A revelation upon its release, this album is now a collection of standards: "Illegal Smile," "Hello in There," "Sam Stone," "Donald and Lydia," and, of course, "Angel from Montgomery." Prine's music, a mixture of folk, rock, and country, is deceptively simple, like his pointed lyrics, and his easy vocal style adds a humorous edge that makes otherwise funny jokes downright hilarious. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
The songs "Grandpa Was A Carpenter" and "Paradise" were two songs that my Dad would sing and play on the guitar when I was younger. When he finally found two John Prine albums and purchased them just for those two songs we both fell in love with all the songs. Both of us have been fans since then. Listening to John's music reminds me of my Dad and how we discovered that music together.