In Spite of Ourselves

In Spite of Ourselves

ASIN: B00000K2UM

Track Listings

1. (We're Not) The Jet Set - Iris DeMent, John Prine

2. So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad) - John Prine, Connie Smith

3. Wedding Bells/Let's Turn Back the Years - John Prine, Lucinda Williams

4. When Two Worlds Collide - John Prine, Trisha Yearwood

5. Milwaukee Here I Come - Melba Montgomery, John Prine

6. I Know One - Emmylou Harris, John Prine

7. It's a Cheating Situation - Dolores Keane, John Prine

8. Back Street Affair - Patty Loveless, John Prine

9. Loose Talk - John Prine, Connie Smith

10. Let's Invite Them Over - Iris DeMent, John Prine

11. 'Til a Tear Becomes a Rose - Fiona Prine, John Prine

12. In a Town This Size - Dolores Keane, John Prine

13. We Could - Iris DeMent, John Prine

14. We Must Have Been Out of Our Minds - Melba Montgomery, John Prine

15. In Spite of Ourselves - Iris DeMent, John Prine

16. Dear John (I've Sent Your Saddle Home) - John Prine

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
You've got to hand it to John Prine. On the first song on this collection of duets, he plunges valiantly into "(We're Not) The Jet Set," singing the part made famous by George Jones, the Caruso of country music. And Prine, never blessed with the most pliant pipes, promptly pancakes a note flatter than Kansas. Aw, heck! The songwriter's songwriter takes a curious turn with his first studio album since 1995's Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings. Here he's penned only the hysterically coarse title track, opting instead to coo a slew of classic lovin'-and-losin' country tunes with Iris DeMent, Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Connie Smith, Trisha Yearwood, Melba Montgomery, Patty Loveless, Fiona Prine, and Dolores Keane. Given Prine's ragged-but-right voice, the effect is something akin to casting a grizzled character actor opposite Katherine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story. And you know what? It'd probably still be a charming (albeit very different) movie, because romantic comedies, like country duets, are all about chemistry, which is something In Spite of Ourselves has in excess. --Steven Stolder

Rolling Stone
"The theme linking these honky-tonk standards and obscurities is fidelity, or the lack thereof, served up with a double shot of wry."

Tracks:

(We're Not) The Jet Set
So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)
Wedding Bells/Let's Turn Back The Years
When Two Worlds Collide
Milwaukee Here I Come
I Know One
It's A Cheating Situation
Back Street Affair
Loose Talk
Let's Invite Them Over
Til A Tear Becomes A Rose
In A Town This Size
We Could
We Must Have Been Out Of Our Minds
In Spite Of Ourselves
Dear John (I Sent Your Saddle Home)

Amazon.com

You've got to hand it to John Prine. On the first song on this collection of duets, he plunges valiantly into "(We're Not) The Jet Set," singing the part made famous by George Jones, the Caruso of country music. And Prine, never blessed with the most pliant pipes, promptly pancakes a note flatter than Kansas. Aw, heck! The songwriter's songwriter takes a curious turn with his first studio album since 1995's Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings. Here he's penned only the hysterically coarse title track, opting instead to coo a slew of classic lovin'-and-losin' country tunes with Iris DeMent, Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Connie Smith, Trisha Yearwood, Melba Montgomery, Patty Loveless, Fiona Prine, and Dolores Keane. Given Prine's ragged-but-right voice, the effect is something akin to casting a grizzled character actor opposite Katherine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story. And you know what? It'd probably still be a charming (albeit very different) movie, because romantic comedies, like country duets, are all about chemistry, which is something In Spite of Ourselves has in excess. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews:

Romantic country ballads for "meetin', cheatin', and retreatin'".......2007-07-02

John Prine remains a prominent artist in the country music arena; and with this album of duets with talented female singers he moves ever closer to center stage. Sure, some people say that he occasionally sings a note or two flat, but somehow this only serves to enhance his performance. His singing is sensitive, realistic and engaging; and John Prine's duet partners on this CD match him beautifully. We hear John doing duets with Iris DeMent, Lucinda Williams, Dolores Keane and more. Awesome!

