama’s legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, Storm Windows is a return to form that sees Prine pulling inspiration from the rich imagery of his childhood over piano and steel guitar on the title track and on the lovely “One Red Rose.” (Pick it up here.)

September 78 reissue

Release date: Out now

Record Store Day Exclusive? No

Back in 1978, Prine returned to his native Chicago for a rare performance at the city’s legendary Park West backed by an electric band. There were originally only 2000 copies pressed of the resulting live collection, September 78, for Record Store Day 2015, but fortunately Oh Boy Records just reissued it last year. You can pick it up here.

Stay Independent: The Oh Boy Years Curated by Independent Record Stores

Release date: July 17

Record Store Day Exclusive? Yes

Stay Independent is a collection of select songs from Prine’s Oh Boy Records catalog curated by independent record stores. Side A includes “In Spite of Ourselves,” “All The Best,” “Summer’s End,” and “Some Humans Ain’t Human,” while Side B features “Sins of Memphisto,” “Lonesome Friends of Science,” “It’s A Big Old Goofy World,” and “When I Get To Heaven.”

Live At The Other End, December 1975

Release date: July 17

Record Store Day exclusive? Yes

In December 1975, Prine played three nights at Greenwich Village’s The Bitter End (known at the time as The Other End), and for the first time, these previously unreleased acoustic sets will see the light of day in the form of a whopping 4-LP set. It includes material from his first four albums (John Prine, Diamonds in the Rough, Sweet Revenge and Common Sense), and you’ll probably want to get in line early to get your hands on it — it’s strictly limited to 12,000 copies worldwide.

Kiss My Ass Goodbye tribute album

Release date: July 17

Record Store Day exclusive? Limited run/regional focus release

This 2-LP tribute album, which takes its name from a line in Prine’s “Please Don’t Bury Me” (“Hand me down my walking cane, it’s a sin to tell a lie/Send my mouth way down south, and kiss my ass goodbye”), benefits a good cause. All proceeds from vinyl and digital sales of it will benefit the Nashville Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter in downtown Nashville. It features contributions from the likes of T. Hardy Morris, Mick Mullin, Justin and The Cosmics and more.

Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows, Vol. 2 tribute album

Release date: Fall TBD

Record Store Day exclusive? No

We don’t know much yet about this follow-up to 2010’s Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine, other than the fact that it features artists covering their favorite Prine tracks. So far, the only confirmed participant is Brandi Carlile, who recorded a stunning rendition of “I Remember Everything” (which you can listen to here) — but that alone should be reason enough to pick this one up.

John Prine 50th anniversary reissue

Release date: 2021 TBD

Record Store Day Exclusive? No

The 50th anniversary reissue of Prine’s self-titled debut album hasn’t officially been announced yet, so details are scarce, but Oh Boy Records did confirm back in February that they’re planning to reissue the 1971 LP sometime this year. And as any Prine fan surely already knows, it’s a stone-cold classic that features some of his most beloved songs, including “Hello In There,” “Angel from Montgomery,” “Paradise” and “Sam Stone.”