John Prine- In Spite of Ourselves

Label: Oh Boy / Thirty Tigers

Reissued 2016, originally released 1999

The songwriter's songwriter takes a curious turn with his first studio album since 1995's Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings with this collection of duets (mostly covers). “On In Spite Of Ourselves, PRINE 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, MLEBA 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” – Rolling Stone. 

Track listing:

1. (We're Not) the Jet Set Feat Iris Dement
2. So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad) Feat Connie Smith
3. Wedding Bells/Let's Turn Back the Years Feat Lucinda Williams
4. When Two Worlds Collide Feat Trisha Yearwood
5. Milwaukee Here I Come Feat Melba Montgomery
6. I Know One Feat Emmylou Harris
7. It's a Cheating Situation Feat Dolores Keane
8. Back Street Affair Feat Patty Loveless
9. Loose Talk Feat Connie Smith
10. Let's Invite Them Over Feat Iris Dement
11. 'Til a Tear Becomes a Rose Feat Fiona Prine
12. In a Town This Size Feat Dolores Keane
13. We Could Feat Iris Dement
14. We Must Have Been Out of Our Minds Feat Melba Montgomery
15. In Spite of Ourselves Feat Iris Dement
16. Dear John (I Sent Your Saddle Home)