Album of the Day

Fittingly for a former mailman, John Prine delivers songs that are both literate and personal. Since his 1971 debut, the singer-songwriter has enjoyed widespread critical acclaim, and to judge from PRINE PRINE, it's easy to see why. The 1976 best-of gathers tracks from Prine's first four albums for Atlantic Records, and every one's a winner - from “Sam Stone,” “Illegal Smile,” “Dear Abby” and “Hello In There,” this is a skilled and compassionate storyteller at the top of his game. Though the performer's ongoing career produced further highlights, the aptly titled PRIME PRIME is a marvelous snapshot of his early classics, and we'll give the collection another spin today in honor of John Prine's 70th birthday.