The CD starts off with John and Iris DeMent singing a beautiful interpretation of "(We're Not) The Jet Set." John and Iris don't miss a note and they harmonize to perfection. This song celebrates love between a man and a woman who are, like me and most of the rest of us, middle class Americans. The musical arrangement with its guitars bolsters the number very well; but John and Iris's vocals remain squarely in the spotlight.

"So Sad (To Watch A Good Love Go Bad)" features John Prine singing with Connie Smith; John starts off singing passionately and when Connie comes in their vocals glisten brightly. The easy going, comfy musical arrangement belies the sadness of the lyrics as John and Connie lament the ending of their love affair. Love that piano, too!

Other gems on this CD include "When Two Worlds Collide;" this number has some great guitar and a handsome piano solo on it. John and Trisha Yearwood deliver this number without a superfluous note. Wow, how they sing together so well! I like the quick key changes in "When Two Worlds Collide." "It's A Cheating Situation" has John teaming up with Dolores Keane; they sing of a love they share even though they are already committed to other people. "It's A Cheating Situation" boasts a catchy melody and John and Dolores sing their hearts out for this number.

"'Til A Tear Becomes A Rose" has Fiona Prine joining John for this ballad; they sing with great sensitivity, passion and honesty about how they will be there for each other even though right now they are still involved with other people. The guitars work wonders on the arrangement; and John's slightly gravelly voice goes so well with Fiona's silky smooth voice.

"We Must Have Been Out Of Our Minds" has a classic country ballad that really shines. John and Melba Montgomery sing to perfection. John's occasional flat note here and there only works to make the number even better. In addition, "In Spite Of Ourselves" is a singularly beautiful ode to an undying love even though the couple sees things in each other that they don't always like. John Prine and Iris DeMent sing quite a few flat notes--and this makes "In Spite Of Ourselves" somehow all the more charming. The guitar works very, very well. I think you will really enjoy "In Spite Of Ourselves."

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. The CD ends with "Dear John (I Sent Your Saddle Home)." "Dear John (I Sent Your Saddle Home)" has a great upbeat catchy beat to it that belies the sadness of the lyrics about the end of a love affair. The male backup chorus harmonizes really well; and I like the guitar work on this number.

The liner notes give you the complete lyrics to all the songs along with the song credits. There is a brief essay by John Prine himself and Jim Rooney also contributes an essay. The cover artwork reflects good taste, too.

As time goes by, John Prine will remain a huge force in the world of country music. The duets on this CD feature John singing his heart out with many talented female singers, too. People who enjoy classic love ballads will also enjoy this CD; and if we're lucky John Prine will continue to entertain us for countless years to come.

Skips or burps.......2007-06-09

The track inspite of ourselfs has problems. It's skipping not what I would expect from a new cd. Very disappointed

Great sing-along songs.......2007-04-21

This is my favorite from Johnny. My ten year old granddaughter sings all the girls' parts and loves it even though she doesn't know who John Prine is. WE LOVE IT!

Excellent Album.......2007-02-27

...was introduced to John Prine's music recently by the way of a local radio show here in Orlando, FL called "Sunday Morning Coming Down". Purchased this ablum, love it and have shared this with a bunch of my friends. So far I know of at least 6 people that i have told about this album that have bought it. Worth every penny.

Duets of Discovery.......2006-12-24

In the late '90s I was hoping for John Prine's first new studio album since 1995, but was still happy to buy "In Spite of Ourselves", a collection of duets by Prine and a number of female country and folk singers. Some are classics and others are obscurities--I'm not well-versed enough in country music to know the difference, but I still enjoyed most of what's here--especially the three duets with Arkansas folk artist Iris DeMent (we bought three of her solo CDs), including Prine's outrageous title composition, paired songs "Wedding Bells/Turn Back the Years" with Lucinda Williams and the wry "In a Town This Size" with Dolores Keane. "Milwaukee Here I Come" with Melba Montgomery as Prine asks "me or Jerry Lee?" is also a hoot.

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